Thanks for posting this. My cousin was diagnosed with this at the age of 49. She had successful surgery, which prevented any further nerve damage. But the surgery and the untreated CM have left her in a considerable amount of constant pain in her neck, and limited range of movement in one arm. Apparently, once she learned what the symptoms are, she'd been having very specific symptoms for over 10 years, and she'd been having "migraines" most of her life. And her father is a neurologist.

Thanks. There are literally no other words I can say to express how I deeply your support has helped me. The other day my friend's 12yr dd asked me if I was cured. I had to pause a while because that has actually been on my mind a lot. I asked my dh when I am considered a survivor. He said after 5yrs. But once I stop taking the 5yr meds things could come back. So I very kindly explained to the girl that there is no way to really know. I will be watched closely and hopefully it is gone and never comes back. She simply said, "Oh." So I guess the best way to look at all this is that I am surviving every single day, one day at a time. I truly wonder, sorry to say but I think honesty is important amoung friends, that one day I will wake up with another lump and die the next day. It is not a fear that ruins my daily life, but it is a deep down heartfelt wondering that I think will just linger within me. I know many of you here have been in my same shoes and will assure me that life goes on. I know it does. Returning to work after 9months off is going to feel weird. Like I picked up where I left off. Kinda like I took a really long lunch break and now I am back to finish the days work. Like they say, life goes on. And so shall all of us. Again, thanks.

I agree with Anettemartinrn, whether the original story of Kathy West is true or not is trivial. Ovarian cancer is true and the fact that it is almost a totally silent cancer is just as true. How do I know? I have it. And I had no signs in the beginning. Most of you will not recognize my name - I used to post here years ago and only recently began lurking again. Last fall, I started to have serious pain when having a bowel movement. Thinking I had Irritable bowel syndrome, I let it go for a few weeks before finally making an appt. with a gastroenterologist. It was only then discovered after a series of tests that I have advanced cancer. By the time I found out I had it, it had already spread throughout my peritoneal cavity. I immediately went to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer. The doctor told me most women 'present' as Stage 3 or even 4 because it's very hard to detect in the early stages. I had an extremely painful operation on January 2. They literally opened me from my groin to my rib cage, took every single organ out, and removed all the visible tumors. They were everywhere, my abdominal lining, my bladder, my colon (they had to resection a part of it), my diaghragm, and a tissue inside my abdomen called the 'omentum' which was also removed. I'm still not recovered from the operation, yet had to start my first round of chemo on February 5. I will have to go through 6 rounds of chemo. The first round has sucked; I cannot imagine what it's going to be like to go through the next 5. Once this cancer is in Stage 3, the return rate is really high and the 5-year survival statistics are not good. I can't even begin to express how depressed and angry I've become, how in fear for my life I am every single day, not knowing what's going to happen with me. I've never been sick in my life, always healthy. I ate right and exercised. I'm only 43 years old. I too was discouraged by my gynocologist from taking the CA125, because of the false positives. If I had the chance do it again, I'd take that CA125 anyway, false positive or not, even if I had to pay for it out of my own pocket. I would have insisted. I wish it would become a mandatory test.

Sharon You are so right. Our quilt auction was last night and I am happy to report that your quilt went for $225 and we raised over $9400 this year. I plan to have pictures posted by the end of the weekend. Things have been so hectic here, that I can't put a time crunch of today on posting. My intent is to scan our quilt book today into a pdf file so that I can hopefully just upload that. If that won't work, then I will have to transfer everything to photobucket and post each individual picture, which I am sure non of you will be disappointed in. I will post as quickly as I can. Lynn