Ovarian Cancer Sensitivity Test, Tumour Marker – Home kit

A Testimony from John about Remission

As someone who lives on the Isle of Man, almost 60 miles away from Liverpool, this means that if we don’t have certain CA125 medical testing expertise on the island. For HPV Swab Tests, we go to either Liverpool or Manchester for our care. Some will understand that if you are an islander or live in an extremely rural area, you are probably in the same situation as me. Having the ability to live with nature helps alot in the recovery process. It will be hard to keep positive and appreciate everything around you…

There is no doubt this helps enormously.

Before my HPV Type diagnosis, I had most of the common symptoms of OC. And also I was feeling quite full and had no appetite to eat anything at all. And I had a change in my bowel movements, had an urgency to wee, and felt extremely tired after a small amount of exercise. I had backache, but also had problems with indigestion. The ‘final straw’ was in November 2019, when I started spotting. As you can imagine, at 71, this was an enormous shock.

I didn’t put as much urgency on HPV spotting as I should have. However, I did see my GP within a fortnight. She had several blood tests including a CA125. And when my Doctor received the results, she immediately arranged an appointment with a gynaecologist at my local hospital.

The appointment was on the 27 November the COVID year

And that date I will never forget. Because I had also two ultrasounds and a CT scan at the same time. And then I spoke to a doctor regarding my HPV report. I felt that I had to relay everything to him. Luckily, Darren, my son in law’s mother, who used to be a nurse, came with me to my appointment for support.

The doctor reviewed the CA125, ultrasound, and the CT scan results, and my CA125 levels was 180.

I saw one of the specialists in Liverpool for my pre-operative appointment in January.
We had to fly over from the Isle of Man… this is the real difficulty of living on the island – it’s a fantastic place to live until you fall ill with a condition that requires specialist care. My HPV medical team in the UK is currently based at another hospital in Liverpool. They liaise with my CA125 Blood specialist on the Isle of Man to discuss my case. When I have my HPV lab check-ups at my local hospital.

The results are transmitted to a specialist doctor in Liverpool. The specialist then discussed my case with me. And operate within 6 to 8 weeks, as the disease was advanced. The tumours had also grown since my first scans in December, so it was a matter of urgency, and I needed to begin treatment as soon as possible. She gave me the option to have my operation in six or eight weeks; I elected to go for six weeks because I could see that time was of the essence.

Four weeks passed.

I was informed that my surgery would be carried out by one of the best surgeons in the country. Obviously this information helped me to feel calm. And what was nice is that he introduced himself upon my arrival.

And he also introduced me to everyone else involved in my operation. He went through each person who would be in the operating room, and they individually explained their role. It was an incredible experience. I’ve had many CA-125 Tests and various operations throughout my life. And that was the first time a consultant had done that for me. It gave me much confidence in my surgeon. I’ve found that with some healthcare professionals, you can feel that you’re going through a factory rather than being treated as an individual.

The operation lasted five hours, as it was very extensive.

I had a total abdominal hysterectomy, and a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and also my omentum was completely removed. A report later showed that there had been cancerous cells in my omentum and so my surgeon made the right decision and he removed it.

Luckily, the flight attendants gave me plenty of cushions and padding, which helped enormously.

My surgeon had done a fantastic job,

Although, of course, they weren’t able to tell me categorically that all the cancer was gone. I am aware that the disease could come back, and I get checked regularly for HPV, too. But I try to live for the day. The stage of my disease was confirmed as stage 3a2. I was told that I would need to be treated with carboplatin chemotherapy. And I could have gone on carboplatin with Taxol, but I was advised against this. I was due to start chemo on 8 April, but due to a technical issue at my local hospital.

My HPV treatment could not start and was postponed for two weeks. My first chemo was fine, but after my second round, I started having pins and needles all down my right side.

They also happened on my feet. After my third chemo, I had a CT scan. I was extremely happy with this after only three rounds of chemotherapy. However, there was a benign nodule on my adrenal gland. But this wasn’t a cause for concern as far as the medics were concerned. I had three more rounds of chemotherapy, and my final scan results on 13 August showed no evidence of disease.

Thank goodness for love.

Something that stood out for me was an event that took place just before Christmas, just when I was first diagnosed with it. All the children in his class stood up and asked for various toys and electronics. When it was my grandson’s turn, he stood up and told the class he wanted his Gran to improve. At the age of 10, he understood what I was going through. A few weeks later, he asked me whether I was going to have my chemotherapy first or my operation first, so he’d done some research. It made me realise how much I wanted to see my grandchildren grow and that I couldn’t give up.

Not seeing loved ones in the UK face to face has not been easy. Over the past 18-20 months, because of HPV and Covid. I have been in tears talking about it, even when it is clear. Hence, the counselling sessions I had were incredibly valuable to me, as you are not aware of the huge psychological upset that can result from a CA125 Home kit, cancer diagnosis and treatment.

I have felt that keeping one’s mind focused on something helps

In my case, it is my garden and genealogy. Seeing how my garden looked and how it looks now has made me more optimistic. This helps me look forward to the future. With the HPV Variant exam, the ongoing support of family and friends has helped. It proves that one can get through it even in difficult times.

I am incredibly lucky to be in remission. But I will make every effort to enjoy the years to come.