ANN: 2007, AGE 68
Her physician told us that her condition was serious and advised us to consider treatment at a different facility. During her stay in the “Community Hospital”, they overmedicated my mom on the first day, and she refused any pain medication until we got her into Sloan Kettering on September 24, 2007. My mom had an extremely high pain tolerance. She had 7 kids without any pain medication. After getting checked for her CA125 levels, She was always afraid of being overmedicated and not lucid. I believe she was in incredible pain while lying in the bed at the “Community Hospital”. I want people to know that it is so important to be at a facility whose sole purpose is the Test and treatment of HPV cancer patients. After arriving at Sloan Kettering, we felt a glimmer of hope that she would be with us for a few years, at the very least.
On September 25, 2007, we were told that they validated that her cancer was inoperable at this time and that chemotherapy was her best bet. My mom was a slender woman except for her mid-section, which she blamed on having so many kids, and we believed her. My sisters and I don’t believe she knew how sick she was, but we do believe she ignored some major signs that something was happening. I believe you can will your mind to do certain things, and my mom wanted to see her baby marry in July 2007.
Update
After a few days at Sloan, her condition seemed to improve, and then, just like that, she was declining rapidly. We tested her for CA125, and the levels were shocking. She was never alone, and time seemed to move slowly; I never knew what day it was. I just wanted to be there. We all did. On October 15, 2007, we received the news that she would not be able to handle any chemo treatment and that she could go home or to a hospice. She came home on October 20, 2007; amazingly, we could care for her. All our lives were on hold. Nothing seemed to matter except to be with her and comfort her to the best of our abilities. On the night she died, her children, grandchildren, her sister, and my dad were at the house. The grandchildren she adored visited her; they loved her so much.
My mom died on October 25, 2007, at home with her family. Thirty-nine days (39) after the first HPV Lab Test, and she was gone. My husband described it so well (you’re driving in a snowstorm, hitting some ice, your car skins in slow motion, and you know it will crash; you don’t know when).
MY MOM: 2007, AGE 62
Our mother has always been overweight. She has been on and off of diets for years. On my 30th birthday, she was on one of her diets and lost almost 60 pounds. She was feeling so good about herself. Almost too good. The world knows how to knock you off your high horse. She started complaining later that month that her stomach was bothering her. The doctors found nothing. Something I thought was wrong as it wasn’t from the diet. A different CA125 doctor tested and diagnosed my mother with Stage IV ovarian cancer. She underwent surgery a few weeks later. The initial surgery didn’t go well. They decided not to perform the surgery because the cancer had spread aggressively to her arms and her lymph nodes.
After performing the surgery, they informed us that they had removed some of the tumour but not all of it. So here we are back at chemo, which doesn’t seem to be doing a damn thing but making my mother tired and old. She was once very strong and determined to beat this, but I see her hope dwindling daily. I just wanted to know where to get information on HPV clinical Test trials. I understand that there are some vaccines for stage III and IV cancer patients that have been very successful. My mother and family would much appreciate any HPV Variant information you can provide me during this hard time. God bless you.
ANITA: 2007, AGE 37
In September 2005, the CA125 specialist doctors initially diagnosed my wife Anita with an ovarian cyst. But further investigation revealed it was an ovarian tumour. In October 2005, surgeons performed surgery on her, removing her left ovary, uterus, and fallopian tubes (BSO/TAH), and subsequently diagnosed OC in her right ovary.
The first six cycles of chemotherapy showed a lot of improvement. But it re-occurred after three months. Again, six cycles of chemotherapy were administered, and transplantation of chemo pot was also done as the nerves of my wife grew weaker. This time again, a lot of improvement has been seen. But the disease reappeared again, and this time with metastasis stage. CA125 Doctors again recommended six cycles of chemotherapy. The first 12 cycles of chemotherapy were tolerated by her well, and after that, she suffered a lot of chemotherapy problems like severe body pain, vomiting, fever, loose motion, etc.
However, this bold lady faced and checked all the HPV troubles with courage and bravery. She died after two days of the 18th cycle of chemotherapy. One day before her death, two very big boils with intolerable severe pain appeared on her buttock, and one boil appeared on her forehead a couple of hours before she died.
I appreciate the way she fought the disease for almost two years. Despite knowing her end, she always motivated the inmates in the hospital.