Leap to 2024

Mom with her Great Grandson!

 I don't know where the time has gone - and here we are in January, 2024!

I would say overall 2023 was a great year for many reasons. Mom celebrated her 14th year as an Ovarian Cancer Survivor! No one saw her surviving 14 years when she was diagnosed. In March, 2009, she was Stage 3 and was told that she had about three years. Fast forward through surgery and 5 rounds of chemo, we are here celebrating 2024. 

She did make it through 2020/21 without getting COVID, however COVID caught up with her in December 2022. It didn't really hit her as hard as I expected it to, and she recovered just fine. SO TAKE THAT COVID! 

All things said and done, mom is healthy and looking at no cancer issues at the moment. Her CA125 is stable and she has no other symptoms. She has already said that if something surfaces, she does not want any more chemo. 

HAPPIER NEWS - In 2023 we celebrated the birth of Sidney Hamlet Sparkman, our first grandchild and mom's first GREAT grandchild! He was born August 5, 2023 and has been a definite joy in our lives. I'm sure all grandparents say this but Sid is a special baby! So full of personality! Our Christmas was spent just watching Sid - open presents, play with tissue paper, stare at the tree.

Mom is still singing in her church choir and making quilts. She participated in the Geneseo Quilt Show last fall. We also made quite a few trips to Peoria to see her sister, Rosemary, who is in assisted living facility. She is in mid-stages of Alzheimers, and mom recognizes all of those behaviors all too well after going through the same thing with her (and Rosemary's) mom. 

Mom in church choir, front row, 5th person from the left. 

Because of my [NOW] family cancer history, and the fact that my mom's genetics are my genetics, I had a total hysterectomy in June 2023 to lessen my chances of ovarian cancer developing in my body. I was having some post-menopausal issues and my gynecologist thought the surgery was the best way to ensure that there was not time for any cancer to develop. The surgery went well, biopsies negative, and I am fully recovered and was able to at least squeeze one marathon run in for 2023.

The long and the short of the message is this: Ovarian cancer is the 5th most common cancer in women. Early detection is key and knowing the subtle symptoms (persistent bloating, pelvic/abdominal pain, difficulty eating, and feeling full quickly) and understanding the risk factors and family history are all a part of the formula to make sure that ovarian cancer is caught early.