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Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

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Events for 2008

Next meeting: Friday, May 16, in the bigger room at the American Cancer Society, noon - 2:30 or so. Jennifer Smiley's husband is a chef and he is preparing our meal. We'll also be painting pottery. Be sure to carve out that time for yourself.

Our meetings are held at noon on the 3rd Friday of every month at the American Cancer Society, 1104 Ireland Way. Lunch is provided.

CanSurvive Meeting Notes

April 18th, 2008

Next meeting: Friday, May 16, in the bigger room at the American Cancer Society, noon - 2:30 or so. Jennifer Smiley's husband is a chef and he is preparing our meal. We'll also be painting pottery. Be sure to carve out that time for yourself.

1. Today we had special guest: Nicole Falls. Nicole's mother had ovarian cancer. Nicole is a first year UAB medical student who is co-president of the OB GYN Support Group. The medical students form groups that focus in areas they would like to know more about. This group wants to help CanSurvive with projects when we need some manpower. They are also going to participate in the MotherWalk.

2. Member updates:

3. Dianne Baer told us about the Birmingham Ovarian Cycle event that was last Sunday at the Jewish Community Center. Dianne, Patricia Naish, and Dianne's sister Debbie rode for Team CanSurvive. Margaret Keeton, Gail & Molly McCarrick, Gail's boys (exchange students), Dr. Alvarez, Dr. Barnes, and Cheryl Bourn came to cheer them on. The event made $35,000; 80% of that money will be used locally for research.

4. Kathy Wickstrom has invited us to the Blount Co. Relay for Life at Oneonta City Park next Friday evening, 4/25. For more details, e-mail Kathy. Her Flav-O-Pic Tomato team has raised $11,000 so far. Their goal is $16,000.

5. Betty King has some small gift bags & chocolate for chemo patients near Mother's Day. Brenda Lamb will also add a flower. If you'd like to contribute a little something for the bag, let Brenda know.

6. BADA - B'ham Auto Dealers Assoc. -- charitable arm has bought 700 ovarian cancer car tags. They will offer them to people buying cars. We need to have some folks transcribe their info to the official forms. We may do them once a month or so, possibly on a Saturday. We'll work out the details. Just let Cheryl know if you'd like to help. We signed a thank you letter to BADA in our meeting today.

7. Thanks to Lori Livingston who dropped some MotherWalk yard signs & posters by our meeting today.

8. We looked at some informative literature for patients and decided we'd like to order some for patients in the office. We'll do a small order first to see how they go over.

9. We also talked about books and other things that really have helped us in our journey and decided we needed to make a resource list. Connie LaMonte and Mary Anne King volunteered to do that, so let one of them know about your recommendations.

10. We had door prizes today - a really cute artsy piece of a lady with spunk (donated by Linda Willis) and a flower arrangement donated by Kristen Craig. Linda donated some Burt's Bees lip balm that was distributed. We also distributed our new CanSurvive tee shirts.

11. Electrolux is hoping to donate $500,000 to ovarian cancer research over the next 2 years. To find out what you can do to help, check out the Electrolux.com website. Click on one of their products and check out Kelly's Bags. (You should be able to get to get there by going to www.kellysbags.com)

12. Lunch today was provided by Jim McNinch of Oncotech.

Year in Review-2007

CanSurvive held monthly meetings the 3rd Friday of each month at the American Cancer Society, who is our gracious host.

We not only supported other members, but also reached out to other patients who needed to speak with someone who had "been there". Our group was also able to help with special or daily needs for some patients.

Special Events - Be sure to check out the photos!

UAB Displays Quilt that Draped Casket

Ovarian cancer victim’s family presents gift to doctor, nurse

The quilt that draped the casket of Sally Sutton will be displayed permanently at The University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham.

The quilt will hang on a wall on the fourth floor of the gynecologic oncology clinic at UAB Highlands, a spokesman said.

Sutton’s widower, Mickey, and one of their sons, Michael, both of Decatur, gave the quilt to UAB’s Dr. Michael Straughn and an assistant, registered nurse Donna Bryan. They treated Sally Sutton during her struggle with ovarian cancer.

The Suttons made the presentation last week at the Decatur General Oncology Center.

Straughn said seven physicians in his group started coming to the center each Friday six months ago on a rotating basis to see patients.

“It’s been a great relationship and such a benefit for patients in this area,” said registered nurse Terry Jones, director of the center. “It enables a woman to get her initial visit here and be followed by local physicians as well as UAB physicians. We don’t offer gynecological and oncology surgery here in Decatur.”

Jones said that after chemotherapy procedures at UAB, doctors at the Oncology Center can give radiation therapy if needed.

“Usually, they are weak and in pain and don’t feel like traveling,” she said.

Gina Decker of Quilter’s Refuge was at the presentation and recalled the quilt’s origin. She said Sally Sutton had asked other quilters to make blocks to send to a fabric company called Blank Textiles in New York.

“They were taking the blocks and making a quilt for auction, the proceeds going to the Ovarian Cancer Foundation,” Decker said. “Sally never had a quilt of her own, and I wanted her to have something to inspire her. That’s where I got the idea.”

Decker asked others in her class and members of The Night Guild if they’d like to make Sutton a quilt by making blocks and signing them. They would give her the quilt when she was well enough to return to class.

“A few others wanted to participate even though they didn’t know Sally,” Decker said. “They had relatives who had the disease.”

Even a 10-year-old boy, Graham Johnson, whose mother was in the class, participated.

“When his mother was making her block, he asked to make one. He did and signed it,” Decker said.

The volunteers used a teal color scheme, teal being the color of ovarian cancer awareness. Decker’s husband, Lynn, machine quilted the blocks.

But Sutton had become too weak to return to class. Decker took the quilt to her after Thanksgiving.

“I didn’t want to wait any longer,” Decker said. “She was quite moved and surprised. She had it with her every day.”

Sutton, who was a member of the Piece Makers Quilting Group, Happy Heart Quilt Guild and the Quilt Lovers, died Dec. 20 at home. Her funeral was two days later. She was 63.

Her family asked that the quilt be placed on her casket during services at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.

“It wasn’t just a quilt,” said Funeral Director Tim Bailey of Ridout’s Brown-Service. “It was a personal statement of all the people that helped create it. It showed the love and concern that went out to her during her illness and her death.”

Bailey said the family’s gesture was unique, placing the quilt where there’s normally a floral blanket.

“We placed a silver urn of roses directly behind the casket,” he said.

An Ovarian Cancer Patient's Prayer

We’re a mother, a daughter, a friend, and a wife.
We’re your children, O God, for You gave us this life.
Women with cancer, we live with its fear!
Grant us peace with the killer, and draw us so near.

Great Physician, an awareness we need.
Open ears to the symptoms, we mercifully plead.
Grant us favor with those in the highest of places;
Sustain our efforts, and bestow mighty graces.

Channel our suffering, pain, and frustration
To turn up the volume throughout our great nation.
Lives are at risk; there’s no time to wait.
Passions are powerful; concerns are great.

Together we join in an advocacy chorus…
No one comes against us; everyone’s for us!
Each day is precious; each joy is anew.
With faith, hope, and love, the hurdles are few.

We know that these trials are only a test.
Guide us, O Lord; may we give You our best.
With thanks we acknowledge Your good, perfect plan.
Enable us, Father, we need Your strong Hand.

We are now but a whisper, so frail and so weak.
Empower us, God, as louder we seek.
Open our eyes that Your path we may see.
Bless Thou great work; begin it with me.

WRITTEN AUGUST, 2005, OCNA CONFERENCE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, BY SARAH MOSELEY

Washington Trip Review


My friend Beth Hosmer asked me to report to the CanSurvive Support Group my experience at the National Ovarian Cancer Alliance meeting held July 1013 in Washington. I do not come to the Group meetings because I live 6 hours away. But Beth includes me in everything your group does and I am thankful for that because there is no ovarian cancer support group in my area.

First, I am so very thankful that I did not know ahead of time that no one from Alabama would be at the Alliance meeting. If I had known I would be alone, I probably would have lost my courage and stayed at home. I would have missed one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I had requested to go to Capitol Hill with the Alabama delegation because I am a survivor patient of the UAB Oncology Group and I am also a native of Selma, Alabama. Florida living is just temporary retirement.

Out of character for me, I decided I had no choice but to overcome my fear and insecurity and keep the prearranged appointments at the offices of Senator Shelby ,Senator Sessions, Representative Davis, and Representative Everett. This was such an empowering experience! I learned that lobbying (or begging for money) doesnt take experience; just sheer will. I learned to have the courage to be bold and tell the Legislative Assistants what we want from the elected officials. I encourage all of this group to e-mail your representatives and ask them to support our efforts to get the necessary funds for Ovarian Cancer research and education. You can find the specific requests that we made on the Alliance website. If I can ask, so can you and your family. E-mail is best because postal letters have to go through security checks and that takes time. For your information, I have recently learned from Sheryl Silver, Johannas Law, that Sen. Majority Leader Reid has decided not to bring the Senate Labor Health and Human Serviced (HHS) bill to a floor vote because of the Presidents threatened veto. The HHS Appropriations bill will likely be folded into a larger Omnibus Appropriations bill in the fall. We should know more in mid September. I am not certain where we are on the other requests but the staff of the officials you write should keep you posted if you request them to do so. Remember, all of this is about money and politics and it takes a lot of both to get the funds we need. Read the OCNA website and get your voice heard.

The most meaningful part of the Alliance meeting was having the pleasure of meeting about 100 joyful, friendly, exciting, and profoundly spiritual ovarian cancer survivors. While some of the women were short term survivors like me, most had been keeping their cancer under control for many years. These were the first long time survivors I had met. Just being with them and hearing their stories gave me so much hope. There is a sisterhood among these courageous women who have been getting together for 10 years and they are using their experience to share their strength with others. Many have started support groups, several have written books and articles about their journey, and some have been on the front lines in clinical trials. Wow, what a group!

I would like to add that Tiffiny Denson, representing the Norma Livingston Foundation, was also at the meeting, reassuring me that I could represent Alabama well. Thanks Tiffiny.

Lets start communicating about many of us going next year. It will likely be at a different time of year which will be more pleasant than the 100 degree heat we had in July. Meanwhile, we must continue to care and support one another as we strive to get funding for a screening test for ovarian cancer, better information and education for gynecological cancers, and more research for the ultimate goal...THE CURE! Looking forward to seeing all of you in Washington in 08.

Patti McCartney, St. George Island, Fl