Survivor Story: Kathy Drescher

My entire life changed on March 2, 2016.  I knew absolutely nothing about ovarian cancer until this unforgettable day. This is the day I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and my life drastically changed. I had surgery on March 9, 2016, and it was after this surgery that I was officially diagnosed with Stage III-C ovarian cancer. I asked too few questions and knew even less, and felt completely terrified.

 After one round of chemotherapy, I began to want to know more, yet I found myself afraid to ask. I am a Nurse Practitioner, yet I felt so ignorant to this extremely silent disease. I finished my last round of chemotherapy on September 8, 2016 after painfully enduring 6 rounds with 3 weeks in each round. Over the course of 6-months, I had 29 treatments of radiation. 

Please know that I would never rank one cancer over another. Breast cancer was always on my radar as were many of the other types of cancer.  It is just that until 03-02-16 I knew nothing about ovarian cancer.  This is the day I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and after my surgery on 3/9/16 I was officially diagnosed with Stage III-C ovarian cancer. I asked too few questions and knew even less, but after my CA-125 level returned to normal (from 7,984 pre-op) after one round of chemo; I began to want to know more, yet was afraid to ask. I am a Nurse Practitioner, yet I felt so ignorant.  I finished chemo on 09-08-16 (6 rounds with 3 weeks in each round, with a chemo cocktail each week). Yes, I missed weeks due to very low platelet counts and hard as I tried Dr. Fine would not budge on letting me have the chemo anyway. I also had 29 treatments of radiation. My full body CT on 09-14-16 showed no cancer with a CA-125 of 6. My counts have fluctuated between 6 -7.8. My last was 7.1.  I have been able to begin working out again at Cooper Clinic with a trainer…in short I am finally getting my life back.