Linda and her snug little home.
Courting days
Murphy, the Prince of Darkness, lurked inside
Linda
received what I believe was the standard treatment for advanced ovarian cancer
in 2008: surgery to remove all visible
tumor, followed by weeks of platinum-based chemotherapy. She had the benefit of cutting-edge medical
practice at the SCCA (Seattle Cancer Care Alliance), which includes the Fred
Hutch cancer research people. Her
surgeon was a leader in the field;
Linda died three years later, but only after
we enjoyed a lengthy period of remission during which time we traveled to Egypt and
northern Mexico, and enjoyed quality time at our place in Borrego Springs. At the time that her remission broke down
(her cancer returned) her hair had grown out to a fine, beautiful shade of
gray. After remission she was subjected
to additional chemo, but to no avail. In
common with most 3C OVCA patients, she died after only about three years
following diagnosis.
The research
outlined below seems to show that a second round of “cytoreduction surgery”,
following remission and accompanied by more chemo, may add as much as 20 or so
months to overall survival time. Also,
it is implied, the quality of this additional life is or can be high.
I asked
about a second surgery when Linda relapsed but was told that it would be of no
real value. Maybe now, with new wrinkles
in tumor detection and better chemo a second surgery would be useful. Nevertheless, as I relive Linda’s pain and
misery after surgery, which I recall painfully after 13 years, I am
cautious. OVCA is a terrible, cruel,
implacable disease. Society should
concentrate on early detection, effective treatment, and ultimate cure (or even
prevention, if such a thing is possible).
In the meantime, I guess that studies such as these that lead to greater
remission time are valuable.
God!, how I hate that f…ing disease!
Hi Myrl, you're often in my thoughts. Nora
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you wrote the first paragraph. It set the tone for learning what might become the new standard treatment, without going down the rabbit hole of wishing she had the second surgery. It is wonderful for all your readers to hear about how fully the two of you lived during her remission. I always tell people that she and I stepped up our time together those last years and for that, I am so grateful.
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