No one expected the four young women to live much longer. They had an extremely rare, aggressive and fatal form of ovarian cancer. There was no standard treatment.
The women, strangers to one another living in different countries, asked their … Read more
By: Susan Gubar
Ongoing breakthroughs in cancer care involve personalized medicine, we are often informed. Because every malignancy is unique in terms of its genetics and genomics, one size (or protocol) cannot fit all.
A diagnosis of multiple myeloma, cancer … Read more
Whenever Joan Janssen meets fellow ovarian cancer patients, she shares words of wisdom that she’s gained from seven years of living with the disease. “This is a recurring disease; don’t be stunned if it comes back,” she tells them. “You … Read more
For many people diagnosed with cancer, the symptoms are obvious. Bumps, lumps and blood where it shouldn’t be are all clear-cut warning signs that something could be wrong.
But for Narell Whitehead, a chance encounter with a TV ad was … Read more
By: Susan Gubar
At diagnosis, quite a few cancer patients spy Eros rushing out the door. I know I did. For some, eroticism vanishes during or after treatment. Anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure, can afflict both men and women … Read more
When Wendy Ericsson learned she had uterine cancer in December 2012 she went looking for information, but didn’t find much out there about her disease.
Through her doctor, she was directed to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer (FWC).
“There’s a … Read more
By: Susan Gubar
Toward the end of another unexpected year of existence, outliving a poor prognosis of late-stage cancer rouses me in the dark. Such an awakening is quite different from the fretful insomnia that accompanied the dire diagnosis. Especially … Read more
By: Kelly Irvin
No matter how cancer makes you look, you’re still you—a better you.
It sounds like an obvious statement. But cancer wrecks physical havoc on our bodies, which affects our self-images. I state this for the record because … Read more
By: Annette McElhiney
Now that it is December, most of us are preparing for the holidays. We plan and host parties, we prepare special foods, we give presents, and we create a “wish list” for ourselves. I’ve said many times … Read more
By: Rick Boulay
sur•vi•vor (sərˈvīvər/) noun : A person who is able to live their life despite experiencing difficulties.
“I can’t wait to get through my cancer treatment so I can go on living my life. I want to be … Read more
By: Leslie Barker
Gratitude tends to be, at its most basic, two words: Thank you.
It can also be a list (the colors of autumn, extra-hot coffee, a purring cat, a laughing baby). It can be a hand-written … Read more
By: Susan Gubar
Looking at television this past year, I sobbed at the sight of Nazis on the streets of Charlottesville. I don’t remember crying over the terrible cancer diagnosis back in 2008. Living with the disease for almost a … Read more
Anne Hermiller and Sarah Ludinich experienced ovarian cancer at different stages in life. What’s similar is their passion for making other women more aware of the disease and its effects.
Hermiller, of Findlay, learned she had cancer in 2014. “I … Read more
Anne Cope was never alone.
As the 66-year-old endured chemotherapy while she battled ovarian cancer, she could count on one thing: her children would be there by her side.
Her husband, Nick Milonas, has serious health issues, which prevented him … Read more
One of the biggest challenges for cancer survivors can be simply not thinking about their cancer once they’ve tamed the beast and been declared cancer-free. As an ovarian cancer patient, I’d venture to speculate that it’s even harder for those … Read more
By: Amy King
My mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on my parents’ 36th wedding anniversary. They called me together, while I was at work, to tell me the news. Our lives suddenly became very different lives.
My parents live … Read more
By: Rebecca J. Ritzel
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has recently drawn criticism for proposing a long list of cuts to higher education programs. Congress must mull those potentially traumatic trims while reauthorizing standard financing for students and colleges, but there’s … Read more
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and the cancer is known as the silent killer because it’s difficult to find. It usually strikes older women or those with a family history, so imagine the shock when a family from Warrington … Read more
By: Kelly Irvin
I’m a life-long writer with a degree in journalism, 40 years of nonfiction writing experience, 12 published novels and three novellas to my name. Words are of paramount importance to me. They are powerful weapons mightier than … Read more
