Raising Awareness with an Ocean View

Due to personal commitments and a knee injury it took me until the end of September before I could take part in an in-person event for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. I have been taking part in Kaleidoscope of Hope Ovarian Cancer Foundation walks for almost 10 years now. Why do I choose these walks in particular? ( There are three KOH walks a year in NJ.) As a cancer research advocate I strongly support KOH foundation because it focuses on raising funds to find an early detection test and better treatments of ovarian cancer research.

This third KOH walk took place on the Boardwalk in Avon-by-the-Sea and continued into neighboring Belmar. It was a beautiful day for a walk. Although I didn't walk based on the advice of my physical therapist my husband registered and walked 5 miles.

It was wonderful meeting up with the ovarian cancer survivors I have gotten to know but at the same time it was bitter sweet as  I remembered Erika, Grace, Carole, Gail M., Lois, Shari, and Pam.

Enjoy these photos.

The beautiful Atlantic Ocean.

President Lynn welcoming the walkers

Symptom signs were found on the beach.

A bagpipe group leads the returning walkers

One of many signs.

Passing of the torch from Ovarian to Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Dee 

Every Day is a Blessing!

Ten Years!

July 29, 2005
DX Stage 3B Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Surgery
9 cycles of Carboplatin/taxol/selenium ( Phase 1 Clinical Trial)

October 3, 2008
Recurrence : CT scan shows lesions on my spleen and liver
Spleenectomy , Liver resection
6 cycles ( carbo/taxol 2 cycles then 4 taxol only)

July 29, 2010
ALIVE and NED
The 10-year relative survival rate for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 38%. (ACS Cancer Facts, 2012)

I am grateful to be in that 38%. 
I am grateful for the love and support of my family and friends.
I am grateful for my faith. 
I am grateful for Dr Lorna Rodriguez and Dr Darlene Gibbon at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. I would not be here without the excellent and compassionate care they provide. 

I want to give back to these doctors who have given me 10 years of life so I have created a personal campaign to raise funds for the  Ovarian Cancer Research Support Fund at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (RCINJ). If you are able please donate and support the exciting ovarian cancer research being done at RCINJ.  Please click here to get to my fundraising page.  
Thank you!

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Upcoming Awareness and Fundraising Events

I am busy doing grant reviews so I apologize for the lack of posts the past week or so. I hope to start up posting more regularly shortly.

In the mean time here are some great events you might want to participate in this spring to help raise awareness of ovarian cancer or to raise funds for research.

Teal Tea Foundation Events: 
Click on the image for more details or visit  https://www.tealtea.org/events for ticket information. 

Saturday, March 29 – Guys & Dolls Bingo

Elks Club, Morrisville, PA

Sunday, April 13 – Zumba Party!

East Brunswick Jewish Center

East Brunswick, NJ

Sunday, May 4, 2014 – 8^th Annual Teal Tea

John Henry’s Stone Terrace

Hamilton Township, NJ 

NOCC Northern NJ Events:
For more info contact Barbara Geiger at northernnj@ovarian.org

April 7, 2014 

Cloverleaf Fundraiser

June 6, 2014 

NJ Jackals Baseball Game 

Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation Events:
For more information please visit http://www.sandyovarian.org/events-calendar/ 

April 26, 2014

10th Annual Sandy Sprint 5k/10k Superhero Run/Walk

Philadelphia Museum of Art

June 14, 2014

2nd Annual Teal Leisure Olympics

Mermaid Lake; 1002 Jolly Road, Blue Bell PA 19422

Hope you have fun at these events!

Dee

Panera Bread's - Operation: Lemon-Aid for Kids

I love the soups, breads and salads at Panera Bread. And I especially like that some of the Panera's in NJ are part of an event to raise funds for the Cancer Institute of New Jersey's ( CINJ) Division of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology.

The Operation: Lemon-Aid for Kids event takes place on July 21st from 10am to 2pm.   Panera Bread will offer their 9oz  delicious ( I love their lemonade) to customers who donates $1 to CINJ. Check out this Panera Bread web page for locations involved in the event.

You might just see me at the North Brunswick store.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Celebrating Hope and Giving Back to The Cancer Institute of New Jersey

In July of 2005, I heard the words “ You have Stage 3 ovarian cancer”. My gynecologic- oncologist at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey ( CINJ) told me that I should not look at the survival statistics for ovarian cancer because statistics are just that statistics not individuals. Then she told me she would do her best to make me well.

Well, here we are in 2012 almost seven years later and the doctors at CINJ have made me well not just in 2005 but again in 2008. Currently, I am disease free. I am certain that taking part in the CINJ clinical trial lead by Dr. Lorna Rodriguez and the outstanding treatment and follow-up care by Dr. Darlene Gibbon has made the good health I experience today possible.

In the past I have asked you to donate to other organizations in support of ovarian cancer awareness and research. This year during the month of February, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in New Jersey, I am asking you to directly support the ovarian cancer research that is taking place at CINJ by donating to the Cancer Institute of NJ Foundation through my personal fundraising campaign. I hope to raise $5000 so the doctors and scientists can continue their research to better understand ovarian cancer, develop new treatments and find a cure .

As a special thank-you, I will mail a note card of my painting called “Hope” to the first forty-five donors. You can see a photo of the note card on my donor page at

http://cinjfoundation.donordrive.com/event/deesparacio/ . If you prefer you may also go to that page and print out a form and mail in your donation.

Thank you in advance for your donation.

Sincerely,

Dee

PS- The relative five year survival rate for late stage ovarian cancer is 30%. )

Dee

Every Days is a Blessing!

High Five plus 1

As many of you know, last year I participated in the High Speed Chase for the Cure to celebrate my 5th cancerversary. I wrote about it on this blog in July and September. I walked to honor my doctors whose excellent care has helped me fight Ovarian Cancer twice.The High Speed Chase raises funds for the Cancer Institute of New Jersey through the CINJ Foundation. It takes place on the Livingston Campus of Rutgers University.

Recently, I received an e-mail from the Foundation which said" Due to a major construction project on Livingston Campus, we are not able to host the event this year, but hope you will still wish to support the patient programs and research at CINJ that this event has funded for the past 8 years."

Instead this year the High Speed Chase for the Cure is going virtual. I've decided that once again, I want to honor the doctors & nurses who have been my "lifesavers" for six years. Funds raised are used for patient programs like the Gynecologic Cancer Support Group which attend and for cancer research.

I've formed a team called "High Five Plus 1"and will be raising funds virtually. But I also plan on walking through downtown Hightstown and around Peddie Lake on Sunday, September 18th . I'll be leaving my house around 9am. (Please note that I will postpone this walk if Baby G arrives early.) If you want to walk with me on the 18th sign up to be on my team by going to the High Five plus 1 team page.

If you can't join me on the 18th, please consider donating here to help me reach my fundraising goal. Thanks for helping me help further Ovarian Cancer research.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!