Carol Brooks

February 2022

Like most of us, the diagnosis of my ovarian cancer was lengthy and difficult, but I felt so encouraged when I finally had answers.  It would be the first step to actual treatments.  My stomach had started rapidly growing several months after an unrelated open abdominal surgery.  Our doctor was able to get me into a well-known gastroenterologist quickly, but this doctor kept insisting this was only accumulated gas from the earlier surgery.  We kept insisting this swelling never went down, so it couldn’t be gas, but he was adamant that he was right and we, of course, knew nothing.  Over a four month period he tried several procedures to “cure” the issue to no avail.  Not knowing what else to do we demanded a CT scan of the area.  The afternoon the gastroenterologist received the results he called to say it was a tumor, but “not cancer”.  Looking back after the incorrect information on that phone call, it seems the process of getting in to a gynecologist and an oncologist and having surgery was finally pretty quick.  Later we obtained the radiologist’s report stating it probably was cancer.

A few years earlier I had transferred my business to another accountant and moved from the immediate area.  While my husband and I were trying desperately for answers, I looked like I was full-term pregnant and possibly overdue at that.  Sometimes I ran into my old clients; as they stared at my new physique they’d ask, “You did remarry after your husband died, right?”, being too polite to mention I was probably too old to start another family.  We always have to remember to see the humor in life.  My “baby” turned out to weigh 18 pounds, and the surgeon took a Polaroid picture for me to keep.  Thankfully, it was fully enclosed and caught in time before spreading.  I did have a CA-125 test, and my CA-125 was in the normal range.

Last month I celebrated 21 years since my final chemo treatment and feeling great!  I’m a huge believer in positive thinking, as we only utilize so little of our brains.  Another item that was only funny quite some time afterwards was watching my mind actually sail out of my head during my last chemo treatment.  Honestly!  I had a horrible case of chemo-brain, but after much work and time my mind did return—most of it, at least. My attitude now is to remember the rest of the lost information is simply info I used to know.  Not important!

We also have a fun time recalling when in my mind I smelled what I imagined was the best cup of coffee in the world but actually was a dead skunk in the road.  Or the time that I passed out when my husband thought he was doing me a favor by removing my last few strands of hair with clippers.  Now I did not find it funny when I returned home one day after work and my husband thought my mail order wig looked horrible after I’d worn it all day!  When my hair regrew, it was as curly as that wig, so I still don’t see the difference.

Several years later a friend who had several groups of friends confided in me that she was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  Unfortunately not one of these friends had given her any hope, only telling her how fatal it was, including Gilda Radner’s unfortunate fate.  She was encouraged to hear me tell her otherwise, and she had a full and lively life before her late stage cancer returned many, many years later.

About ten years after my chemotherapy ended, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Again, I was lucky that this was an early detection.  I have always been faithful to annual mammograms.  The radiologist had been watching an area for a few years and noticed a slight change and decided a biopsy was needed.  It was nice that I didn’t know any of this background during those years when a biopsy was not necessary. This time radiation only was needed and, aside from an accumulated tired sensation was actually a breeze to complete.  My oncologist had advised during my ovarian cancer follow-ups that I had a much higher chance of this cancer due to family and personal history.  So it came as no shock and was only a brief annoyance. 

If any of you would like a personal cheerleader, I am happy to be connected with you.  Just email info@ovariancancerosw.org and ask to be connected to Carol Brooks.

Life is Good!