Ending Another Year of Blogging

 

On December 30, 2007 , I started writing this blog. It began as a place to share my story, support women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in New Jersey and to raise awareness of the disease. It has developed over time to be a place where I not only share my personal news but also share all aspects of cancer research from bench studies to clinical trial results. I have also reported news about latest treatments after attending oncology meetings.

This year's popular posts were 

Ten Years as a Community and Chat 

ASCO23 Day 4 (6/5/23) Gyn Cancer Posters, Poster Discussion session & Misc topics

The Importance of Obstacles - 18 Years Later

Authoring this blog has opened doors for me in cancer advocacy and I appreciate all of you who have read it through the years. It has been a privilege.

 

Wishing you good health and happiness in 2024!

See you next year.  

 

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 Years !

 

It is hard for me to believe that here I am in 2022 writing a post celebrating 15 years as a blogger. I know this year I posted less than one quarter of what I posted in 2008, my first full year of blogging.  But I did post from two oncology meetings,  SGO, which I attended in person ,and ASCO which I attended virtually due to a case of vertigo. In other posts I shared research news, FDA drug approvals, a book review and two posts by guests. 

As I looked back on what I wrote about this year, I realized I completely forgot to share two endeavors that were very exciting for me.  

I was a co-author with other amazing advocates of an article in JCO Oncology Practice.   

The Rise of the Expert Patient in Cancer: From Backseat Passenger to Co-navigator https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/OP.21.00763 

Please give it a read when you get a chance and see the expanded role advocates play in their care as well as in cancer policy and research.

Along with #gyncsm co-founder, Christina Lizaso,  researchers from Duke University and SMART Patients we had an article published in Gynecologic Oncology Reports. 

 

Understanding the needs and perspectives of ovarian cancer patients 

when considering PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy: Findings from two online community events

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gore.2022.101050

In this article we found women with ovarian cancer in online communities have educational needs regarding PARP inhibitors and they would likely benefit from educational tools.

I'll catch up with you in January for my aspirations for 2023.

Dee

Every Day is a blessing!

Blogging for 14 years

 

I-Stock graphic

 

 It seems like only yesterday when I wrote, 

"Today I took the plunge and decided to make this blog. I guess you could say it is an early New Year's resolution. In addition to sharing my thoughts on this journey, I will post links and information relevant to women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in New Jersey."

It was December 30, 2007, fourteen years ago.

This year as in 2020 meetings and conferences were virtual so many of my posts dealt with what I learned in those virtual meetings. I admit I miss meeting in person the researchers, gynecologic oncologists and advocates I respect and admire. I hope as more people are vaccinated and boosted and omicron lessens we can go back to meeting face to face.

When I looked at my stats for this year, I found my blog was viewed 33,000 times in 2021. My top five most viewed posts in 2021 include:

Let's Chat a 2019 Guide to Tweet Chats

#ASCO  Begins Soon

2021 SGO Virtual Meeting Sunday March 21st 

2021 SGO Virtual Meeting Friday  March 19th Highlights 

It's All About Waiting 

As I look back,  I see that during certain years,  I wrote more frequently than at other times. It seems as my advocacy roles on Review Boards, Data Review Committees, Citizen Scientist Committees, presenting at meetings and moderating the #gyncsm Community with Christina grew, the number of blog posts dropped. I am not sure what 2022 will bring, but  I will continue to strive to stay true to that original statement as long as my followers find the information helpful.

I'll catch you in January with my aspirations for 2022 .

Stay Safe and Stay Well!

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

Year Eleven

Another year of blogging is in the books. I am blessed to be able to continue to advocate and share information about ovarian cancer via this blog. This year, we have witnessed the FDA approval of a PARP inhibitor as a maintenance drug for those with somatic and germline BRCA mutations. There were also a number of ideas for screening tests that may lead to an early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.  More work is needed but awareness of ovarian cancer has improved thanks to individuals, organizations and pharmaceutical companies.

In a quick review, I wrote thirty posts. I had hoped to do more but membership on the Scientific Review Board at Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ (RCINJ) and prepping for twice a month meetings took time away from more frequent posting.  I find being a Board member to be very rewarding and I appreciate having the opportunity to take part. 

My husband and I also had a chance to travel to the western US to celebrate our anniversary.  Although I hurt my knee halfway through the trip, ( I am on the mend with the help of physical therapy) I was able to see some spectacular scenery.

I will leave you with these scenes and look forward to seeing you in  2019.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Reaching a milestone - This Blog's 10th Anniversary

It is hard to believe that on this day in 2007 I created this blog and wrote my very first blog post. I was inspired through friends I met at the LiveSTRONG Survivors Summit to write a blog as a way to share my story with other women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  I also provided information on ovarian cancer awareness organizations in NJ and their local events.

Through the years I have covered many topics related to what I experienced as a patient and survivor. Some posts were about the physical aspects of being a survivor but I also shared the emotional aspects of treatment and survivorship. I wrote about my recurrence in 2008, from hearing my cancer had returned, to the surgery to remove my spleen and resection my liver, to the chemotherapy and the allergic reaction to carboplatin that required a hospital stay. I have written about dealing with "scanxiety" as I wait for test results, the sadness and guilt when my  friends pass away from ovarian cancer, the frustration from chemo brain and the peripheral neuropathy in my toes.

I also shared the happy occasions, the graduations, weddings and births and wonderful family trips. Writing this blog also opened doors for many other advocacy avenues. Through my activities on the Twitter account of this blog,  I co-founded the #gyncsm ( Gyn Cancer Social Media ) Community. I  co-authoring the book "100 Questions and Answers about Ovarian Cancer", and wrote blogs posts for SGO, SHARE and Cancer Hope Network and my cancer center's newsletter.

As my advocacy work expanded to research advocacy, my blog posts evolved to be a way for me to explain in layman's terms the latest ovarian cancer research. Now I write about new clinical trials and trial results reported in peer reviewed journals. I blog and Tweet about the ovarian cancer research when I attended ASCO annual meetings in person.

I've never kept close track of the statistics for this blog. Usually once a year, on this blog's anniversary I look back at what I wrote during the previous year. In 2017, I wrote 54 posts including this one. I have published a total of 1060 posts in the past 10 years. Some years I wrote more blog posts than other years but I continued to blog. This blog's pages have been viewed 356,827 times.

My top five posts since 2010 (when Blogger started keeping track)  are:

What I Wish I Knew Before My First Chemo

May 9, 2011

2209 views

ASCO 2015 Part I : Connections

Jun 5, 2015

1760 views

ASCO 2015 - Connections and Knowledge

Jun 3, 2015

1635 views

No Berry Smoothie Flavored Readi-CAT for Me

Aug 17, 2011

1564 views

Book Review: Making Sense of Medicine

Sep 11, 2016

1406 views

I have enjoyed sharing my story and educating others about ovarian cancer through this blog. I hope that women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, their caregivers and others who follow this blog have found it helpful. I do believe - Every Day is a Blessing !

See you all in 2018!

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!
PS : This blog may look different when you check back in January. 

Another Year of Blogging, My Eighth

December 30th marks my 8th year writing this blog.When I first began I knew I wanted to raise awareness of the disease, share my story with other women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and disseminate information about cancer survivorship. I wasn't sure how long I would continue posting to Women of Teal. Would I be well enough to post? Would I run out of things to write about?

This is my eighty-first post of the year, more than last year but not as high as 2009 or 2012 years in which  I wrote well over one hundred and fifty posts. When looking back over the past year's posts the majority of what I wrote related to ovarian cancer research ( SGO and ASCO annual meetings ) as well as study results reported in journal articles.

My most popular posts were:

Part 1: Using the Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm for Screening - US launch

Part 2: Using the Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm - UKCTOCS Study Mortality Results

ASCO 2015 - Connections and Knowledge

During the month of September I took the GCAM ( Gyn Cancer Awareness Month) Challenge. I posted each day on gyn cancer topics from ovarian cancer - risks, treatment, genetics to cervical cancer, HPV and precision medicine.  In other posts this year I've written about:

• books I've read and the book I wrote with Dr Don Dizon
• what I learned about the CA-125 test and the two lab processes to measure it
• NED the Band and the Movie
• The Astra Zeneca Bloggers Conference
• Presentations I made to Rutgers University AMSA students and  Eye for Pharma's Patient Summit

There were times though when I wrote about more personal issues.  I miss many of my teal sisters and wrote frequently about the effect they had on my life. I look forward to continuing to write in 2016. I do this with the hopes that sharing what I learn at conferences or reporting on the latest research will be beneficial to my followers.

Thank you to all who followed, commented or e-mailed me this year I appreciate interacting with all of you. Please let me know if there are any topics you would like me to write about in 2016 .

See you in 2016!

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Paying it Forward- 7 years

This arrived in the mail from Cancer Hope Network .

I love the sentiment on the front. Then I opened it and saw that it was a thank-you for the seven years I have been a support volunteer. Wow! I remarked to my husband that it sure hasn't seemed like seven years.

Back in 2005 I was upset. I knew the statistics about women diagnosed with late stage ovarian cancer. Jeez I knew that Gilda Radner died from that disease. I just wanted to talk to someone who had the disease and lived. Heck I didn't even meet any women in my cancer center with the disease. So when I saw a brochure for Cancer Hope Network in the waiting room I picked it up and brought it home. I hesitated at first to call. I'm not too keen on cold calling someone. But one afternoon as I sat in bed I went ahead and called. I told the person who answered that I just needed to talk to someone who had been in my situation and lived. She took all my information and said she would call back when she had a match. The very next day she called and said she could connect me right then and there with a volunteer. I spent the next half hour talking to a women diagnosed with 3b, lived in my state,  had the same chemotherapy and surgery and was a 5 year survivor. It was wonderful. I was not alone. I could survive too!

When I was out of treatment one year I called Cancer Hope Network and said I wanted to be one of their support volunteers. I did training and within a week or two I was talking to other women with ovarian cancer. I have been volunteering ever since. Although I did take a break when I recurred and was back in treatment but once treatment was done I was back on the phone.

I have spoken to women from NYC, Florida, California, Indiana and Kentucky just to name a few. I have spoken to women treated in the top cancer centers in the country and those going to community cancer centers and oncologists. I have talked to women who are a short ride from their doctor and center and those that drive eight hours or take a plane and stay at hotels when then go for treatment.But each and every time I remark "I felt that way too" the reply is the same " thank goodness I thought it was just me."

Thank you Cancer Hope Network and all their volunteers for supporting those diagnosed with cancer. If you are newly diagnosed with any cancer or a caregiver for someone diagnosed with cancer you may call( 1-800-552-4366 )  or visit the Cancer Hope Network website online  to be matched with a survivor.

Dee
 Every Day is a Blessing !