Thursday July 3rd...Dr. Dodson (1)...1st appt....

Well it’s been while since I’ve written, for many reasons. I’m feeling better so I’m doing more things. Dr. Dodson’s office called and said they had a cancellation so I jumped at it. I wasn’t sure if Mark would be able to come but he ended up being able to. The doctor drew pictures on a paper as he explained things to us. The following is an email I am sending to my family explaining things but mostly for me to remember everything the doctor said.

             Mark and I met with Dr. Mark Dodson today. He took a history and did a bi-vaginal exam, using the speculum and then feeling with his fingers inside by where my cervix used to be as well as a finger up my rectum-weird… Then he had me get dressed and he came back in to talk with us.

I have included some additional information and pictures to help people understand better. Everything in blue is my understanding from the doctor’s appointment.

·         Cancer occurs when cells in an area of the body grow abnormally.

·         Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer among women.

·         Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common and accounts for 85 percent to 89 percent of ovarian cancers.

Epithelial ovarian cancer means the cancer started in the surface layer covering the ovary. There are various types of epithelial cancers of the ovary; (The doctor said it was like different makes of vehicles)

·         Serous

·         Endometrioid

·         Clear cell

·         Mucinous

·         Undifferentiated or unclassifiable

Serous epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common type, making up about two thirds of the cases diagnosed. Doctors now think that most high grade serous ovarian cancers actually start in cells at the far end of the fallopian tube, rather than the surface of the ovary. These early cancer cells then spread to the ovary and grow. This is the type the doctor said I had “High grade serous carcinoma”

Ovarian cancer usually spreads via local shedding into the peritoneal cavity followed by implantation on the peritoneum and via local invasion of bowel and bladder. The pelvic nodes were involved as often as the para-aortic nodes. Tumor cells may also block diaphragmatic (diaphragm) lymphatics. The resulting impairment of lymphatic drainage of the peritoneum is thought to play a role in development of ascites (fluid) in ovarian cancer.