April 2022
Update to In Her Own Words dated February 2015. Read 2015’s here.
In May 2009, I underwent abdominal surgery, was diagnosed with stage II C epithelial ovarian cancer, and had a complete hysterectomy.
A month of tests included a transvaginal ultrasound, CT scan, and CA-125 blood test, which was 164.
My initial symptoms included a sudden appearance of a vaginal discharge, then light bleeding within a week. I was 65. I did not have bloating, feelings of fullness, fatigue, frequent urination, pain or other typical symptoms of ovarian cancer.
I had no typical risk factors like history of breast or colon cancer, but I do, unfortunately, have a family history of cancer: multiple myeloma, acute leukemia, and mouth cancer. I am BRCA negative and have had extensive genetic testing. My treatments have included:
Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, said they would take me into their trial in 2014 if they could find a surgeon to do the surgery, since the lymph node this time was between my aorta and vena cava and declared inoperable. According to the head of the liver transplant department at Loyola University, we made history (on a scale of one to ten, my surgery was an eleven!). I survived it and began radiation in September 2013. In January 2014 I entered their clinical immunotherapy vaccine trial, subsequently remaining cancer-free until my annual check-up in August 2020, when my CA-125 registered 100.
Chemotherapy seemed the best route at this time, and beginning in December 2021, I had six infusions with carboplatin, adding in doxil twice. My CA-125 dropped to 18 by May, and the small masses in my abdominal area had shrunk considerably. But during this time of treatment new, small pleural effusions with compressive atelectasis appeared in my lungs. I took a break from all treatment from May to December 2021.
By October of 2021 my CA-125 had climbed to the 300’s. I entered a new clinical trial in December on taxol and a 50/50 double-blind study of a new drug, AVB-S6-500, designed to bind to a cell protein called GAS 6 and prevent the cancer spreading to other parts of the body. I am currently in that trial, finishing cycle 4, hoping I am getting the trial drug.
For those of you who are thinking that a clinical trial is the last resort, remember that my first trial gave me seven years. This is my second trial, and so far, my CA-125 has come down from 333 to 65 as of mid-January, with another check to be done in early March. Though I experience fatigue, I have no other significant issues.
Editor’s Note: Sherry and her husband relocated from the coast of Maine in 2013 to Portland, Oregon, to be near their son Eric and his family. She is a writer and poet, former adult education instructor. Visit her website www.sherryhanson.com to learn more about her work and professional awards as a writer, poet, and teacher.
Monica Marvin
Even though I am extremely fortunate to have survived longer than many, I do not take the credit. I have…
Martha Richards
What have I learned through all of this? Be grateful. I could not have survived without my terrific team --…
Larissa Ienna
If you had told me in 2017, when I wrote that letter to myself, that I'd face three recurrences and…
Andrea Storm
My ovarian cancer story begins, I believe, at the beginning of 2022. I had extreme fatigue and couldn’t stand anything…
Mary Beebe
I share my story not just to show how relentless ovarian cancer can be, but to encourage other women to…
Tami Ward
My surgery went well, and the doctor was able to get clean margins. I was recovering and went in for…
Diane Sarver
Needless to say, I am a grateful recipient of novel clinical research by brilliant and dedicated physicians, none of which would be…
Candace McKanna
Be assertive in finding providers that truly suit you, as your life literally depends on it. In November 2021, I…
Carissa Thompson
I continued pushing my provider for more tests. An ultrasound showed a small mass on my left ovary that was…
Julia Tastor
The community I have and the support I have found are really unbelievable. Who thinks they would get cancer at…
Amy Kula
I think I learned the lesson of speaking up a bit more through the annoyances: calling out doctors for not…
Sancy Hilgenberg
I have a meditation practice that usually reins in my most stubborn negative thoughts and emotions and, at best, leaves…
Ann Werner
Soon after surgery, I attended a meeting of the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Oregon and SW Washington. It was a…
Marion Gust
My oncologist said I wouldn’t be here today without the surgery and chemo infusions, so I’m currently living life to…
Nancy Davis
Along with my faith, my family keeps me positive, although negative thoughts sometimes creep in. My dearest friends and my…
Cheryl Terrusa
Throughout this time, though, I experienced depression and sadness and feared a recurrence of cancer. I couldn’t resolve these things,…
Sayla Hachey
It is important to know ovarian cancer symptoms and risk factors. I had symptoms of ovarian cancer. If I had…
Nikki Wheeler
I had my last scan in January, and it showed no sign of recurrence and no change in the lymph…
Manda Buttita
I used to express my gratitude that I'd only had cancer once and say I didn't think I could do…
Jennifer Jones
What I have learned and love about the OCAOSW support meetings is that every woman afflicted with this illness is…
Aileah Carlson
Over the course of the week, I became close with women of all ages, some newly diagnosed like myself and…
Heather Frazier
The fear of a recurrence lives just below the surface while I move forward with my life. I have been…
Ruth Anne Weisbard
During the 21 years of follow-up, my CA 125 was always about 2. In 2022, it was 10, but the…
Camille Oldenburg
I would like to focus also on what I learned during the past 2 ½ years. Until my diagnosis at…
Anita Krivitzky
Fast forward: It was a long recovery, but I am back pet sitting and very busy with volunteering. I see…
Vicki Brick-Zupancic
Survivors have advised me that the cancer journey is a marathon, not a sprint. I know there will be ups…
Missy Fant
Listen to your body and advocate for yourselves if your physician isn't available or listening to you.
Jen Shubert
Finally, in February, I got a call back. My doctor recommended I go to a gynecologist in Idaho to have…
Liliana Saunero-Nava
To all the women present- PLEASE listen to your bodies, get yearly exams with a pelvic exam, and NEVER let…
Rachel Li
When my treatment wrapped up, I began to volunteer with the Ovarian Cancer Alliance’s Survivors Teaching Students to help others…
Ann Thomas
My take-a-ways are family and friends. Nurture what you have, stay in touch, and above all don’t hold grudges. They’re…
Alice McElhaney
I had been experiencing a variety of symptoms for several months, but cancer never crossed my mind. Pain here and…
Tracy Bain
Going through cancer treatment is as much a physical as it is a mental battle. It doesn’t matter what type…
Jenna Jenkins
My primary care physician insisted I was experiencing indigestion. I could’ve easily left my doctor’s office that day and chalked…
Kathleen Fallon
I’ve found that keeping cancer at bay has been like having a regular job with irregular hours. I guess it’s…
Samantha Caggiano
The best information I was given by my gynecologic oncologist was that ovarian cancer is considered a chronic condition. I…
Heather Braaten
I felt great when I went in to see my primary care physician a month earlier about some lumps in…
Louise Smith
I had gained some weight and brushed it off as the stress of it all. Then came the changes to…
Sherry Hanson
Sherry Hanson May 2009 I underwent abdominal surgery, was diagnosed with stage II C epithelial ovarian cancer, and had a…
Anita Krivitzky
Anita Krivitzky March 2022 Update to In Her Own Words dated April 2014. Read 2014’s here. I have been very…
Carol Brooks
Carol Brooks February 2022 Like most of us, the diagnosis of my ovarian cancer was lengthy and difficult, but I…
Ashley Hows
Ashley Hows January 2022 In September of 2020, at the age of 27, I was diagnosed with Stage 1A ovarian…
Dianne Helmer
Dianne Helmer December 2021 I am a six year survivor of stage III B ovarian cancer. My cancer is incurable,…
Sandi Jossi
Sandi Jossi November 2021 Mine is a simple story: While working one day in the summer of 2007 I had…
Diane Morris
Diane Morris October 2021 On a Saturday evening I felt a pain in my left side while I was taking…
Kristen Lunden
Kristen Lunden September 2021 In April 2018 I started experiencing abdominal discomfort and other symptoms which gradually affected my job…
Lindsey Spencer, Honolulu
Lindsey Spencer, Honolulu August 2021 In May 2014, at the age of 28, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. At…
Mary Evans, retired hospice R.N.
Mary Evans, retired hospice R.N. July 2021 My ovarian cancer journey has been a long one, nor is it over…
Sally Guyer
Sally Guyer June 2021 I never know where to start when telling my cancer story, which is indicative of the…
The Dianes
The Dianes May 2021 Diane Elizondo and Diane O'Connor met in 2002 in Vancouver, WA after they had both been…
Beth Kupper-Herr
Beth Kupper-Herr April 2021 Aloha from Hawaii! I might be the luckiest ovarian cancer survivor you'll ever hear about. In…
Mary Pegg
Mary Pegg March 2021 So, my Ovarian Cancer journey, or I should say trip thru h— and back, began in…
Susan Gottbreht
Susan Gottbreht February 2021 My name is Susan Gottbreht but I go by Sue. My husband took an early retirement…
Camille Williams, Honolulu
Camille Williams, Honolulu January 2021 It was like any other Tuesday for 16 year old me — After my last…
Vicki Grandy, Portland
Vicki Grandy, Portland December 2020 "That is really serious, isn't it?" The news of my Ovarian Cancer diagnosis frequently brings…
Melanie, Portland
Melanie, Portland November 2020 Hindsight! I had the classic symptoms of ovarian cancer but was ignorant of the cancer. At…
Wendy Clifton
Wendy Clifton October 2020 In 2015 I was living in a small town in Northern California. The town, Ukiah, was…
Amy Kay Lindh
Amy Kay Lindh September 2020 At 48 years old I had my yearly pap smear physical and was told all…
Antra Boyd
Antra Boyd August 2020 It was September of 2018 while I was on my computer, working on behalf of a…
Helaine Gross
Helaine Gross July 2020 I live in Portland and am now two years post treatment. I feel good with no…
Noel Rademacher
Noel Rademacher May 2020 In 2012 my fairytale was taking place. I was 36, engaged to a wonderful man, and…
Paula McNeill
Paula McNeill April 2020 It was Labor Day Weekend, 2002, and I was spending it with family, off the grid,…
Terrilyn Chun
Terrilyn Chun March 2020 My cancer journey began in July 2017. For several months I had been experiencing symptoms which…
Carol Hoefer
Carol Hoefer February 2020 When I was diagnosed with DCIS breast cancer in 2001, I considered my options for treatment…
Jan Chapman
Jan Chapman January 2020 Surprises can be very nice. When the surprise is medical, however – you think that you…
Leona Sandau
Leona Sandau December 2019 It all began on Christmas eve 2002… After a few years of constant pain in my…
Margaret Rice
Margaret Rice November 2019 My name is Margaret Rice, and I live in Grants Pass, Oregon. It was a normal…
Paulette Page
Paulette Page October 2019 Late January 2010 at age 64, while sharing with my spouse (Rod), daughter, son and partners…
Kim Rhodes
Kim Rhodes August 2019 Hello, my name is Kim Rhodes, and this is my story. Background first: I am not…
Anne Fischer
Anne Fischer July 2019 In April of 2010 I was diagnosed with a granulosa cell tumor, which is a slow-growing…
Kay McGuire
Kay McGuire June 2019 This is my favorite photo of my granddaughter and me. We were at the "Bring your…
Becky Haas
Becky Haas May 2019 Like many who have written this column before me, I noticed discomfort in my lower abdomen,…
Rowena Musser
Rowena Musser April 2019 I was working 10-12 hour days in a fairly demanding job and was tired all of…
Tonya Sarver
Tonya Sarver March 2019 My story begins in the fall of 2017. It was an exhausting and stressful time for…
Linda Lynch
Linda Lynch February 2019 I remember not feeling well around our anniversary September 20, 1998. We lived in Thousand Oaks,…
Alex Mendolsohn
Alex Mendolsohn January 2019 I had just turned 61 and had returned from a trip to southeast Asia when I…
Joan Meyerhoff
Joan Meyerhoff December 2018 My first grandchild, Rosland, was born on October 3rd. Early each morning in the first week…
Penny Hummel
Penny Hummel November 2018 A year after I joined the ovarian cancer survivor club, I sometimes still blink in disbelief…
Sandy Moreno
Sandy Moreno October 2018 As I was thinking about telling "My Story" what came to my mind first were the…
Barb Swanson Sanders
Barb Swanson Sanders August 2018 I have been an educator for 47 years, including a kindergarten teacher, an elementary school…
Larissa Ienna
Larissa Ienna July 2018 "You can't control how you go." This is what I've been told by countless people since…
Cheryl Terrusa
Cheryl Terrusa June 2018 Cheryl Terrusa In Her Own Words June 2018 I've never felt I was lucky. My grandparents…
Sandy Ragsdale
Sandy Ragsdale May 2018 I am a survivor of ovarian cancer. I am also a survivor of Crohn's disease, having…
Sayla Hachey
Sayla Hachey April 2018 Ovarian cancer has taken a lot from me. Most painfully at this point is that it…
Merry Vediner
Merry Vediner March 2018 My story began in early summer of 2014. I was visiting with a friend who had…
Teri Giangreco
Teri Giangreco February 2018 For the first ten months of 2016 I was the healthiest I had ever been. I…
Carrie Gordon
Carrie Gordon January 2018 In 2006, I hadn't felt well and knew I had a colonoscopy coming up. Then, during…
Diane Sarver
Diane Sarver December 2017 My name is Diane Sarver and I am 67 years old. I am a mom, a…
Kelly Shafer
Kelly Shafer November 2017 It was April 2016. I was 56 and life was good. My husband of 18 years…
Virginia Geter
Virginia Geter October 2017 Homeless by accident I was moving out of my apartment because I wanted to relocate somewhere…
Poupak Sebti
Poupak Sebti August 2017 Good friends have said, "But you must have seen it coming."1 The truth is that I saw…
Amanda M. Por
Amanda M. Por July 2017 I was 25. I had just moved to a new city, started a new job,…
Jana Freiberger
Jana Freiberger June 2017 I am 59 years old and live in Longview, WA with my husband of 33 years,…
Barbara Keepes
Barbara Keepes April 2017 On Memorial Day weekend of 2011, I brought home a new miniature schnauzer puppy, Sherman. For…
Kay Dee Cole
Kay Dee Cole March 2017 My cancer journey started like so many others. It was a complete surprise. My life…
Donna Gilmont
Donna Gilmont February 2017 For close to 35 years, (from 1977-2011), my husband and I lived in three Third World…
Cindy Plummer
Cindy Plummer January 2017 In the summer of 2015, at the age of 58, I made a doctor's appointment to…
Anna DeMers
Anna DeMers November 2016 I am a Type A personality. I have a lot of energy and will power through…
Jane Ridley
Jane Ridley October 2016 It was an unusually warm and sunny day in May of 2013, I was driving --…
Julie Lund
Julie Lund August 2016 On August 2, 1989, my life changed when my doctor stood by my hospital bed and…
Laurel Pollock
Laurel Pollock July 2016 When I first noticed a problem, it was around Christmas of 2013. I had a stomachache…
Jana Freiberger
Jana Freiberger May 2016 In May of 2015 I noticed a recurrent feeling of unease in my lower abdomen. I…
Marnel Groebner
Marnel Groebner April 2016 In 2010, at the age of 50, I retired. I was active, ate healthy and was…
Kathleen Fallon
Kathleen Fallon March 2016 This is a story that has no ending. It is a story that has evolved over…
Melissa Hopkins
Melissa Hopkins February 2016 For a period of three years from 2008 to 2011, I experienced a whole year without…
Mary B.
Mary B. January 2016 I had some big decisions to make in July 2014. Like many who have been diagnosed…
Nancy Ferrell
Nancy Ferrell December 2015 I was originally diagnosed with ovarian cancer on February 27th of 1995. I was 49 years…
Tami Ward
Tami Ward November 2015 My cancer journey began in January 2013 when I was awakened in the middle of the…
Roselle Soriano
Roselle Soriano October 2015 As I recently held our one and a half year old granddaughter, I was reminded that…
Susan Gianotti
Susan Gianotti August 2015 My cancer journey began in September of 2013 when I was diagnosed with Stage III-B mucinous…
Becki McCall
Becki McCall July 2015 A year and a half ago was an exciting time for me because I was going…
Monica Marvin
Monica Marvin June 2015 In March 2013, I was living an ideal life. At age 66, I had a rewarding…
Natalie Leithem
Natalie Leithem May 2015 I am 53 and have been married to my high school sweetheart for almost 30 years.…
Sandra Morgen
Sandra Morgen April 2015 NOTE: this month's feature focuses on a survivor's recent experience as an ovarian cancer advocate in…
Judy Teufel
Judy Teufel March 2015 I have just celebrated 17 years since my diagnosis of stage III-3 ovarian cancer and surgery…
Sherry Hanson
Sherry Hanson February 2015 In May 2009, while visiting family in Portland, Oregon, I underwent abdominal surgery, was diagnosed with…
Mary Evans
Mary Evans January 2015 My journey began in November 2002 with four words, "You have ovarian cancer." My life was…
Peg Gauthier
Peg Gauthier December 2014 I've been a runner for over 40 years. I started participating in marathons in 1983 and…
Katherine Schneider
Katherine Schneider November 2014 Despite being a nurse in great health, and current with my medical physical exams, on April…
Elaine Dickson, with Daughter Laura Bernards
Elaine Dickson, with Daughter Laura Bernards October 2014 Readers of "In Her Own Words" understand that every woman's experience with…
Teena Jones
Teena Jones August 2014 I am a four-time survivor of ovarian cancer over the course of the last eight years.…
Nicole Miller
Nicole Miller July 2014 In 2010, I was a 17 year old senior in high school – and my focus…
Judy Fornia
Judy Fornia June 2014 I am a retired RN with more than 25 years experience in health care management and…
Phyllis Lang
Phyllis Lang May 2014 I am 62 years old and married with two daughters (one who is 39 and one…
Anita Krivitzky
Anita Krivitzky April 2014 In the spring of 2010, as I was turning 60, I was working full time in…
Martha Richards
Martha Richards March 2014 I was diagnosed on St. Patrick's Day of 2006. In those days I was always rushing…
Angel Gnau
Angel Gnau February 2014 I am a four-time ovarian cancer survivor. My journey with ovarian cancer began in March of…
Diane R. O’Connor
Diane R. O'Connor January 2014 September 11, 2001 dawned while we were in the Strawberry Wilderness in Eastern Oregon. Of…
Becky Coulson
Becky Coulson December 2013 In May 2007, at age 63, I saw my doctor for a routine physical (including a…
Miriam Hoelter
Miriam Hoelter November 2013 I was 54 and my life was going along smoothly – busy as a school counselor,…
Joanne Seeger
Joanne Seeger October 2013 I was 58 years old in 1999 when I was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My…
Marcy Westerling
Marcy Westerling September 2013 At age 50, I was having a wonderful time and experiencing exciting work as a community…
Elaine Carter
Elaine Carter August 2013 My ovarian cancer story started in 2004, when my longtime partner, Sara, was diagnosed with advanced…
Angela Bonnington
Angela Bonnington July 2013 I was 31 years old when I was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer in November…
Karla Theer
Karla Theer June 2013 My mom was only 22 when her own mom died; at the time, I was an…
Bonnie Stockman
Bonnie Stockman May 2013 I have had a passion for oriental carpets and textiles for most of my adult life.…
Michelle Kendrick
Michelle Kendrick April 2013 Editor’s note: this is a departure from our normal featured story in that it is told…
Bev Lipsitz
Bev Lipsitz March 2013 This story starts in 1986. I was thirty-five years old. I had started having painful bowel…
Marilyn Goodman
Marilyn Goodman February 2013 From the time I could remember, I wanted nothing more in the world than to be…
Carol Riley
Carol Riley January 2013 In the late spring of 2003, I started having what felt like menstrual cramps, but at…
Marilyn Guldan
Marilyn Guldan December 2012 In December of 2010, while on sabbatical from my job at Intel, I was watching Dr.…
Diane Elizondo
Diane Elizondo November 2012 Before I was diagnosed myself, I had some knowledge of ovarian cancer, unlike many women. Two…