Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer: 49 Real Stories
49 stories match ovarian cancer and chemotherapy. 40 of them mention surgery.
Ovarian Cancer: Shelley’s Patient Story
Shelley O’Keefe had noticed bruising, fatigue, lower back pain, and an episode of severe abdominal pain over several years. Because she was an athlete, golf instructor, and busy parent, many of those symptoms were easy to explain away. Pain during intercourse…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Dana’s Patient Story
Dana Kivel was diagnosed in late 2011 with a rare ovarian cancer called a granulosa cell tumor. Over the next 10 years, the cancer recurred, with new tumors appearing in other parts of their body. Dana underwent four surgeries and received 5 months of…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Lauren’s Survivor Story
Lauren Wells was 25 when several days of hearing music and seagulls, feeling sticky skin, and becoming unable to speak normally led coworkers to seek urgent help. She was first admitted to a psychiatric unit, but repeated seizures prompted intensive care and…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Elle’s Patient Story
Elle Simone was living in New York City when she began having symptoms she initially thought were gastrointestinal problems, something she considered plausible as a chef. She sought gynecologic care, but felt that her pain and concerns were dismissed. An…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Stacy’s Patient Story
Stacy Saravo went through chemotherapy for a rare form of ovarian cancer. During treatment, she experienced hair loss, a weakened immune system, and the discomfort of feeling visibly different, but she still tried to keep parts of daily life as normal as…
Read this storyStage I Ovarian Cancer: Mary’s Survivor Story
Mary “Dicey” Jackson Scroggins spent about 2 years dealing with abdominal bloating, weight gain, frequent urination and heavy menstrual bleeding before ovarian cancer was discovered. In September 1996, at age 46, she underwent a hysterectomy for fibroids and…
Read this storyStage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Patty’s Patient Story
Patty Klein was in her late 40s when severe pain in her side led to imaging and a diagnosis of Stage III ovarian cancer. The pain came from fluid building up in her abdomen. After diagnosis, she learned that she carried a BRCA1 mutation, which was also found…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Angela’s Survivor Story
This patient continued working while receiving chemotherapy for Stage III ovarian cancer. Her oncologist encouraged her to keep as much of her normal routine as possible, and she worked either from home or in the office except on infusion days. She chose not…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Angela’s Survivor Story
An MD Anderson employee was 32 when a routine well-woman exam led to the discovery of a 7-inch mass on her left ovary in 2018. She had noticed some bloating but had attributed it to a recent course of antibiotics. Ultrasound and MRI initially raised the…
Read this storySmall Cell Lung Cancer: Tabby’s Survivor Story
At age 26, Tabby Soignier developed bloating, pain and headaches while trying to get in shape for her brother's wedding. An ultrasound eventually showed a 15 cm tumor wrapped around her right ovary. She underwent urgent surgery to remove the tumor and ovary…
Read this storyBRCA Ovarian Cancer: Dena’s Patient Story
Dena Svoboda was 56 when severe acid reflux led to the discovery of a 25-pound ovarian tumor. She underwent surgery to remove it, followed by chemotherapy. Just over 1 year later, the ovarian cancer returned. During an 8.5-hour operation, surgeons removed…
Read this storyStage IV Ovarian Cancer: Janelle’s Patient Story
Janelle Kister faced a Stage IV ovarian cancer diagnosis but chose to move quickly into treatment. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy, then received a stem cell transplant in 2001 as part of a Phase II clinical trial. Her recovery was long, but she was…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Leslie’s Patient Story
After losing her husband Rocky to melanoma in 2008, this patient drew on his example when high-grade serous ovarian cancer returned in January 2017. It was her second ovarian cancer diagnosis, and it came while she was training for the April 2017 IRONMAN…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Leslie’s Survivor Story
This patient was diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer in August 2013 after weeks of diarrhea were followed by severe bloating. A CT scan showed large amounts of abdominal fluid, and further evaluation led her to MD Anderson. A laparoscopy showed…
Read this storyStage II BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Barb’s Patient Story
In February 2014, at age 50, Barb White underwent a hysterectomy to remove a large suspicious cyst. The surgery confirmed Stage II ovarian cancer, which had spread to her uterus. Three weeks later, she began chemotherapy. Barb had a severe allergic reaction…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Dianne’s Patient Story
Dianne Simpson was 73 when she completed treatment for Stage III high-grade serous ovarian cancer in April 2017. Her symptoms had started months earlier with worsening pain, bloating and difficulty sleeping. Initial evaluations did not identify the cause, but…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Allison’s Patient Story
At 31, Allison Bellevue was pregnant when an ultrasound found a small mass on her right ovary. The mass grew over the next month and was removed. Three days after surgery, when she was 17 weeks pregnant, she learned that she had clear-cell ovarian cancer. Her…
Read this storyStage II Ovarian Cancer: Betsy’s Patient Story
Betsy Feldmann was 58 when persistent abdominal pressure led her through visits with four doctors before she was diagnosed with Stage II ovarian cancer. A committed triathlete, she wanted to remain active during treatment and continued swimming, biking…
Read this storyStage IV Ovarian Cancer: Diane’s Patient Story
Diane Sarver was diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer in January 2010 after a physical therapist noticed fluid on the left side of her neck. She had none of the pelvic symptoms she associated with ovarian cancer and no known family history of cancer…
Read this storyStage III Ovarian Cancer: Pam’s Survivor Story
Pam Scarpino was diagnosed with Stage III high-grade serous ovarian cancer in October 2007. She initially stayed close to home for treatment, but an anaphylactic reaction to paclitaxel during her first chemotherapy treatment prompted her to seek care at MD…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Brittany’s Patient Story
A recurrence of ovarian cancer made the summer of 2014 especially difficult for this patient. The patient spent a total of 70 days in the hospital, including 58 days at MD Anderson. During that period, the patient needed a nasogastric tube, underwent two…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Brittany’s Patient Story
At 25, this patient was receiving chemotherapy for ovarian cancer when hair loss became one of the most visible parts of treatment. About 13 days after starting chemotherapy, hair began appearing on the pillow and in the shower. Around 6 days later, the…
Read this storyStage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Meredith’s Survivor Story
Meredith Ippolito’s ovarian cancer was discovered unexpectedly in 2008. She had sought care for rectal bleeding, and a colonoscopy found flat polyps but no cancer. Doctors decided to perform a colon resection. During that operation, cancer was found, and…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Betty’s Survivor Story
Betty White first saw her gynecologist in 1997 because of persistent fatigue and lower abdominal pain. Initial testing did not reveal a clear problem, but her symptoms continued. Three months later, she underwent a laparoscopy followed by a complete…
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