She Gave Many Hope

I first spoke with Lois Myers in early 2007.  She had been diagnosed in 1998 with stage 3 ovarian cancer and although she had a recurrence in 2005 she was disease free then. I had reached out to her to talk about getting involved with the Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation. The Foundation raises funds for research and awareness of ovarian cancer and was founded in 2000 by Lois, Gail MacNeil and Patty Stewart-Busso. I went to the 2007 Awards Gala and later joined the Board. When I recurred in 2008 Lois supported my decision to have surgery first  and insisted that I remain on the Board through treatment.

 2009 KOH Awards Gala (Lois, Dee, Carole)

Lois was a driving force in NJ and even in Washington DC as she raised awareness and funds for an early detection test for ovarian cancer and ultimately a cure for the disease. She also gave me hope that I could live a long life. We left the KOH Board around the same time ( I rejoined the Board earlier this year) and we stayed in touch via e-mail and Facebook.

Sadly those occasional messages have come to an end. Lois passed away yesterday, November 29, 2016.

Over 18 years as an Ovarian Cancer Survivor.  She will be missed by her community of Teal Sisters and the entire ovarian cancer advocacy community. 

Rest in Peace Lois.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

For Women like Shari

Many people ask me why I spend so much time advocating for ovarian cancer awareness and funds for research. I'm disease free now. Why don't I just get on with my life.  I learned of another reason why last night.

I first met Shari who was also diagnosed with ovarian cancer and her husband Don at a Kaleidoscope of Hope Fundraiser about 5 years ago. My gyn-onc introduced us. We clicked right away and I learned about The Teal Tea Foundation of which she was president. She was in her forties at the time and I was in my early 50's. Other ovarian cancer events and activities kept us in touch.

When I moved to Hightstown, two towns over from where she lived,  we e-mailed each other and attended a few One Force Meetings and Teal Tea Foundation meetings together. In 2013, I sat at her table at the Teal Tea, which is run annually by the Teal Tea Foundation . Another time she ran a special fundraiser for the Teal Tea at the Alex & Ani store in Princeton and I had a chance to meet her two daughters.

In 2013, the lunches started. First it was at the Americana Diner and then we switched to a tiny restaurant in Cranbury called Molto Bene. Molto Bene let us sit there for hours chatting. Sure we talked "business" - my blog and her role at the Teal Tea Foundation. We lamented that fact that there wasn't a screening test for ovarian cancer and that so many research dollars were going to breast cancer research and not enough to ovarian cancer research. And we talked clinical trials that were available in the NY/NJ/PA area. But we talked about so many different things too.

Shari was a pasty chef and over lunch she told me about the classes she taught and also explained to me the correct way to do some common kitchen procedures like separating the yolk from the white part of the egg. What a laugh we had when I told her I needed to be in her class because I didn't follow her advice and dropped egg shell in my batter filled mixer.

We talked about our families- her two wonderful daughters and my children and grandchildren. I spoke about how difficult it is having children and grandchildren living so far away. And we talked about the colleges her oldest daughter might be interested in visiting.

You see Shari was so much more than just another woman with ovarian cancer she was my friend.

I am very sad that Shari and I will no longer be doing lunches. She passed away on July 6th.

Shari is my reason for continuing to raise awareness and funds for research. I will do it to honor Shari. Please keep Shari and her husband Don and two daughters in your prayers.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing

The Loss of Another Teal Sister- Nicole

Just about a year ago I wrote the post It Really is About the Attitude . It was about Nicole Christison , my friend Larry's niece. I met her at his son's wedding. Nicole was battling ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer like mine but at the same time different. Instead of the serous epithelial type I had, Nicole had the small cell subtype. Small cell Ovarian Cancer is a rare disease which accounts for about .1% of all the ovarian cancers diagnosed.

Today I learned that Nicole lost her battle with cancer.She was 29. What a courageous battle she fought.

It is hard to explain how I feel right now. I am sad. And I am angry. Angry that another young vibrant life has been lost to this disease. Angry that we don't have a better understanding of this subtype. Angry that because the subtype is so rare that novel treatments and clinical trials to test those treatments are scarce.(Oncology review)

What can I do ? What can you do? Together we must raise awareness of all types of Ovarian Cancer and just as important we must fund research into all subtypes of the disease.

I will do this for Nicole.

Rest in Peace Nicole.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!