It has been awhile since I've posted. Sorry about that....
We had our department Christmas get together on January15th at our V.P.'s home and it was a great time. Having a social get together before Christmas is difficult with everyone being so busy so this year it was decided to be in January and I think it is best. Also, most of my social activities centre around the family so having an evening with my colleagues, who are friends as well, is really nice. The gals played a game after dinner called 'things'. Basically you had to write down a phrase in answer to a question such as 'What should you not do in your backyard?' Then all the answers were placed in a bucket and one person had to read them all out loud. Then one by one each person had to try and guess who wrote them. You can imagine some of the answers and who might have written them. Great fun! It was wonderful to see everyone and their spouses too!
On the 25th we went to London to see the gynecological oncologist, Dr. Monique Bertrand. She is head of the Gynecologic Oncology department and teaches at University of Western Ontario. Through my treatment in London during initial diagnosis and during the surgery there were many residents on her team that probably learned a thing or two about my condition. They all were kind and had great bedside manner. Any and all of our questions were answered fully and thoughtfully. I knew all along I was in good hands.
Anyway... back to our appointment with Dr. Bertrand. She examined me physically and determined all was healing very well as far as my surgery was concerned. Therefore it was OK for me to resume physical activity in a gradual manner. Which of course makes sense. I was not about to drop and do 50 push ups or something. What we mostly talked about was my prognosis for the future. I asked for numbers and her response was that any stats that she could provide, and they are on the Internet, is based on large populations of women and it doesn't mean that it applies to my situation. Naturally my specific situation is different when one considers my age, physical condition, lifestyle, attitude, support systems, etc. There is no way to give a definitive answer in terms of the possibility of recurrence. Nor can anyone say for certain the cancer is completely gone and recovery is 100%. Emotionally this is what I want but logically I know this is not possible.
I will be checked every 3 months for the next 2 or 3 years. Check ups will be alternated between London and Kitchener. Check ups include a physical examination and a chat regarding how I feel. There is no diagnostic test for ovarian cancer. I need to pay attention to my abdomen and if something is awry and persistent then I pick up the phone. We are not talking about some bit of indigestion or bloating but persistent symptoms that don't seem to go away.
