How many trips have you dreamed of, researched online, and even picked potential dates? When I was growing up, my parents loved to take me with them on the many trips they took, and they were always fun plus educational. That desire to travel stuck with me, and during my working years, I had lots of opportunities to travel across this great country, see some beautiful places, and meet some wonderful people. My “just for fun” trip list started back in 1990, and some fantastic trips were taken over the next many years.
Unfortunately, in the summer of 2019, the trips and the dreams went on hold for a while due to circumstances that I never anticipated and that were way beyond my control. The trip I started in August 2019 would truly be the one that I never planned to take, and it would be a lifetime journey.
As my husband and I watched our home being built in the Lake Oconee area of Georgia, moving from Atlanta to that area was pretty stressful. Our townhouse sold quicker than we expected, so we would have to live in a rental for a few months before the house was ready. I knew I wasn’t feeling well during all of this, my weight was going up, and acid reflux became a new friend. Since I was in between doctors, I had to wait until we got settled in the house before finally going to a gastroenterologist who insisted I have a CT scan before he would schedule an endoscopy/colonoscopy. Thank goodness he did because the scan was on a Friday, August 9, 2019, and he called me about the results the following Monday – ovarian cancer.
While it was my vanity about my weight that pushed me to the doctor, the idea of ovarian cancer never entered my radar screen. When I looked it up online, I realized I had every symptom, so, for once in my life, my weight concerns were founded and probably saved my life.
And so begins my next trip that I never dreamed I would take. I was able to see an oncologist on Thursday after the news, and she explained my itinerary of chemo for nine weeks, surgery, then nine more weeks of chemo. We kicked off with the first chemo on August 29, 2019, and now I am on maintenance. The monthly infusions of Doxil will hopefully keep this disease away, and my prayer is to be NED within the next year, God willing.
I have always been a very private person, but this disease is teaching me to open up and tell my story to help others. The biggest message I feel pushed to spread is early detection. Take Early Action and Live (TEAL) is critical to our success in fighting this disease, and by our paying attention to our bodies, we will play a role in our care and catch it ourselves in the early stages. Women should feel empowered with this role and push to get help when you need it. If you’re unfortunate enough to have it invade your body, be confident in the fact that you paid attention, caught it early, and are giving yourself your best chance to survive and thrive! Please follow my journey in my blog and help spread the word too!
#GOCA, #ovariancancerawareness, #ovariancancersupport
https://jewelvoice.wordpress.com
Carolyn K.
The biggest message I feel pushed to spread is early detection. Take Early Action and Live (TEAL) is critical to our success in fighting this disease, and by our paying attention to our bodies, we will play a role in our care and catch it ourselves in the early stages.
