"In sickness and in health"

The true test of any relationship is when one of the individuals becomes ill. In the past seven years, I have had two major abdominal surgeries, 15 chemo treatments, a heart catheterization, 1 MRI, 3 PET scans, 15 CT scans , and countless blood tests and port flushes. Nick has been there every step of the way.

In the course of our marriage Nick has been ill and in the hospital one time, thirteen years ago. During the past week I have been the one making the trips to the hospital, eating the cafeteria food, making the insurance phone calls, keeping family and friends up-to-date on how things were going. And when I came home I was the one taking care of things around the house from taking care of the dogs to paying bills to putting out the garbage and recycling. I have a new found understanding of what the past seven years has been like for Nick. It has been emotionally and physically exhausting but I would not want to do or be anywhere else except here by his side every step of the way.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

Roll Reversal

I write this post from the hospital where I had both my ovarian cancer surgeries. I write this from the same floor where I stayed after my surgery. But this time I am here as the caregiver and family member. I write this post from my husband's hospital room.

On Friday, he had emergency surgery for a hernia that contained a kinked bowel which caused a blockage. The surgery went well and he was able to avoid the complications to the bowel such as resection or colostomy that could have occurred.

This time I was the one waiting in the surgical waiting room watching the monitor for information about my husband. First it listed him in pre-op. Then the monitor showed he was in surgery. And the minutes ticked by and became hours. Then the monitor said he was in recovery and the surgeon came out to speak to me. The waiting room is same room Nick fondly calls the "fish tank" room. This time I am the one making the trips to the dining room on the 2nd floor. I am the one figuring out where the ice machine is. I never needed to know that before. I was the one worrying and pacing the floor. I was the one driving home alone.

It is not easy feeling so helpless. I just want to make things better.Being the caregiver is tough. Now I can appreciate how Nick felt when I had my surgeries. It is an emotional and tiring time.

Posting will be few and far between over the next few days.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing! Blessed to have such a wonderful surgeon and his team taking care of my husband.

Doctors Don't Follow OC Guidelines

The has been a buzz on the internet about a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine titled " Vignette-Based Study of Ovarian Cancer Screening: Do U.S. Physicians Report Adhering to Evidence-Based Recommendations?". In the study , 1800 family physicians,internists and gynecologists answered a 12 page survey regarding women's annual exams and their offers or orders for a transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) or CA-125 blood test .

The conclusion of the study was

"One in 3 physicians believed that ovarian cancer screening was effective, despite evidence to the contrary. Substantial proportions of physicians reported routinely offering or ordering ovarian cancer screening, thereby exposing women to the documented risks of these tests"

The report also stated that 33% of the doctors offered TVU and the CA-125 to low risk women. Everyone should know that physicians answered questions based on patient scenarios. The doctors were not answering questions about their actual patients.

Although I am happy that physicians are aware of ovarian cancer there appears to be a need to better educate physicians that screening of asymptomatic women is not recommended by any professional medical organization or government agency . Maybe one of the ovarian cancer organizations ( OCNA or NOCC or even FORCE) might develop some continuing education training for physicians regarding ovarian cancer symptoms, risk factors, the CA-125 test, a review of the studies regarding screening and the different way they should interact with both low risk and high risk women.

(Source: Baldwin LM, et al "Vignette-based study of ovarian cancer screening: Do US physicians report adhering to evidence-based recommendations?" Ann Intern Med. 2012;156:182-194.)

If you would like to read further commentary on this study please see:

Wall Street Journal

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2012/02/06/many-doctors-dont-follow-ovarian-cancer-screening-guidelines/

Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/ovarian-cancer-screening-_n_1258156.html

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing

Cancer Support Community Website Relaunch

The Cancer Support Community is relaunching their website and blog in the next few days. Over the past 6 years, I have taken part both as a participant and a workshop provider in many Cancer Support Community Central NJ programs. I was pleased to learn that the CSC blog will include my Women of Teal blog in their blog roll. Thank you CSC.

You can find the new site at

http://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/

and their blog at

http://blog.cancersupportcommunity.org/.

CSC has so much to offer news, downloadable tools, and support groups, both online and at their affiliate facilities. In NJ there are four affiliates.

• CSC Central New Jersey, Bedminster ( formerly known at the Wellness Community)
• CSC Northern Jersey Shore , Eatontown
• Gilda's Club Northern NJ, Hackensack
• Gildas Club South Jersey, Linwood

Click here for addresses, maps etc.

If you are a cancer survivor or caregiver I am sure you will find information about survivorship, support and guidance at the CSC. I know I have.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

World Cancer Day

Today is World Cancer Day! A day to raise awareness , prevention and treatment of cancer throughout the world.

What will I do?

I will donate to my Celebrate Hope campaign to raise funds for OC research at the Cancer Institute of NJ.

http://cinjfoundation.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventDetails&eventID=525

Dee

Every Day is a blessing

Survivors Teaching Student Program - OCNA

I know that I have readers from all over the country who are OC survivors. You can help future health care practitioners learn the symptoms of ovarian cancer and diagnose it earlier by sharing your story. Please consider becoming a volunteer with the Survivor Teaching Students Program now being coordinated by my friend , Susan Leighton.

We all have a story to tell! Did you know that the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance has a program that gives you the chance to tell your story while educating future doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants? Survivors Teaching Students: Saving Women’s Lives® is an innovative educational program through which future healthcare professionals increase their understanding of ovarian cancer symptoms and risk factors so they will be able to diagnosis the disease sooner. Sharing your story and relating it to the risks factors and symptoms of ovarian cancer puts a face on the disease. It truly makes an impact on the students. Ask anyone of the hundreds of women nationwide who volunteer their time to make this program a success why they participate, and you will hear how rewarding it is to know they are helping women who will be treated by these students in the future. The reaction of the students to our stories is empowering! We need volunteers throughout the country. Training is provided. If you are ready to help, please email me, sleighton@ovariancancer.org. For more information, please visithttp://www.ovariancancer.org/about-us/survivors-teaching-students/

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!