My Two and a Half Centimeter Time Bombs
When my mother was dying of ovarian cancer, I was twenty-five. Back then, now more than a decade ago, I took advantage of the kind of freedom I would never…
51 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Back in April on this blog, I wrote about my ovaries. I wrote about my fear, that one day, the same tiny nuggets that allowed me to give birth to
49 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Last night, I went to a support group for women who have tested positive for BRCA1 and BRCA2. If you didn’t know the reason we were coming together, you would
44 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Why now? Since I started writing about my journey into surgery, people have been asking me why I chose to do the surgery now. It’s a great question, of course,
40 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
My public journey into surgery was inspired by a courageous young woman I’ve never met. I read about her, like so many of us did, in the New York Times. Deborah
34 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Once I made the decision to have surgery because of my BRCA1 diagnosis, the next challenge was figuring which procedure to have. At the very least, my doctors urged, I
33 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
As soon as I found out I tested positive for BRCA1, I knew I had some serious decisions to make. I ultimately determined, after many years of conversation and research,
28 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
I am now on my last pack of birth control pills. With my surgery now less than a month away, I knew there would be a “last,” but I wasn’t
24 Days And Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Most women go into menopause, gradually, in their 40s. I’m in a different category. When I get my ovaries removed and undergo a hysterectomy in just a few weeks, I’ll
22 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Big decision. I’ve decided to change hospitals and surgeons for my upcoming surgery. I know it’s last minute, but I had to do it. The doctor I was going to
17 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
My aunt called me the other day from Oregon and crushed me with some unexpected news. She told me she was canceling her plans to come to New York for
13 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
This week I met with my doctor for the last time before my surgery. I showed up with my husband and a very clear agenda of what I wanted to
10 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
I just got off the phone with my doctor’s office and I have been officially cleared for surgery. The results of the pre-op blood work I did last week came
7 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. My husband. My kids. My family. But as I prepare to get my ovaries removed and undergo a hysterectomy in
2 Days and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
There’s an open box of tampons sitting on my bathroom counter and I can’t get myself to put them away. Every time I pee or put on make-up, there they
1 Day and Counting: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Preparing for surgery these last few days has been like getting ready to go into labor. I’ve been nesting. My house is tidy and the fridge is full. I’ve also
Update on My Surgery To Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Howdy – My name is Mark – and I’m Allison’s husband. As I write this, Allison is in her hospital bed right beside me. It’s 7pm in New York. The
4 Days Post-Op: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
An enormous wave of relief flew through my body Thursday afternoon when I woke up from surgery. I was barely awake in the recovery room – still on morphine –
7 Days Post Op: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
I am “grossly unremarkable.” Those are the best words I could have heard yesterday when I went to see my doctor for the first time following my operation a week
14 Days Post-Op: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
Today is two weeks since my surgery and I basically feel as if I never had an operation. The best news I can report is that I haven’t had a single hot
21 Days Post-Op: My Journey to Prevent Ovarian Cancer
I am no longer a surgical patient. Just three weeks after my hysterectomy and surgery to remove my ovaries, my doctor has cleared me to take back my life. He said