Survivor Story: Sheryl Overton
The end of 2015 was as busy as any normal holiday season, and then our home sold with a closing date of December 4th. Mike (my beloved husband) and I had moved to Florida in April so this would be somewhat inconvenient between Thanksgiving and Christmas plans. We moved ourselves. After the physically demanding move, we headed to the ocean to relax and spend sometime with our snowbird relatives. It was these relatives that first asked if I was ok. (I looked three or four months pregnant.) I thought it was the move, too much holiday food and spirits, which is what I told them while we were sitting in the hot tub.
After a painful ride home from the ocean, I worked that first week of January but very uncomfortable and began to believe something was seriously wrong. I called the OB-GYN who I had seen in August, but was told bloating and weight gain are part of menopause.
I came home early from work Monday, January 11th and Mike took me to the “urgent care”. I was signed in and waited only a few minutes before the doctor came to see me. I explained my pains and was immediately sent for an abdominal X-ray. The doctor said she would need to send me for a CT scan at a different facility. The appointment was set up for 2:30 PM. The CT-scan was performed and we headed back to our apartment. When the phone rang at 4:20 PM, Urgent Care wanted me to return for results.
Mike waited in the car while I walked in to get the results. Two doctors entered the exam room, the original doctor was accompanied by a more senior physician. The elder woman introduced herself and I said I couldn’t understand why they couldn’t tell me over the phone. First the silence, and then the expression on their faces sent chills to my bones.
I remember hearing “unfortunately that is not the case… cancer… rare… Stage IV…” and nothing else.
I asked for a copy of my records. The doctor was saying something about a specialist. I walked out to the truck in shock. I got in the truck, Mike smiled at me and said “well?”, I said “I have Stage IV ovarian cancer”. We were both silent.
My brain was in overdrive. “I don’t want to die!” over and over in my head. “Lord help me!” over and over. My grandkids! Then like a bolt of lighting…there was no biopsy, how could they know? How could they give me a death sentence without a biopsy? Then back to the Lord help me, don’t want to die, I don’t want to leave my grandkids. Every other thought I had stopped.
I walked into the apartment, opened my laptop and typed in the Google search bar “Experts Ovarian Cancer”. CTCA (Cancer treatment center of America) was top of the list. I used the medical records to then type in “Expert Gynecological Oncologist”, again, CTCA was top of the list.
It was close to 5PM January 11th 2016, would anyone answer if I called?
We flew from Florida to Georgia on the 19th. The airport greeting included the CTCA transportation team. Guest accommodations had our hotel set up. Our appointments on the 20th began early and included; Lab blood draw, nurses, nutritionist, naturopath, a pastor, the gynecological oncologist and others I can’t even remember. It was a whirlwind. The end result was finding out my body was in a state of malnutrition. I would have TPN for ten days and try to raise my pre-albumin to a level safe for surgery.
I had a PIC line placed in my arm, a chest X-ray and more blood work the following morning when I checked into the hospital. A visit for acupuncture therapy relived some pain. Then we learned my level was not high enough for debulking surgery. We waited out the weekend and had my first chemo infusion in the Infusion center. That team is amazing!
We traveled home and returned first for chemo and then back for my debulking surgery on March 15th. My nutritionist had provided information on the Impact Advanced Recovery drink, and my naturopath had provided information for natural anti-inflammation and healing agents. When discharged, we drove home.
The following week, I ended up with some bug, thank God for the 24X7 care team! I feel very fortunate to have had this team carry me through the remaining four chemo infusions without incident.
Mike through this entire journey has been my corner stone to recovery. Even while facing his own fears of not knowing, he showed me nothing but strength. I tried to reflect the same to him, but I had days of overwhelming fear and sadness. Fortunately Mike’s sense of humor helped us both carry on. Of course we had intermittent additional support from our children, but Mike took care of me, did all the house work, cooking, shopping, scheduling, driving…all of it. The nurses even called him “St. Michael”. (Boy did that make he and I laugh!) I have always known that Mike made me stronger as a person. But I also had attributed it to being an Army veteran and being raised by the loving parents I have. One thing I know now without a doubt, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love, support and prayers of my husband and family.
God has shown me when I was literally at my weakest point physically and mentally, that when we are weak, He is strong. He lead us to CTCA and to Dr. Manahan.
One pivotal moment of many on this journey happened out front of the center, after one of my chemo treatments. A young man, obviously sick from his treatment was sitting alone in a wheel chair with his sickness bag in hand. My heart broke for him. I prayed with him that day, and have prayed for him since, but only got to see him once. He was doing better, and still battling on.
Despite the battle that we face, our hearts are in tact. Cancer has changed my life in the way it needed to change. It has made me aware of a type of cancer I thought I was being tested for on an annual basis. I wasn’t. It has made me aware that other women are walking around unaware also. I need women to know what I didn’t. As with most cancers, the earlier it is detected and eradicated, the better. I need to tell every woman I see about the symptoms of ovarian cancer; how they know their own bodies, and to be their own advocates. I need to help.
Would I have walked up to complete strangers and shared this type of information prior to cancer…NO. Do I do it nearly every day now…YES. Cancer has changed my life the way it needed to be changed.
At first, it seemed strange how life kept going on, even though I was diagnosed with cancer. Then, during my chemotherapy regime we celebrated my 54th birthday and our eighteenth grandchild was born. Shortly after the last round of chemo, Mike and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary. Now I keep telling Mike I want to renew our wedding vows for our 20th, but I don’t think he is going for it!
I remember telling Dr. Manahan that I didn’t want to die and that I want to dance at my granddaughter’s weddings. With the grace of God and the care of CTCA those dreams have the hope of happening.