It's not far off 5 years since I was first diagnosed, and I've just completed my third course of chemo. This time it's been much harder. I had so many complications, including coming close to kidney failure, and I'm still not feeling fully recovered. Add the pressure of going through chemo during a pandemic, and ... well, at least I'm still here. The 5-year survival rate for stage four ovarian is a dismal 17%. But what counts in my favour is that I have a good response to chemo. Hopefully that will continue. Though I'm not looking forward to repeating more chemo when the cancer inevitably returns (that is a certainty). But my hope is that in 5 years or so there will be better treatments for me; there's some exciting research going on.

This time it's also been much harder on me emotionally than before. Knowing that my future is one of repeated cycles of chemo, and that those could be as tough as this one, is disheartening. I try to be as positive as possible, but it's proving a challenge lately. This fund is a way of me reaching out for support and feeling that something positive can happen to me. It's very hard to earn a living when you're constantly unwell or attending hospital appointments. I'm a freelancer, and while that gives me the flexibility to work around medical needs and hospital visits, it also means I have no guaranteed income (sometimes none at all), and when I don't have the energy to chase clients it's a double whammy. Bills still come in though. I really need to feel less alone, and if someone cares enough to help me out it's a real boost to my spirits.