Thursday, February 26, 2009

Hello again!

I realized it has been awhile since I posted. This is a good thing – no news is good news! I have been moving slowly through each day, trying to take things slowly and listen to my body. I am still healing and cannot begin a chemo treatment yet. I won’t complain about a break from the chemo, but as the days go by I feel anxious about not having the treatments. I worry about the tumor(s) growing again.

I continue to receive vitamin C treatments at KUMed twice a week. I am also taking vitamin and mineral supplements and am following a diet designed to stop feeding the ‘sugar hungry’ cancer. This approach (including chemo) is showing some positive results for some of the ovarian cancer patients in the study. I have great hope that I will be able to beat this cancer with this approach.

As I have gotten stronger physically, I have also regained my equilibrium and feel like I have crawled out of my depression. The first 2 -3 weeks out of the hospital were very hard. I was weak physically and mentally. As the weeks have passed, I have begun to believe I can make it again and that’s a great feeling.

This past week, I sent Richie to Bozeman, MT for a holiday. Our friends live there and they welcomed him with open arms. He had three days of skiing, four nights of good friends' company and came home relaxed and happy. Bozeman was good, good medicine. We are slowly, but surely coming back to our ‘normal’ lives. It feels good to be back among the living.

Madeline and Charlie are doing well – as well as anyone would be with a mom having cancer. I know they are sad and angry sometimes, who wouldn’t be? School and friends keep them busy and we try to help keep their lives as normal as possible. I love having them around. They are wonderful medicine.

I return to the doctor in about two weeks and hope to have more to share at that point. Thanks to all who have helped us to maintain in these past few months, this year. Times have been tough, but you have all made us feel wrapped in your arms. We feel very blessed.

Love,
Maggie

6 comments:

nat said...

I'm so sorry you were having a rough time of it. I am glad that you are feeling better now though! I know what you mean about being anxious while off of chemo. It is a double edged sword. I also enjoyed having a break, but worried that those nasty cells were running rampant.

Could you explain more about the special diet that you are on? I have heard about reducing sugar possibly helping with other cancers, but never with ovarian. I would be interested to hear more about that diet!

Take care Maggie

Maggie said...

Hi Natalie,
I have been checking on you - hope things are going well on the vaccine trial.
The diet I am following is basically a diabetic diet - anything (potatoes, white flour, no simple carbs, out of the diet. I can get more specific if we contact eachother separately. I am a newbie to this stuff - how can I contact you?

Maggie said...

Natalie,
no high glycemic foods is what is missing from that last response.

earl said...

Hey, Maggie, so good to hear again. I was starting to get a little worried. Leo said he saw R. and C. at the wood cutting, and the vacation seems to have taken.

Oh, my Google account wants to call me "earl," which I'll explain some day, but this is Walt. See ya.

nat said...

Hey Maggie
You can e-mail me at
survivingovca@gmail.com

However, let me know that you sent an e-mail there, because I do not check it! From there, I can give you my real e-mail addy (I just don't want to post it in blog world :) )

Maggie said...

Nat
I sent you an email, will follow up after I hear from you.
Maggie