Alison Haskell
Ovarian cancer survivor offers lessons from the road
Alison Haskell (right) and her nurse, Kathleen Keenan
When I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and later treated at Dana-Farber, I went through a series of emotional stages about my disease that included grieving, anger, and acceptance. I was a healthy and active 46-year-old woman who had wonderful friends, family, a life partner, a wildlife biology career, good health habits, and faith. I was blown away by my diagnosis and later by my discovery that the screening techniques used to detect early stage ovarian cancer are inadequate. I realized that I was not alone in my ignorance about the symptoms of ovarian cancer, so I envisioned and incorporated Cures for Ovarian Cancer, my project to spread the word across the nation about ovarian cancer issues.
I give presentations, collect stories from other ovarian cancer survivors for my Web site, and advocate for desperately needed funds to raise awareness and conduct research. So far, I have completed my tour of New England, and I am in the process of writing and editing videos about these women. I promised each woman that I would not publish anything without her approval, so for now, I will communicate what I've learned in a general way.
Despite the fact that we share a frightening disease, all the women I've met so far share something else: courage and grace. All but one of my stories come from women with late-stage disease: some are struggling with chronic recurrences, while others have been in remission for several years.
Most women, like myself, were unaware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, and did not know that their annual gynecological examination cannot detect this disease in an early stage. We are angry about the lack of early screening techniques and funds to support research to improve diagnosis and treatment for this disease.
To live well with ovarian cancer, however, we also share our belief in the value of friends, family, faith, humor, and work — whether it's being a senior marketing executive; volunteering; working for something precious to us such as children, art, wildlife, or the environment; or doing construction projects. Most of us love our gynecological oncology teams.
Some of the messages these women want to share are as follows: Live strong. Advocate for yourself — you know your body better than anyone. Let your family, friends, and faith sustain you through your challenge with cancer. Never lose hope. Get your health records from every exam and make sure you understand them. Advocate for research funding.
And I would add to these messages: Take the time to raise your voice on behalf of ovarian cancer patients and survivors. Write to your senators and representatives, and ask them to increase research funds for ovarian cancer, and pass Johanna's Law, a gynecological education and awareness act. Support the Ovarian Cancer Postage Stamp. For more information about these initiatives, please visit www.johannaslaw.org and www.petitiononline.com/ovca2007.
