What Will You Do During Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month?

September is right around the corner.

Did you know that September is Gyn Cancer Awareness Month in the US? Gynecologic cancers include Ovarian  Cervical, Vaginal, Vulvar, Endometrial/Uterine, Primary Peritoneal and Fallopian Tube cancers.

During September things can get really busy as the number of awareness events increases exponentially.

On Wednesday, September 11th the #gyncsm community, which I co-founded with Christina Lizaso, will celebrate the community's 6th Anniversary. Our topic will be The Breast and Ovarian Cancer Connection. Join us and a representative from the National Society of Genetic Counselors at 9pm Eastern Time.

This year there are a number of awareness and fundraising events in NJ that you can participate in.

I already mentioned the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Patient Education event on September 12thin the previous blog post. Check it out here.

There is an Education event sponsored by Summit Medical Group on September 7, 2019. For more info and to register  call 908-277-8889 or sign up online at: summitmedicalgroup.com/events 
 

 As for walks I will be doing the Kaleidoscope of Hope Ovarian Cancer Foundations walk in Bradley Beach on September 28, 2019. They also hold a walk in Morristown ( Sept. 15) and Lyndhurst (Sept. 22) . Check their website ( https://kohnj.org/funded-research/) for research they have supported.
If you would like to donate to the walk please visit https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/2226659

The NJ Chapter of NOCC is joining the Downtown West Orange Alliance for the  Mayor's 5 K and Walk. You can find more information at http://ovarian.org/component/events/event/955

The Teal Tea is holding Falling For Teal Fashion Show on Sept 22nd. You may find more info at https://www.tealtea.org/event-falling-for-teal-fashion-show .

Graceful Hope will be holding their 6th Annual benefit dinner to benefit Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ in Elizabeth on September 28th. See their Facebook page for more information. https://www.facebook.com/GRACEfulHope/

For my Central and South Jersey Friends , the Sandy Rollman Foundation is holding a number of events in September including an Ovarian Cancer Awareness night at the Phillies (9/12) , a General Hospital Philly events (9/14) and OvaryAct Gala (9/20). Please check their website for more information ( https://sandyovarian.org/ ).

Of course you can help raise awareness by hanging teal ribbons. See the Turn the Towns Teal website for how you can help ( https://www.turnthetownsteal.org/ ).

If you are holding an event in NJ to raise awareness or funds for research . Please let me know and I will update this post.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Gyn Cancer Education Session - Sept 12, 2019 , NJ

I am honored to have been asked to speak at this patient education program on Gynecologic Cancer Awareness on September 12, 2019. The program is free and dinner is included. See graphic for information on how to complete the required registration.

I hope to see some familiar faces in the crowd.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Blog Hop Challenge

A cancer advocate I admire, Nancy Stordahl, writes the blog Nancy's Point about breast cancer and loss. Every summer she holds a blog challenge. This year it is a blog hop challenge.

From Linky Tools : "What is a blog hop?
A blog hop is a linky list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS. When several blogs put the same linky list code on their blog, the exact same list appears on each blog. Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can "HOP" from blog to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP!"

 I am up for the challenge so here goes:

2019 Blog Hop Challenge Questions

1.  Who are you? If applicable, share anything you want about your cancer (type, stage, when diagnosed, whatever.) Share something about yourself such as where you live, the name of your blog and it’s “mission” (no links here, though, or you might end up in spam), a challenge you have faced or are facing now, or whatever you want.
I am an ovarian cancer survivor and research advocate. I have been writing this blog since 2007 not as frequently as I did in the beginning but I try my best to stay on top of new research developments and share them and other news with my followers. I love dogs and painting.   

2.  Have you ever participated in a blog hop before?
Nope, first timer. 

3.  What’s your favorite sort of blog post to write and/or read – personal story, informational, how to, controversial, political, opinion, rant or other?
I like to read personal stories and informational blogs especially about new research like CAR-T and new screening tests.

4.  Describe yourself in three words. Yes, just three!
organized, kind, resilient 

5.  Name three of your favorite books from your youth (whatever age that means to you.) that had an impact on you.
Cheaper by the Dozen, Call of the Wild, Island of the Blue Dolphins 


6.  What are you reading right now, or what’s on your to-read list for when you have time?
 Memory Man Baldacci,  I have about 20 books on my to read list on Goodreads.

7.  What’s your favorite dessert of all time?
Cannoli 


8.  Tell us about a special pet you have, had, or would like to have. (Never wanted a pet, that’s okay too.)
Amber,  an awesome All-American dog . She loves to jump and do agility.

 9.  What’s something people don’t know about you and might be surprised to learn?
 I wanted to be an astronaut when I was in high school.  

10.  Do you believe healthcare is a privilege or a right?
Most certainly it is a Right.

11.  What’s your favorite thing about blogging and/or reading blogs?
Being able to share information about cancer and the emotions I have experienced as an ovarian cancer survivor.

12.  What’s something you really suck at?
card games

13.  What’s something you’re pretty good at?
baking

14.  How do you escape from cancer (or life in general) worries?

Reading, painting landscapes and animals, spending time with my family and dog.

Thanks for reading!

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing

A Long life and What I Forgot

On July 26, my husband and I drove up to Westchester County to see my dear mother-in-law. She has been in a nursing home a number of years dealing with Alzheimers.  She was a few months shy of her 100th birthday and her health was declining. I used that visit to show her photos of her great-grand sons, to tell her how important she was in my life and how awesome a mom, grandmother and great-grandmother she was. I am so glad I had that opportunity.

The next day in the afternoon we received the call that she had passed away. The next few days were spent getting things in order for her services and funeral. My son and daughter decided to fly in so we made a trip to the Philly airport  to pick them up - they arrived within 5 minutes of each other in the wee hours of the morning last  Wednesday. The next two days were spent in Brooklyn for the services. Spending time with my husband's family (many who flew in from out of state) and old friends was special. I value the years I have been a part of this wonderful family and I was happy to have so many memories when we celebrated her life. While we were busy celebrating her long life many of our friends and family helped to made our life easier. They sent mass card, condolences and food. Others helped take in the mail, put out the garbage and walk the dogs.

Our children flew back to their spouses and kids on August 6th and for the past few days my husband and I have been catching up on sleep and getting back to the things we had put to the side for the past ten days.

When I got back to my advocacy on Twitter, I  saw Christina's post that #gyncsm is almost 6 years old. It was then that  I realized that I had totally forgot my cancerversary.

On July 29th I celebrated 14 years as an ovarian cancer survivor.  I so appreciate my doctors at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey for making these years possible and I can't thank my family and friends enough for being by my side during treatments and for so many years after.

Deeply grateful,

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing