Electricity filled the air, sparking excitement and anticipation as I approached the registration table at the Monona Terrace. The time had finally arrived to get our sparkle on for Sparkle of Hope, a special evening celebrating women touched by gynecologic cancers. I received my nametag and registered my credit card to place bids for the […]
Pink lights illuminate bridges, state capitols and city landmarks. Runners, walkers and strollers race for the cure. Pink ribbons embellish bags, jewelry, hats and t-shirts. Teas, brunches and banquets raise funds for breast cancer research. Even NFL players sport pink in October. Think pink! Wear pink! Celebrate pink! October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. […]
Are there certain words that trigger pressure in your chest or tightness in your throat? For me, that word is cancer. I am an ovarian cancer survivor. My Story During the summer of 2006, Every time I had another bout of nausea, I brushed thoughts of ovarian cancer from my mind. Surely these spells were […]
“Bon voyage!” These shouts echo in the ears of passengers as their cruise ship shoves off from port, the familiar fading into the distance. But at Camp Mak-A-Dream, we entered our own high seas adventure greeted by Love Boat’s Julie for our theme night—a cruise ship. We are ovarian cancer survivors. Many of us donned […]
Today is World Ovarian Cancer Day. I am an ovarian cancer survivor. I had observed the ravages of cancer and chemotherapy inflicted upon my patients as an oncology nurse. But I joined their ranks when ovarian cancer flung me to the other side of the bed. Nursing scrubs and shoes gave way to tieback gowns […]
Love—romance, flowers, hearts, chocolates and Valentine’s Day. But is this really love? I asked my fellow cancer survivors the following question—What acts of kindness expressed love to you when you were diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy? Let us count the ways: Prayer – Cancer is bigger than we are, but not bigger than God. […]
We are women. We love shoes. Our closets are chock-full: stilettos, flats, platforms, sandals, flip-flops, tennies, boots, athletic shoes. For each occasion we agonize over our perfect outfit right down to our feet. Sometimes it’s a delicate balance of comfort versus fashion. Women with ovarian cancer have trod in all of these shoes. We come […]
Stop. Listen! Do you hear the whispers of ovarian cancer? This insidious disease assaults over 20,000 unsuspecting women per year and is the most lethal of all female cancers. Since there are no screening tests, it is often diagnosed in the latter stages. As an oncology nurse, it’s a tragedy I’d witnessed too many times. […]
Coffee in hand, the 3rd year medical students wander into the conference room and take their seats across from us. We are ovarian cancer survivors. Today, the three of us are presenting to their class. We follow the guidelines from Survivors Teaching Students: Saving Women’s Lives® program sponsored by the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. Our […]
“Bald is beautiful,” said the young woman on the television screen as she proudly displayed her shaved head. I was not alone. She had also braved chemotherapy as a result of ovarian cancer. During the entire course of my treatment, television stations aired this commercial. I held onto this message like a child clutching a […]