Interview OV25

Age at interview: 61

Age at diagnosis: 58

Brief Outline:

Ovarian cancer diagnosed in 2000 following breathlessness and abdominal bloating. Treated with chemotherapy then surgical removal of ovaries and womb and more chemotherapy. Subsequent lumps in armpit, leg and groin treated with further chemotherapy.

Background:

Retired nurse manager, married, one adult child.

She thought she should have been at low risk of developing ovarian cancer.

And do you have any ideas about what might cause ovarian cancer and why you should have got it?

No, none at all. Because I understood if you'd been on the Pill and you had a child, that the risks of ovarian cancer were a lot less. I was on the Pill for many years, I only had one child, but no, I thought I should have been in a very low group, risk group.
 

The second time her hair fell out she left her head uncovered with close friends and family.

I was quite lucky, actually, because each time I've had the hair loss it's started, the way the drugs are formed, in about the September so it's been the winter that I've been wearing the wig, so that has helped, because they are very hot in the summer. As soon as the sun gets on them they are very hot. But no, I've coped with it and the first time I wore the wig the whole time even in the house, apart from perhaps in the evenings. Second time I wore it every time I went out of the door, but my grandchildren and everybody came in the house and I wasn't wearing it. You know, I'd got used to not wearing it sort of around the house, and if very close friends came, I wouldn't bother putting it on. I'd have it by the front door that I could just plonk on, you know.  
 

Was told her cancer was too advanced for any treatment but demanded chemotherapy, which was effective.

And the Sister and a doctor sat down on my bedside, closed the bedroom door and said 'awfully sorry, it's very bad news, you've got a massive ovarian cancer.' And I was saying 'hang on, I came in with a chest complaint. You know, I've got no symptoms, no bleeding, nothing.' And they said, 'well, I'm sorry, you have.' And I said, 'oh fine, I'll have a hysterectomy, then.' And they said 'no, it's gone way beyond that, surgery will be completely out of the question, it's too far advanced for that.'  

And we asked what happened now and they just said, 'well, it's very far gone.' So I said I wanted to see a gynaecologist immediately. 

And he just said 'there's nothing at all.' I said 'will I see you again?' and he said 'no, I don't think so.' He called my husband outside and said 'you realise she's very, very poorly, she certainly won't see Christmas, or if she did it would be a miracle.' [My husband] said, 'what sort of time do you think?' and he said '2 to 3 weeks.'  

And I asked for chemotherapy and I was told that, really no. I was way beyond help, you know, was too far gone, and chemotherapy was so unpleasant. But I demanded chemotherapy. We even said we'd pay for it if, because I didn't feel as ill as what they were telling me I was. I know I looked it and my weight just dropped off me with these chest drains.  

Anyway, I got chemotherapy. I put a big brave effort on when I went to see the oncologist, I was in a wheelchair but I walked from the ward door to see him and he agreed I could have it.  
 

Describes the treatment she had for pleural effusions that made her breathless.

It was pleural effusions I had and they drain a certain amount and when they decide they're empty they take the drain out. But my pleura was filling up again all the time, and even the morning I came out of hospital they took the drains out that day. But what they did is they filled my pleura this last time with tetracycline, which is a sticky antibiotic, and they said it does tend to stick the pleura together to stop it filling up. But I don't think it's something they do very often because when I asked how long it would last nobody could tell me. And from that day I came out of hospital, touch wood, to this day, it's never happened again.  
 

Recommends getting out and doing normal things to dispel depression and to show others it isn't so bad.

Do you have any message to other women about ovarian cancer based on your experience?

Try and live as most normal life as you can and try and cram in everything you can. I think to sit and think about your illness, you must get very depressed. Try and get out and meet people and, I think also, by the fact that you're doing this sort of thing, you're going out but you've got cancer, and you're joining this and you're doing that, people think, 'oh it isn't so bad'.  You know, if you can lead a life like that, you know, it must be better. Because I think I would drive myself mad if I just sat in here all day. But I've never sat in here all day, anyway.