Barbara LOvarian Cancer |  Diagnosed 2009

In 2009, I had just started with a new OB-GYN and she noticed that I had had some abnormal Paps over the years. She asked me if I ever had an ultrasound, and I hadn't. So she ordered the test for me and the results from the ultrasound showed that I had a mass. She referred me to a specialist and he recommended that I have a hysterectomy. He was originally just going to do the ovaries and the tubes, but I was already 57 years old, and kids were no longer in the picture, so I decided to go ahead with the full hysterectomy.

I went through a shorter treatment of chemo. Then my doctor at the time, George Coukos, talked about the study that I'm involved in now, which is designed to prevent recurrences, which is definitely what I want. I completed the first part of the trial about two or three months ago. Now I'm involved in another part of the study. These [trials] are much easier on me physically and mentally. Now it’s just really one day at a time.

When we get the vaccine done, I think I'm only there about a half hour to an hour; it’s really quick. I'm surprised it’s not painful.

Well, the biggest difference is that when I was diagnosed five years ago, the treatments were much more heavy-duty. It was much harder on me. Physically, I was more tired. When I compare it to the treatment that I'm having now, it’s very different. I’ve had zero issues, not one bad day. I haven't lost weight. I probably lost about eighteen pounds before, and I'm thin to begin with. But I’ve gained back maybe ten of that. My weight now is steady. I didn’t lose my hair, and that’s a big issue for me—as it probably is for most women.

Well, it makes everything seem much more precious. Of course, at the beginning, I hated it and I said “Why me?” But it hasn’t really changed my life in any way. I just look at everything one day at a time. I don’t let it get me down.

Find other patients you can talk to. There's one girl that I met at the University of Pennsylvania, she's from Oregon and she and I keep in touch on the Internet. And we share stories and I think that’s really important. Just to talk to somebody who makes an effort. I would recommend that to anybody who is unfortunate enough to get sick. I mean, it's helped me, and I'm cancer-free.