My mother died of ovarian cancer.

And she didn't have much of a chance. By the time they catch most cases, the cancer is at an advanced stage and incurable. She died at 64 in 2002, when I was five months pregnant.

A NYT article today reported a stunning advance that could've added months or years to her life.

Excerpt:

Gain Reported in Combating Ovary Cancer

A rarely used treatment that pumps cancer drugs directly into the abdominal cavity can add 16 months or more to the lives of many women with advanced cases of ovarian cancer, doctors are reporting.

Comments

[Jennifer]

Hi Gina,
I found your page while searching on about death. My mother died at age 44 less then 20 days after we found out she had cancer. I was 22 at the time. I was just looking for someone who could relate to my situation. thanks

[Kristy]

Hi Gina,

My mom had just died of uterine cancer a month ago, 4 months after she was diagnosed. She was only 50. Needless to say, our family is devastated. I hope modern medicine comes up with a really effective cure for cancer so that more families can be spared the grief and heartbreak we are feeling now.

God bless.

[Jeff]

Hi Gina,

My wonderful wife passed away one month ago from ovarian cancer, 13 months after being diagnosed. Today is also her birthday. I have a 10-year-old daughter. Please tell me it gets easier.
Not one of her doctors ever stepped up and gave us a true prognosis. Even as my wife was entering hospice her surgeon/oncologist offered more chemotherapy (indicating there was hope). Even the hospice physician was in denial that my wife was in agony (until I became enraged and insisted on closer evaluation), leaving me a horrible memory the last day. I want doctors everywhere to know that holding back ANY information is detrimental to patient and family.

[tina]

my mother was diagnosed on 1/17/07 with ovarian / breast cancer. she passed away in her sleep on 3/18/07. the cancer was very advanced; mom was never sick in her entire life. she had a stroke 2 years ago, underwent many tests and to this day, i don't understand why the cancer was not discovered when she had a stroke; up until the end,my mother was a very strong woman; i love her so much for her courage and miss her so very much; the doctors tried to fix my mother to prolong her life with chemo for 1-1/2 years but he body would not respond; in other words, when doctors fixed one thing on mom, something else broke (i.e. she started to throw up blood, blood in urine, stool, she went to icu, was fixed), she had 1 round of chemo, then was told, cancer was advancing rapidly and hospice was next. the cancer took my mother quick and swiftly. mom told me in the end she was trying to get to the promise land; i had an idea something was wrong but did not know mom was so very sick; she hid this disease from me until the very end (she said she did not want me to worry). i am very sad that she did this; i would have done anything for my mother ANYTHING. my mother told me before she passed, "nobody wants to die". she told me this in a voice that i have never heard from her. this, i play over and over in my head again and again. i had mom cremated because i wanted to once and for all KILL THE CANCER THAT TOOK MY MOTHER; it is very very painful to lose your mother because she is your best friend and with you through thick and thin and a mother is on your side no matter what. it is hard to loose a mother especially when all you had was your mother (everyone else in family is deceased). i will never recover from losing my mother; PLEASE, POST THIS !!!

[Chris]

Hey all, I had googled 'ovarian cancer' and randomly came to this page. I see that I'm not the only person who has lost a parent to that terrible disease. My mom passed last April. She was diagnosed 10 months earlier, in July. Unbelievably, my father has cancer as well. he was diagnosed with colon cancer 5 years ago, and he's still around.

It's been rough, but I figure that those of us who have lost a relative to this damn disease should stick together. Gina, if you or anyone else here wants to talk, just shoot me a line. I think we all have an insight into this disease many other people do not.
My name's Chris. cbhc2002@hotmail.com

[Leslie]

My mom was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer. This week has been super emotional and I am so scared for her. My email is ohkthx@hotmail.com I am 18 years old and my mother is almost 37.

[eran sebbag]

Hi All. My Name Is Eran. I'm 32 years old.
Lost My Dear Dear Mom 2 weeks ago. she struggled 3 years with colon cancer that spread to her liver. have this guilt around me all the time (was there something else I could have done ?did I spend enough time with her? and al sort of those develish questions...)
she was 64 and truly was my best friend.
So I found this site and I wonder - Is There any Salvation ? Its Like a 'Trip'...cought in the middle..frozen
Gog Help Us All

[eran sebbag]

Hi All. My Name Is Eran. I'm 32 years old.
Lost My Dear Dear Mom 2 weeks ago. she struggled 3 years with colon cancer that spread to her liver. have this guilt around me all the time (was there something else I could have done ?did I spend enough time with her? and al sort of those develish questions...)
she was 64 and truly was my best friend.
So I found this site and I wonder - Is There any Salvation ? Its Like a 'Trip'...cought in the middle..frozen
Gog Help Us All

[christine]

HI GINA,
I LOST MY MOM 2YRS. AGO TO OVARIAN CANCER. SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND, PART OF ME DIED WITH HER. MY DAD, WHO I LOVED DEARLY JUST DIED 2 WEEKS AGO OF COLON CANCER. I FEEL COMPETLY DISCONNECTED FROM EVERY ONE AROUND ME. I FEEL LIKE THERE IS A BLACK CLOUD HANGING AROUND ME. JUST WHEN I WAS BEGINNING TO FEEL SORT OF NORMAL AGAIN WITH MY MOM'S DEATH, MY DAD LOST HIS BATTLE.

[Elizabeth]

I lost my mom in 1992 at the age of 60 to what the doctor said way a rare ovarian cancer. She also didn't tell us kids about her disease so that we wouldn't worry. I felt cheated out of spending special time with her.
In 2006 her twin died from ovarian cancer. I don't know if it was the same cancer but it really has me scared. Everything I have read says we need to get tested often to make sure we don't suffer the same fate too late.

It was very hard loosing my mom. In 2006 I lost 4 people. My son died in March when his friend gave him a methadone pill for a headache, my mom's twin in August, my dad the day after Christmas and my daughter's fiance almost a year exactly from my son.

Although my mom's death was devistating for me, nothing compares to the pain and loss of a child. I think that everyone I know that has died combined couldn't make up the hurt that I experienced loosing my son.

Get checked for the cancer and take good care of yourself. Eat good fibrous food, take vitamins, drink plenty of fluids, exercise and pray alway. God bless you!

[Christina Peralta]

Hello everyone. I came across this page while researching for an ovarian cancer awarness piece I am doing for an online magazine. I decided on this topic to bring awarness about this awful disease in dedication to my beutiful beloved mother who just passed away from ovarian cancer in May. I would love to hear from some or all of you to add you to my story. I am also doing an online piece connected to the story honoring all the strong women who valiently fought till the end. I am going to need pictures and dates if anyone is interested please contact me. cpbqueen@gmail.com My deadline to get all this up and running is June 26th. Hope to hear from you.
Thanks,
Christina Peralta

[Beth]

Hi -- I just found this page and as I am reading it I am crying my eyes out. I just lost my mom this past May to ovarian cancer - 2 weeks after diagnosis. Not only was she my mom - but also truly my best friend. I called her the minute any good or bad news came my way - I wish I could call her now - she'd give the best advice on how to cope with this crap! I know I lost a part of me when she died - I am not sure that I will ever smile again. I was beginning to think I was alone in this grief - aside from my family, but see that there are so very many of us going thru the same thing.

[Aoife]

Dear Gina
My name is aoife i'm 13 years old and my mum died of ovarian cancer 2 years ago on th 4th of january 2006..she was 56. she was diagnosed 15 months before this, the week after my 10th birthday. My mum was a great woman very religious so loving and so kind to so many, so i don't know why it happened to her so i guess it was gods way of saying 'she could handle it, cause he knew she was a strong person and would be able to say good bye!'
my friends think oh how does she live without her mum how does she do it shes so strong etc. but it just has to be done i know my mum would want me going out having a good time not sitting in my ohmr drowning in sorrow she wouldn't want it.
well anywayz there are other reasons i get on with life the yearaftr my mum's death on my mum's birthday 9th january 2007 my little niece was born amd the year after that on th 25th of january 2008 my other niece came along. so good things can come our of death <~~~ that sounds bad bt they can...x
i'd love a reply..xx

Aoife
aoifep@gmail.com

[kathleen]

hi. ,my mom died 2weeks ago of edomitrial cancer, just 4 weeks after being diagnosed, i am still in shock,

[Elona]

Hello Gina,
Thank god I found this page! I'm absolutley going out of my mind.My mother just recently passed away at the young age of 50 on 6/27/08 after a long hard fight with ovarian cancer for 2 years.She was my life, and I'm so devastated, I tried taking my own life within the week she passed. It was stupid of me to do I know, but I'm in what someone might call "survival mode".The hardest part is just waking up in the morning and the reality slapping me in the face that she's really gone. I cant seem to do the everyday simple tasks,like,showering,shopping,sleeping,or just leaving the house,ect... It's ruining my life! on top of it all, I'm losing friends over this & my relationship with my fiancee is falling apart. I've tried grief counsuling, but they just reffered me to a mental health hospital. I was partially relieved to read everyone's story in here because I've been feeling so alone. But it also breaks my heart that more people have to go thru something so awful, with no end in sight. God Bless All Of You.
-Elona- 27yrs old, Las Vegas, NV

[Emily]

I got married in Sept 2004. My mom was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer 4 months later. We thought that she would beat it. She had a full hysterectomy. They said they thought they got it all out but she still needed Chemo.She didnt want to take Chemo but I talked her into it. 1 in 1000 people have a reaction to the type of Chemo that she received. She was that 1 in 1000. So they gave her a shot to counteract the chemo and she was okay but decided not to take anymore chemo.
That year was really bad on all of us. She would scream from her room that she was dieing. I truely thought that she would be healed but I understand that we live in a fallen world and we arent promised a life protected from this world we live in. My mom was a strong Christian. She was a great witness to everyone who visited her during her sickness. She spent her time in bed reading her bible and listening to praise and worship music. Everyone who visited her remarked on how peaceful it was in her precense.She went home to be with her God on Dec 17,2005.

That last week was terrible. She suffered so much during that last week. I had nightmares for a long time. God did allow us to see something special. She had been lying there for 3 days not moving. . It took all she had to breath. Sometimes I would have to lean very close and try feel her breath just to see if she was still alive. She barely blinked in days. It was physically impossible for her to move. Her body was shutting down.
But Suddenly she lifts her head up and looks at my dad and had this huge smile on her face. She lays her head back down and looks up to the ceiling with this beautiful smile. A half hour later she left us and went to her real home. She still had that beautiful smile on her face.

I know to some people this may not seem like a big deal but it truely was a miracle. I thank God that He allowed us to see that one last glance of her escaping the pain. Cancer may have taken her life in this world but it gave her a better life in a world that cancer cant touch!
If you are reading this and your mom has ovarian cancer please do not be disscouraged by our stories. We have seen the awful side of what Ovarian Cancer can do. People do die with this disease. BUT...people can also live. Have hope!

If you are reading this and your mom or family member has died with Ovarian Cancer... you are not alone. While caring for my mom I lost my friends. It seems that no one really wants to hang around when something serious happens. Maybe its to much pressure....maybe people are so selfish that they cant be in a relationship that isnt constantly nurturing them...whatever the reason you are still not alone. I became very dissapointed in family, church people and supposed friends who became tired of visiting my mom and stopped coming when she needed it most. All of these are terrible things....but I know that I am not alone.
We will all lose someone close to us. Death is inevitable. Sometimes it is unexpected. Usually it is un-invited.

You will miss them. But you wont forget them.
It hurts to say...that life goes on. Its hurts so much that your life will go on without them....but think about this....your mom or loved one has probably lost someone close to them also. There was a time when THEY didnt want to go on. But think about all your happy memories with her.
Arent you glad that she chose to continue? You will laugh again. You will find people who care about you. You will create wonderful memories for those you love and for those you will love in the future. I Love my mom so much and I miss her. I dont want her legacy to stop with me. I dont want this cancer to win.

[Jeff]

I too lost my mom to Ovarian Cancer, what was the saddest part is that my mom's mind was going one way and her body was going the opposite. My mom was diagnosed with Stage IV oc 5 years ago. She lived exactly 5 years. I've never seen anyone suffer as much as she did the last six months. The crying, the screams still haunt me. I saw my mom take her last breath. I will never be the same again. My mom was my life. I miss her soo much everyday and in shock she's gone. She died on July 14th. My heart goes out to all of you who has to deal with the sickening disease that could be easliy prevented by forcing your doctor to take a CA 125 blood test on a normal check up. I guess life goes on but just feels meaningless that you will never see or hug this person again. :(

[Abbas]

hey jeff, my mother died of cancer, on 10th July, and i still remember her last breath and last 6 months of her life were the worst, she died at about 43. i luv my mom and ill quote your words "I guess life goes on but just feels meaningless that you will never see or hug this person again :("
in the end i would say words are not enough to explain this pain, the we have gone through and that we will be going through rest of our lives...

[Brad]

My mother died of Stage 4 lung cancer on June 8. I cared for her most of the last few years of her life. Most of the time, it entailed an endless round of doctor visits, prescibed meds which made her feel worse, and several ER visits in which she was treated with almost distain because of her advanced age. All of this occuring before the cancer diagnosis in January. I almost felt as if she were relieved to at least have a definitive diagnosis instead of being dismissed as a hypocodriac or senile.

[blotz]

I too lost my mother to ovarian cancer on 9/7/07, one year ago. My mother only lived 4 months from the time it was found. She had surgery, chemo, the advanced chem to the abdominal area also! They said that part of her intestine died. It was so sudden! My mother just turned 64 3 days before her death. I have had guilt that I didn't press her Dr's about her not being able to eat. They said she was depressed and was choosing not to eat. IT STILL HURTS! She was never sick untill this...... I MISS HER MORE THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED POSSIBLE.....

[lori]

Feels good knowing there are other people out there that have experienced the same as me. My 65 yr. old Mom passed away from ovarian cancer stage 3c 7/29/05. She was diagnosed 9/95 (age 55). She lived for 10 years of constant chemos, medications, surgeries, etc... I'm glad we had her for the 10 years. She was only supposed to last five and we feel fortunate to have that extra time with her. Her last 6 months were the worst though. What a terrible way to watch your loved one die! To watch her suffer and actually starve to death because of the colon obstructions. Even after 3 years since she has passed I feel like it was yesterday and it still haunts me. She was my best friend and I still miss her so much it hurts. I just wish I would of known what to expect in the last 6 months. Not to mention dealing with my Dad that was watching the love of his life die. I was in total shock and could not believe that we (the public) let this go on and let people suffer like that. I HOPE THERE IS A CURE FOR OVARIAN CANCER SO NOBODY WILL EVER HAVE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT WE DID... God help us all!!!!!

[Barbara Nicolaou]

I had a friend who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer right after she had her 2nd baby she lived less then a year.

However, my Aunt was able to live for 12 years after she was diagnosed because she was a test case in an experimental study.She was always in pain but was very happy to be able to stay around to raise her children. SO hope is very much around.

Women should also remember that if you have a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer get your ovaries removed. You won't get ovarian cancer and it drops your chances of breast cancer by 50-80% even with hormone therapy . Better yet remove your breast too then you won't get either. Sounds drastic but if you've seen a lot of people with this sort of cancer it sounds like a vacation.

[Ali Flores]

Hi, im 22 years old and i lost my beautiful mother to ovarian cancer on july 30 of 08. she was diagnosed in June of 2005. She did 1 1/2 years of chemo treatments and only 2 months of radiation, her body was respnding to the treatments so hospice was her only option. The doctor gave her a yr to live but died shortly 3 months later. I was living couple hours away and came down to see her with my 3 month old son who she hasnt met before. She didnt look like herself but she still had her beautiful smile and when she held my son for the first time it seemed like it took all the pain away. She died 2 weeks after. My mother was my best friend and i miss her so much. there are days when i just want to call her and tell her how much i love her, but i know my mother is beside through every path i go. I happy i had her for a mom and i hope to be great of a mother to my son like she was with me.

[EveLYN]

It's so hard to read all those stories..., cause i had an expierience in it too. My mom died of ovarian cancer too she lived 1.1/2 years... and i lost her three months ago. she was only 50 years old...
I LOVE HER SO MUCH. first month was very hard, i cried every day, but now im trying not to cry cause i know that she doesn't want to see my tears because of her im trying to be strong.
Just now im starting to understand, that all those mine's tears are my selfishness, cause i need her, i love her, but i didint think, that now she hasnt that pain, which had in this world i know that now she is in a better place.
Be strong because of them !
P.S sorry for my english..., if u didint understand smth

[Ted Egner]

I think I am about to lose my mom to ovarian cancer. She has been fighting it with style for 4 years now. It has gotten to a point now though where she is miserable. I can't stand to see her suffer like this. She is my best friend and the person I have always relied on to be there for me. She has given me the best life and right now all I want to be able to do is help her, but I can't. My heart is broken. I just want to say that I feel for each and everyone of you who has had to deal with this painful disease. Our loved ones will never die if we keep them in our hearts and let them out with the lessons they've taught us. Ted Egner Santa Cruz CA