Still Here, Still Fighting, Still Hopeful
In March 2023, I heard the words that instantly divided my life into before and after: high-grade serous ovarian cancer. How was that possible? I had been a healthy, active 54-year-old. My only symptom, sharp rectal pain, was initially diagnosed as spasms.
By May, I underwent a complete hysterectomy and debulking surgery. My cancer was stage 4B and had already spread to multiple organs. Just weeks later, I began six rounds of chemotherapy, followed by 21 cycles of Avastin from October 2023 through February 2025. Treatment became part of my routine, something I showed up for, even on the hardest days.
Then, for a while, I got to breathe. I lived in the fragile, beautiful space of NED—no evidence of disease. I made it 26 months past chemotherapy and a year beyond Avastin. I let myself hope.
That hope was shaken in January 2026. A CT scan and a liver MRI changed everything. My first recurrence was confirmed on January 31. By March 2, I was back in surgery for a second debulking, and on April 8, I started chemotherapy again.
This is not the chapter I wanted—but it is the one I’m living. Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed late, with no reliable early detection.
If sharing my story does anything, I hope it encourages someone to listen to their body, ask questions, and advocate for answers. What carries me through is not just treatment, but the people and organizations like Sharsheret who lift me up and remind me who I am beyond this diagnosis.
On World Ovarian Cancer Day, I am still here. Still fighting. Still hopeful.