Elaine Carter

August 2013

My ovarian cancer story started in 2004, when my longtime partner, Sara, was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer and died less than two months later. I never wanted to hear the words “ovarian cancer” again.

In early 2008, I developed some stomach problems, which resolved after my physician prescribed Prilosec. My doctor offered to do further tests, but neither she nor I thought this was really necessary. I knew that stomach problems could be a symptom of ovarian cancer, but as they say, “lightning never strikes twice,” meaning that it would be near-impossible that both Sara and I could have ovarian cancer, a disease that strikes 1 out of 70 women.

That fall (2008) I developed a chronic cough, which I attributed to lingering effects of a cold I’d had. I developed lower back pain, but as the office where I was working temporarily had just moved, I thought I was having trouble making ergonomic adjustments to my new workspace. I noticed that my belly was getting larger but I assumed that my metabolism had changed after menopause (I was 62 at the time) and that I was just gaining some weight. I didn’t think too much about it.

Sara had had an enlarged belly and ascites when she was diagnosed; so when I saw a neurologist for a different problem, I had him examine my belly to see if it was ascites fluid. He said that it wasn’t, but urged me to see my primary physician.

I saw my primary care doctor the day before Thanksgiving 2008, and after examining me, she said that I did have ascites and she thought I might have a liver problem. I noted that Sara had had ascites when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the doctor (who had also been Sara’s primary physician) responded, “Don’t even think that. Ovarian cancer is an extremely rare disease.”

My primary care doctor set me up for a transvaginal ultrasound that same day, and after the radiologist read it, she told me there was something going on with my ovaries and referred me for a CT scan that same afternoon. After the CT scan I again saw my primary physician, and she told me that I did have ovarian cancer. She was as shocked as I was.

I was referred to a gynecological oncologist, whom I saw a week later. I then had extensive surgery the next day, and it was determined that my cancer was stage IIIC. The surgery was “suboptimal,” meaning that the doctor had to leave in some tumors that were larger than one centimeter in size because of where they were located. It turned out that my chronic cough had been due to pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs) that was caused by the cancer.

I started chemotherapy a week after surgery, while still in the hospital. After 16 months of chemo the cancer finally went into remission. Yea!!! I began maintenance treatment with Avastin, and my remission lasted for 19 months.

Then my CA-125 numbers started to go up, and in October 2011 a CT scan revealed that the cancer had returned. It was fairly minimal and confined to my abdomen, and I had no symptoms. Since then, I have been in active chemo treatment with various drug combinations. The cancer remains pretty minimal, but I haven’t been able to get another remission.

It looks like I’ll probably remain on chemo indefinitely. But, I have been very fortunate in that I still have no symptoms from the cancer, and I have tolerated all the chemo extremely well. Thus, I’ve continued to be able to lead a quite active life. I have always been an avid traveler, and I haven’t let cancer or chemo slow me down. This fall I plan a trip to Greece and the Dalmatian Coast and another to Kenya. Kenya ought to be quite the adventure! Besides seeing lots of wild animals we’ll visit several local projects that serve women and girls.

I am also an avid quilter. In recent years many friends and family have been having babies and I’ve been kept quite busy making baby quilts. I see my quilts as the legacy that I will leave.

Most of my family is in Northern California and they have been extremely supportive and helpful. I am fortunate to have a wonderful large circle of friends here in Portland. I’ve had to send out email requests for rides to appointments every two weeks, and there seems to be much competition around who can drive me to my appointments! I am very grateful for all the good people in my life.

And I have also made some good ovarian cancer survivor friends both through my local gynecologic cancer support group at Good Samaritan and through Camp Mak-A-Dream in Montana, where I have attended ovarian cancer camp every year since my diagnosis. In 2010, a group of 14 of us survivors from camp, along with a number of partners, enjoyed a cruise in the Caribbean together. And last fall, seven of us quilter-survivors from all over the country who knew each other from camp met up in Houston to go to a huge international quilt show together. It is very good to be able to share this cancer journey with others, although I certainly wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

Whatever the future holds, I plan to continue living an active and joy-filled life for just as long as possible. I am grateful for every day.

Editor’s Note: Since Elaine was diagnosed 4 ½ years ago, she has taken trips to Greece and Turkey; Transylvania and Hungary; Egypt and Jordan; Hawaii; China; Costa Rica, Ecuador, and the Galapagos; the Netherlands; Peru; and three trips to Mexico.

In her career life, Elaine was a psychotherapist (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) for 30 years. She then went back to school, and received a degree in accounting. She worked in that field for three years before retiring in 2005.