My Cancer Story

If you are considering starting a clinical trial, either because your doctor recommended it or because you or an advocate found a trial that seems appropriate, I have this easy advice: “GO FOR IT!” What have you got to lose? Trials are safe, well researched and documented. You, as a patient, are monitored and cared for like you never thought possible. You have so much to gain!
“Happy birthday to me.” KayEllen Gebhart says this in a flat voice, recalling her birthday in 2008 — the day she learned she had stage III ovarian cancer. The bad news came after a CT scan to find out what was causing the “tummy issues” her family doctor thought might be caused by her gallbladder.
Having such a simple question asked a certain way can really humanize you during a time when normalcy seems like the distant past. I was still Mary. I still had the same parents, same car and same clothes. Why should being a little extra sick make a difference?
On October 15, 1992 my life changed dramatically. After Multiple CT scans and painful biopsies, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.