Ovarian Cancer: 63 Real Stories
63 stories match ovarian cancer. 49 of them mention chemotherapy.
Stage 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 storyOvarian Cancer: Karen’s Patient Story
Karen Perry was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer when she and her husband, Brian, learned that their 11-year-old son, Owen, had leukemia. Owen spent 5 months in the hospital, and Karen described hearing his diagnosis as even harder than learning she…
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: Marivic’s Survivor Story
Marivic was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and uterine cancer in March 2013. Her mother, Elsa So, was working nights as a nursing assistant at MD Anderson and became Marivic's primary caregiver during treatment. Elsa's familiarity with the hospital gave her…
Read this storyOvarian Cancer: Brittany’s Patient Story
This patient and her husband had always imagined having children, but ovarian cancer changed those plans. Before her ovaries were removed during cancer treatment, she was able to have eggs retrieved and frozen so they would have options for becoming parents…
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: Alma’s Patient Story
Alma Faz was a college freshman when she was diagnosed with both ovarian cancer and bone cancer. The two cancers were treated during the same period, and her right leg was amputated below the knee. Because the story does not separate which cancer led to…
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…
Read this storyStage IV Ovarian Cancer: Bre’s Patient Story
At age 26, this patient had worsening bloating, stomach problems and abdominal pain that several doctors initially dismissed. An emergency-room CT scan showed large tumors, and surgery that had been expected to be straightforward instead revealed Stage IV…
Read this story