Diagnosed 06-2021 OC Stage 3c March is my birthday and I always schedule my annual exam for that month, so I remember to get it done. March 2020 came, and the world shut down. My GYN office was not seeing patients for annual exams at that time. I was not concerned because all my Pap smears in the past had been normal, and I was feeling well at the time. We drove with our 5th wheel to Las Vegas to be with our daughter who was pregnant. We ended up staying there for 3 months due to no RV parks being opened. During that time, I noticed that my abdominal area was increasing in size, and I had some backaches. I felt a little nauseated at times but didn’t think anything of these symptoms because we were staying with friends who love to cook and that’s all we did during the lockdown. The back aches I put to swimming and lifting children constantly. We came back three months later, and I called my GYN office, and they were still not accepting inpatient appointments. I got a call in December saying that I could now schedule an appointment which I did. When I was seen I only had a pelvic done and was told to come back in March for a pap. At the time, I did not understand why it wasn’t all done at once, but in hindsight, it was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. I went back in March had a pap. I told my doctor that my abdomen was increasing in size and that I was not eating much food at all and the food I was eating was the same thing every day. I told her exactly what I was eating and in that 20-minute appointment, she told me three times to look into Weight Watchers. I got a call a few days later, saying that my pap came back with atypical granular cells. I returned to the office a few days later and had ‘colposcopy with ectocervical biopsies which were benign. (Most painful procedure ever. I later learned that many GYN due this under anesthesia) I also had ‘endocervical curettage which showed evidence of low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. I also had a visualized lesion on the cervix.’ I was alone at this appointment because my husband was not allowed to be there due to Covid restrictions. After my appointment, I went to my car, and I cried because the doctor told me I had some type of cancer. I was sitting in my car, crying out to the Lord and I heard four words that have carried me through this journey. Believe Peace Trust Strength. I then called my husband and told him what the doctor had said. I drove 40 minutes home crying the whole way. At that time, I was referred to an oncologist/gynecologist. I had my appointment with this doctor, and they were going to call me once the appointments were made. I received a call from that doctor’s office about 30 minutes later saying that my insurance wasn’t accepted at that hospital. I was referred to Piedmont Columbus Midtown immediately. I did not have my records at that time as they had not been forwarded to the doctor. I verbally gave the Doctor my history and she scheduled a D&C and a CT scan. My next appointment I was told I had Ovarian Cancer. I went through 3 rounds of chemotherapy, debulking surgery followed by 3 more rounds of chemotherapy. I have had two hernia surgeries since I finished chemo. The first one was done on the original big surgery incision line. While recovering I ended up having major issues with fluid buildup. I ended up with three different types of drains. Instead of the six-week recovery it took almost 4 months. My second hernia surgery was much easier. I now have a large piece of mesh in my abdomen. I have had no issues since I’ve had that surgery over a year ago. During this time the Lord has brought other ladies at my church with different types of cancers to me. I have an unofficial LIFE group with these Ladies. We all love, pray, are honest in how we are feeling and support each other.