Stories of Inspiration

My exposure to cervical cancer began in 1994, at age 24, when I had my annual gynecological appointment, and my pap came back abnormal. My doctor called to have me come back into the office for a meeting. She told me I had pre-cancer cells, and I had two options; I could have a cone procedure done or a less…

My cancer story begins with my mom’s. In the fall of 2012, after an MRI for hip pain, doctors suspected lymphoma in her pelvic lymph nodes. To confirm the diagnosis, they performed a biopsy. We were surprised when the results indicated the tumors were adenocarcinomas,. She was diagnosed with CUP (cancer of Unknown Primary). To best treat her, the doctors…

Since 1991, The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) has grown from a grassroots effort into a passionate community that drives awareness and research initiatives to better the lives of the ovarian cancer community. As we enter our 30th year, the NOCC has identified 24 highly respected gynecologic oncologists, researchers, and patient advocates to serve on the newly appointed Medical &…

Desolina was a typical 4-year-old child, mostly sweet with those few epic tantrums. As she approached 5, the tantrums worsened and we often joked what our household would be like during the teen years. She had developed an urge to urinate that seemed ridiculous to us and usually at the most inconvenient times. She had stopped eating as much and…

As far back as I can remember I always had some gynecological issues. Bleeding between periods, fibroids, and ovarian cysts. Throughout the years I had numerous surgeries to combat these things and was on medication, which to my dismay put on extra pounds. In 2019 I was still actively teaching first grade. I taught for 26 years, and I was…

Isn't it funny that when we are young, we think we have full control of our lives? My life has not turned out as I had planned; nonetheless, God did a beautiful job of it himself. Sometimes beauty is pain, though, just the name of the game, I suppose. I really didn't think I could have any more babies, I…

In their vision to eliminate ovarian cancer, the Department of Defense’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) was created to support critical research to “prevent, detect, treat, and cure ovarian cancer.” Since its inception in 1997, the OCRP undergoes a peer review process to determine which research should be funded. Patient involvement is very important from the beginning of the review…

I was diagnosed with stage IIIB low-grade serous ovarian cancer in 2016 and later reclassified as stage IV in 2019 with a high-grade ovarian cancer tumor in my chest. I have been living with both low-grade and high-grade ovarian cancer. I am now five years into my ovarian cancer journey and am glad to not only be surviving but thriving.…

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…

Never in a million years did I ever think I would be diagnosed with cancer. I’ve always lived a healthy, active lifestyle. I honestly would have to say that leading up to my symptoms and diagnosis of Stage 3C high-grade Ovarian Cancer. I was the fittest and healthiest I had ever been at age 45. So yes, I was in…