World Domination, Step 1 | Increase Awareness

October 25, 2017Leave a comment

While talking with one of my doctors today, I mentioned that I might reduce posts to only once a week because it doesn’t look like my posts are being read by many folks. Then I rattled off the concerns I have: are my posts too long? are they poorly written? am I posting to frequently? After all, I’ve had people complain about my Facebook posts in the past, saying they muted me because I flooded their feed. Is that what’s happening here? Should I focus on one topic a week and do it up right? I mean, if my friends don’t even want to read my blog, why would a complete stranger? How will I ever effect any change if I’m just shouting into the void?

After a beat, he asked me if writing these posts was helping me?

Certainly, getting these thoughts out of my head onto the page has been a huge help.

Does writing as often as you do work for you?

At least for right now it does, there’s a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head.

I certainly don’t intend to discount the need for increased research, but isn’t the biggest issue a lack of awareness? There are people out there that don’t even know ovarian cancer is a thing and early detection is key…

Yes, and I’ve heard of friends who were aware having to beg their doctor to investigate their symptoms because they can so easily be written off as symptoms of aging.

Right. In my opinion, if your posts save just one woman that would be huge.

So, I’m going to keep going. I’m still looking for my voice and trying to figure out what works for me, but if you hang in there with me I promise I’ll get the hang of this eventually. And maybe, just maybe, these posts will help someone else besides just me.

If, like my sister, you think this blog might help someone who loves a survivor understand what they are going through and you know someone who might benefit, would you please consider sharing with them? I’d be ever so grateful!

Don’t worry, I’ve got this!

❤ P

Save the HooHahs!

October 24, 2017October 25, 2017Leave a comment

It began when I was still receiving treatment and my doctor had just switched me to another chemotherapy drug (typically used for breast cancer patients, but also shown to have success with ovarian cancer patients) to hopefully stop the advancement of the peripheral neuropathy I was experiencing on the original (also primarily indicated for breast cancer). I was laying on the couch recovering from the first dose when a commercial came on the television asking if you or a loved one had breast cancer and had received the drug Taxotere… Wait a minute, I thought to myself, I don’t have breast cancer, BUT I am taking Taxotere. What do *I* do if my hair never grows back? Don’t I count?

Then there’s the ever present and ridiculously well funded Race for the Cure and the Avon 39 fundraising walks. I don’t know if it is because October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month falls on the heels of September’s Ovarian Cancer Awareness month so I can see the stark difference between the two or if there is just so much damn pink being thrown at me this month, but I can’t continue to let this go anymore.

First let me say I love The Ellen Show; I watch it routinely and it is programmed into my DVR in case I can’t catch it live. I love Ellen and everything she does to increase kindness in the world. She made me laugh when I thought at times when I thought I might never laugh again. It just happens that while watching today, the show provided references to some of the things I am really beginning to dislike about the month of October.

Today on Ellen, Shutterfly gave $25,000 to a survivor and her family so they could go on a vacation and Michael Strahan danced so Ulta Beauty donated $20,000 to research. It’s been like this all month, every October for the last 4 years. To be fair, I searched for ‘ovarian cancer‘ on her site to make sure I hadn’t missed something similar last month for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Unfortunately there were only results for breast cancer. It isn’t just on Ellen either, yesterday’s audience on Let’s Make a Deal was full of breast cancer survivors and their caregivers. Everyone went home with Dune Jewelry custom Breast Cancer Awareness jewelry. On October 2, The Price is Right had a breast cancer themed episode too. No doubt there are more, but you get the idea.

Ford Motor Company has their Warriors in Pink which has donated $133 million since 1993. Pampered Chef has their Help Whip Cancer products that have contributed $12 million to to aid the American Cancer Society^®’s fight against breast cancer. The Esteé Lauder Companies have Pink Ribbon Products through their Breast Cancer Campaign. The Breast Cancer Campaign has raised more than $70 million to support global research, education and medical services, with more than $56 million funding 225 Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF) medical research grants worldwide. The list goes on and seems to get longer with every passing year.

How many commercials have you seen about #ovariancancer? How many television shows have you seen raising awareness OR donating thousands of dollars to ovarian cancer research AND thousands in prizes to #ovariancancersurvivors? How many major companies have teal themed products for sale to help fund ovarian cancer research?

My guess is none.

I’m blessed with a 92% chance of living 5+ years after treatment because mine was caught ridiculously early at Stage 1 when my ADHD doctor became concerned about my blood pressure (same stage breast cancer? 98.5%), but ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer and the majority of women aren’t diagnosed until Stage 3. Their chance of survivng 5+ years drops to 39%… Stage 4? 17%(same stage breast cancer? 25%).

This needs to change.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my Pink Sisters and I am grateful for the advancements in treatment that have also been found to be beneficial to ovarian cancer patients, but it’s past time the big movers and shakers with the deep pockets realize that not all women’s cancers are pink. #notallcancerispink

There is not a screening test or vaccine available for ovarian cancer so the best hope we have right now is early detection. The only way to achieve that is to increase awareness and many of my ovarian cancer survivor sisters are too busy fighting to live to push for a change so you’re stuck with me. I’m a loud mouth and can only hope I am up for the task. I’d better be because I really can’t handle constantly hearing “oh yeah, my mom died of ovarian cancer” whenever someone hears my diagnosis.

Don’t worry, I’ve got this

❤ P

Breast Cancer Commercial 2017 Search Results

Let’s All Go For a Walk

October 10, 2017Leave a comment

Not all cancer is PINK.

Ovarian cancer, for example, is TEAL, pancreatic is PURPLE and multiple myeloma is BURGUNDY. I know these colors because people in my life have been touched by these and they often don’t receive the same bandwidth (or support) that breast cancer does. I guess that is why I like Relay For Life; they walk in support of all cancer survivors AND honor the caregivers who help us get through some of the toughest days of our lives.

Over the years I have walked in several breast cancer walks and was trying to figure out what I would do instead now that I’m an ovarian cancer survivor when I met Jennifer, a multiple myeloma survivor, at her Sparkles N Sprites craft booth at NC ComicCon. She invited me to join her and her friend, Veronica, at an upcoming Relay For Life event happening near me in Cary. She felt the experience would be good for me as I was just beginning to rebuild my energy after finishing up chemo a couple months before. Remembering how it had been important to Amanda and Kelli, it didn’t take much to convince me to join after that.

We got a lot out of that morning of walking and determined we would continue to participate in the future. Overachiever that I am, I piped up that we should start a team and the wiser among us agreed that if I started it then they’d likely join me 😉

So here we are 6 months later. I am approaching my first year post-chemo and the prospect of finally saying goodbye to my port after I pass my first year anniversary. How to mark these momentous occasions? Then I received a challenge email from Relay For Life to attempt to reach a fundraising goal of $150 by the end of October and it all came back to me. I’m starting a team! I’m raising funds for cancer research! I’m going to spend time with friends walking around a track! This is how I can make a difference for others who might have to go through what I did! Oh goodness, what have I gotten myself into? I need your help, please!

Now, here’s where YOU come in…I’ve CREATED the team, but I need you to BE the team since we all know there is no ‘I’ in ‘TEAM’.

WHAT IS RELAY FOR LIFE?

Relay is a team fundraising event where team members take turns walking around a track or designated path. Each event is 6-24 hours in length and each team is asked to have a member on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps. Cancer patients don’t stop because they’re tired, and for one night, neither do we.

Each team sets up a themed campsite at the event and continues their fundraising efforts by collecting donations for food, goods, games, and activities. This money will count towards their overall team fundraising goal.

I’ve signed TeamPamda up for the event at NCSU on Friday, April 6, 2018 (I think) and would love for you to join me. This will be my first time as captain of a team like this so we’ll be learning the ropes together. Right now I’m looking for help to get this all going, so even if you don’t think you can be there the day of the walk there are other ways you can get involved and help us reach our fundraising goal.

There will be more posts as I receive additional information, but you can visit the Relay For Life site (home page) to register and join my team. The earlier you register, the more time you have to raise funds and earn fabulous swag in the process.

Thank you for your support!

Bedtime Stories for Insomniacs

November 11, 2016November 11, 20162 Comments

*ding*
“go to sleeeeeeeep” admonished my mother from Alaska via Instant Messenger.

*ding*
yawning kitty sticker

I let her know that I had, but I could not stay asleep or fall back to sleep easily after waking up and it sucks.

*ding*
“I’ll tell you a bedtime story.”

oh law.

*ding*
“Once upon a time, there was a princess who was the most beautiful child of the queen”

(suck on that, siblings)

*ding*
“Her mother had bought her queenship when she won the publishers clearing house sweepstakes”

*ding*
“So the princess grew up to bring great joy and happiness to the queen and all that she knew.”

*ding*
“Well, except when she didn’t get her sleep and then she was called Princess Grumpisocks…”

*ding*
“But now she knows that it is far worse to not sleep because the writer of Goldipam and the 3 Bears would tell her totally ridiculous bedtime stories if she didn’t sleep.”

*ding*
“And soon she was enjoying blissful sleep and lived (and slept) happily ever after.”

My mother, everyone, the originator of long distance mothering via text. STILL killing it from Alaska!

don’t worry, I got this…

Please, No, Not The Look.

November 3, 2016November 11, 20162 Comments

I’ve been fine with losing my hair from the beginning, in fact I considered it a silver lining since it would give me a great excuse to do some fun things with my hair since forever. Scott, my hottie hair stylist, and I have had several conversations about what we would be able to do both as it was leaving, while it was gone, and when it was growing back. However, along the way I realized one important thing. I wanted to be in control of it going, not the chemo..controlling the burn as I termed it. It was all fun and games until this last trim when the last of my hair came off.

At my first chemo treatment, where it was evident I was a noob because I had hair, I realized there were actually two important things. The second being that I was okay not having hair as long as it was just me on my own and not identified as a group of sick women. Turns out that the perception of others is something I cannot control. I have known that for years, but I had not made the connection until recently.

My friend, Maria, is a treatment ahead of me and has been preparing me for what to expect based upon her own experiences. She told me that once my hair was gone, I would be hugged and prayed over by strangers, but she did not make as much note about the look.

You know the look, the “oh, you poor thing, how terrible” look. Pity.

I do not need it, I do not want it, and I do not deserve it. My cancer was caught miraculously early, I have been blessed with an amazing doctor, and we are treating whatever cells remaining aggressively. My odds are better than most women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and I know it. Instead, SMILE. Trust me on this one. Look them square in the eyes and SMILE. You might be surprised by the effect it has on the exhausted looking, no hair day having beauty before you.

#TeamPamda

#FightLikeAGirl #IGotThis #WithALottaHelpFromMyFriends #TealRibbon

Category: Support