In 2014, I went to my local emergency room because I wasn't feeling well. After a CT scan, the ER doctor informed me that they had discovered an ovarian cyst the size of basketball; I was transferred to Duke and waited to go into surgery. After 6 days, I was finally wheeled into the OR; it took a team of 6 doctors 4 hours to drain and remove the cyst, and then, the right ovary, and Fallopian tube. During the surgery, they also removed cysts off my left ovary and sent them in for a biopsy. The office called me back and informed me that the cysts came back positive for ovarian cancer. That phone call, changed my life in more ways than I can count, and what has followed since has been 5.5 years of frustration, anger, and hope. In August of 2019, I reached 5 years of NED, which means that the odds for re-occurence have decreased significantly! I'm very excited to be sharing this part of my journey with you all!
Due to my own experiences with doctors, nurses, medical professionals, and researchers, I have chosen to dedicate a large part of my time and energy to patient advocacy. One of the ways I'm able to do that is through Teal Toes. I am the Executive Director of this amazing organization; our goal is to create conversations and awareness about ovarian cancer. You can learn more about us here: tealtoes.org.
Please note: This is a personal blog and is not a reflection of the views of Teal Toes as an organization. I have approved the use of co-authors, so I may not always be the person using and/or updating this blog.
The accounts noted above are personal and are not associated with Teal Toes. Assistance you send to me will go to helping me pay for gas to get to and from my medical appointments (I average about 3 a week, and 75% of my doctors are at least an hour away), co-pays for the specialists that I see, and/or meals when I have to travel long distances for appointments. If you have any questions or concerns about how your donation will be used, you're more than welcome to email me to discuss them. Thank you so very much!
