Lucky 13

chadheathcott.com

For me, 13 is a lucky number. I lived for over thirty years in a home with an address number of 13. And today, I celebrate writing this blog, all 1147 posts, over the past 13 years. 

As I approached this blogging anniversary I admit I have been thinking that it may be time to stop blogging. There have been many times over the past year when I had writer's block. I just couldn't come up with an idea that I thought would interest my readers or provide any insight into living and surviving ovarian cancer. 

Being so many years out of treatment, I was starting to feel that my experience was no longer relevant to women who now have options to use Bevacizumab or Parp Inhibitors as maintenance therapies. I could read about the different types of therapies but I never took any maintenance therapy. This year women are struggled not only with a cancer diagnosis but having treatment during Covid -19.  I did go for my annual cancer center visit in September but my appointment was never delayed or impacted in any way by COVID 19. 

Then a few things happened. 

I have had the opportunity to speak to two women on a monthly basis since July as a Cancer Hope Network volunteer. (I've been a CHN volunteer for over 10 years now.) While I can't share their stories, I will share that when I called them last week to wish them a Merry Christmas,  one had good news because of good scan results while the other had not such good news.  Yet both were glad I called so they could share their news. Both thanked me for listening and being available to answer their questions.

Then a women diagnosed with ovarian cancer reached out to me via direct message on Twitter. I answered a few of her questions and said I have written a blog for a number of years if she would like to read it and shared the link with her.  A few days later I got another DM from her and she commented on how reading a few posts were so helpful.

Lastly,  a fellow cancer advocate commented on my previous post "Stay the Course". She said "So often we think we have to do something huge or make sweeping changes. Sometimes, "staying the course" is enough. " 

So I will do just that.  I will stay the course and continue to write this blog in the hopes that I reach just one woman.

May all my readers have a Happy and Healthy and Safe 2021 !

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing.

Taking a Look at the Big Picture

Over the past few days I have been thinking about the role my advocacy work takes in relationship to my family and life outside of cancer. Every January for the past few years, I've reviewed my advocacy work and decided what I want to continue with in the next year.  This year though I  know the my family will require more time ( which I am happy to do), so I felt I needed to look at my advocacy work in a different way.

I have been blessed to be involved in different aspects of advocacy with a number of organizations and non-profits. Some organizations raise awareness, some raise funds for research and others reach out to Congress. There are ovarian cancer organizations, gynecologic cancer organizations, support organizations, peep to peer support groups, cancer patient empowerment groups, and industry groups.

Yesterday, I made a list of all the organizations I was involved with 2017 and my responsibilities.  The list contained eighteen organizations. Some volunteer positions had sub-items. Some of these organizations required me to travel or required me to attend an event or multiple events in person. Some required me to spend a great deal of time preparing information to disseminate to others. Some responsibilities were once a quarter, once a month or twice a month.  A few advocacy responsibilities required daily input or responding to multiple e-mails.  Some volunteer work was only "as needed". Some groups offer compensation but most do not. Some I could choose to do when I had time, like this blog. I like those best!

So my next step was to look at each advocacy opportunity and asked myself:

• how effective am I at doing that work?
• am I the only one doing that work?
• if I am the only one can another advocate/person do it?
• how much does the work benefit other survivors/patients? 
• how many people are effected by the work I do?
• do I ever regret having agreed to do the work and feel that way when I am doing it?
• does the work ever prevent me from doing other things - like hang out with my husband, grand-kids or dog?
• does that work bring me joy?

By asking those questions I came to the realization that I can and should make a change in what I concentrate my advocacy efforts on. So that is what I am starting to do. After all my priority has always been family first.

Some of these activities will be harder to step back from than others (I really love the people I interact with in these organizations) but I need to look at the Big Picture and make some changes. 

Don't worry though I will still be writing this blog and co-moderating the #gyncsm chat. For many others, well, over time I will need to let them know I will not be participating at the level I have in the past.
 
I just read a post by Susannah Fox ( Letter to Shareholders) in which she reviewed her work life in 2017 and detailed her wins and losses.  Have any of my fellow advocates gone through a similar process to determine where they were and how they want to spend their time going forward ?  I'd love to hear how made your decisions.

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 !