Tuesday, August 22, 2006
A Rainbow of Sisters
During my last two treatments at MUSC, I have met two other women with ovarian cancer. Both, like me, were diagnosed in an advanced stage, III. One, an older Asian woman, was getting her first chemotherapy, just two weeks out from surgery. She was very confused and feeling isolated, so I spoke with her at length about what to expect, and made sure she had the contact information for the OC support group in her area. I met her last week, and then saw her today with her daughter-in-law, who brought her back to the hospital for severe side effects from the chemo. I have been thinking of her and worrying how she will do. I felt like I was abandoning her, because I know how difficult it is for a woman alone to navigate the system - to know what questions to ask, how to determine options, what to do to minimize side effects, and many other issues that require patients to either be extremely informed or to have an active advocate.
I met the other woman today. She was younger, probably in her 50s, vivacious and petite, with a sexy blonde wig. She was in her first recurrence after a year of remission during which, she says, she told herself she was cured. She never had side effects during her first 6 rounds of chemo. This time around, she was blind-sided by the nausea and fatigue. Despite this, she was determined to get back to playing tennis. Her biggest concern is how to keep her wig on when she sleeps, and she has sewn bangs and a pony tail on her baseball cap for tennis. For her, it is important to have a life that is as normal as possible. Being in a support group has not been of interest to her because she felt she was one of the ones who achieved a remarkable recovery.
These women are my sisters in this journey of learning how to live with OC and how to heal. Some of my other OC sisters are determined, passionate and committed to trying to find a way to beat the disease. They include an accomplished equistrienne, a visionary who has created a state-wide OC Foundation, a dedicated nurse who refuses to give up her profession despite numerous setbacks, mothers, authors, artists, writers and activists. They come in all sizes and colors of the rainbow. Ovarian cancer is an equal opportunity disease of women. Girls as young as 10 have been diagnosed, and it is found in all ages.
What we have in common - the knowledge that this is a death sentence for too many. What we all want - to know that no matter the length of it, our life was well-lived. What we can give each other - hope, encouragement, information, the chance to share experiences with someone else who knows exactly what it feels like, encouragement to live an authentic life. What we owe each other and all the women who might be saved from this disease - to speak out at every opportunity, to not be afraid to talk about our disease since right now, that is the only early detection method that exists.
I met the other woman today. She was younger, probably in her 50s, vivacious and petite, with a sexy blonde wig. She was in her first recurrence after a year of remission during which, she says, she told herself she was cured. She never had side effects during her first 6 rounds of chemo. This time around, she was blind-sided by the nausea and fatigue. Despite this, she was determined to get back to playing tennis. Her biggest concern is how to keep her wig on when she sleeps, and she has sewn bangs and a pony tail on her baseball cap for tennis. For her, it is important to have a life that is as normal as possible. Being in a support group has not been of interest to her because she felt she was one of the ones who achieved a remarkable recovery.
These women are my sisters in this journey of learning how to live with OC and how to heal. Some of my other OC sisters are determined, passionate and committed to trying to find a way to beat the disease. They include an accomplished equistrienne, a visionary who has created a state-wide OC Foundation, a dedicated nurse who refuses to give up her profession despite numerous setbacks, mothers, authors, artists, writers and activists. They come in all sizes and colors of the rainbow. Ovarian cancer is an equal opportunity disease of women. Girls as young as 10 have been diagnosed, and it is found in all ages.
What we have in common - the knowledge that this is a death sentence for too many. What we all want - to know that no matter the length of it, our life was well-lived. What we can give each other - hope, encouragement, information, the chance to share experiences with someone else who knows exactly what it feels like, encouragement to live an authentic life. What we owe each other and all the women who might be saved from this disease - to speak out at every opportunity, to not be afraid to talk about our disease since right now, that is the only early detection method that exists.
"Until there's a test, awareness is best."
