We reached out to our grantees and Scientific Advisory Committee, many of whom are on the frontlines – working in hospitals, meeting with patients, seeing firsthand the impact of Covid-19. We wanted to hear their words and reflections. “What do you wish everyone understood right now?” we asked them. “And what gives you hope?” Here … Continued
The world works in ironic and sometimes painful ways Yvette Jives, a nurse and social worker in North Carolina, has spent a lifetime helping others. She developed a women’s health program at the community center where she worked for 15 years (after working for 14 years in a hospital), monitoring patients’ cervical and breast cancer … Continued
(May 4, 2020) Many of you in our strong community have inquired about plans for our 2020 National Conference, originally scheduled for July 10-12 in Washington DC. The past two months have been wait and see due to COVID-19, and we can’t say for sure what regulations will look like come July, but we know this: … Continued
Sandy Sullivan has a favorite quote that she keeps pinned to her bulletin board. It reads, “If you’re lucky enough to get a second chance at something, don’t waste it.” It’s a powerful statement for anyone, but especially poignant for someone surviving ovarian cancer. And yet, Sandy has always lived her adult life – even … Continued
Those who have faced an ovarian or gynecologic cancer diagnosis have so much to offer to others going through a similar experience – be it support, tips or friendship. Inspired Advice is a blog series that tackles specific topics – from managing treatment-related nausea to intimacy post-diagnosis – and shares advice and reflections from our OCRA Inspire … Continued
Today is National Superheroes Day, and while we realize that many of these “national days” are made up holidays, we can’t let this day go by without acknowledging just a few of the people in our ovarian cancer community who are real life OCRA Heroes. They may not wear capes or fly through the air … Continued
“Eyebrows are sisters, not twins.” This is the best advice Morgan Gaynor received when she was in treatment for ovarian cancer. She laughed as she admitted it, acknowledging that it may seem ludicrous considering, but for the 31-year-old woman from Red Bank, New Jersey, it was poignant. “There’s something about the eyebrows and eyelashes that … Continued
Last year, nearly 13,000 medical and nursing students gained a better understanding of ovarian cancer—an understanding they’ll carry with them as they begin seeing patients of their own—by hearing the stories of our Survivors Teaching Students® survivor and caregiver volunteers. These experiences, shared face to face in classrooms with future healthcare professionals, leave a more … Continued
When we think about ovarian cancer, or any illness, often our first instinct is to think about the patient who has been diagnosed or undergoing treatment. This is only natural, of course. And much of our work is rightly focused on improving outcomes for the patient. But behind each patient, there may be others whose … Continued
There’s no ‘right way’ to deal with shock or grief. The feelings are intense, and reactions to it are personal and varied. But Jaimie Kusher needed to feel like she was in control of a very out-of-control situation when her mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in June of 2015. Jaimie was 29 years old … Continued
Jane Rubin speaks quickly, with sentences not so much ending but flowing seamlessly into new thoughts and directions. Listening to her talk about her life and her work is like listening to someone try to cram an epic novel into a paragraph. Her interests and hunger for learning know no bounds. Jane, a 20-year breast … Continued
There are many adjectives one can use to describe ovarian cancer: relentless, cruel, a monster. But Dr. Sunila Pradeep also finds it ironic. “Women spend a lot of time and energy for the next generation. They are playing a major role in continuing life on earth. And then when many of them have fulfilled those … Continued
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