2 minute read
‘Ova’coming cancer
Hospital group helps women fight the good fight WRITER: SHEMIR WILES
Six years cancer-free would have been a great reason to celebrate. After all, Karen Ingalls’ doctors gave her only a 50 percent chance of living for five years.
Recurrence, unfortunately, is always a possibility.
“I thought when I hit my five-year mark I was clear,” she says, “but you’re never really clear.”
Since February, when doctors discovered a 3-inch tumor in her abdomen, Karen has been undergoing chemotherapy. And while her hair is gone again, her courageous spirit never wavers.
Much of that has to do with the support she receives from her “sisters” who make up the Lake County Lunch Bunch for Gynecological Cancers support group.
On the second Tuesday of each month, the group meets in the Cancer Institute conference room at Florida Hospital Waterman. They are survivors of, or currently battling, a gynecological cancer, which can include ovarian cancer, uterine cancer or even cancer that started in the breast and metastasized to the ovaries.
“We have women in all different stages of their journey,” says Karen (wearing white hat in photo). “And the beauty of that is we can share our personal stories and empathize on a level others may not be able to.”
Karen remembers her first fight with ovarian cancer all too well. It was 2008 and she went to her gynecologist for an annual pap smear. The doctor did a pelvic exam and found what felt like a tumor.
“So she sent me to have a CT scan and an MRI done,” Karen says. “That’s when they found I had a tumor the size of a honeydew melon.”
Before being wheeled into surgery, the doctor informed her he wasn’t sure she had cancer. If the tumor were benign, the surgery would last only a couple of hours; if it was malignant, the surgery could take hours longer.
“I remember looking at the clock after waking up and bursting into tears because I knew my surgery has been a six-hour ordeal,” she says. “From there I had to undergo chemo and I incorporated some complementary therapies like yoga, meditation and qigong.”
While her battle wages on, Karen views every day as an opportunity to educate people about gynecological cancers.
“Ovarian cancer is a silent killer because most of its symptoms aren’t unusual: indigestion, bloated abdomen, back pain, stomach pain. I went from a size 6 to a size 8 and I just thought I was gaining weight. I had a bloated abdomen, but I didn’t think much of it because there was no pain. I was still running around playing golf three to four times a week.”
Karen stresses the importance of knowing your family history and knowing the symptoms linked to ovarian cancer. She also reminds women that a pap smear can only detect cervical cancer, not ovarian cancer.
“If someone tells you that you don’t need an annual pelvic exam after menopause they are wrong,” she says. “Women have to be proactive when it comes to their health.”
Karen published a book chronicling her battle called “Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir” to help women with ovarian cancer.
At Promise Hospital of Florida at The Villages, “people” are paramount. We understand and appreciate the significant value of our employees and the important roles each of our staff members play in delivering quality patient care; we strive every day to be an excellent healthcare employer. We pride ourselves in hiring dedicated, passionate employees who share our company’s core values.
OUR DEPARTMENT MAKES “PEOPLE” OUR PRIORITY …
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Rain or shine, good is always there. I don’t wait for something bad to happen to do something good. That’s why I offer things like free coverage checkups and rewards for safe driving. I’m here to help you live the good life every single day.
