My PSA:

September is ovarian cancer awareness month. Five years ago this month I was Dx with ovarian cancer...one of the deadliest forms of womens' cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2015, about 21,290 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed and 14,180 women will die of ovarian cancer in the United States. I was lucky...I was caught early stage and with surgery and chemo my survival rate went way up (obviously....its five years, I'm still here and no recurrence).

Shortly after my Dx I learned about HERA foundation which was started by a woman climber and all round adventurer Sean Patrick, who unfortunately lost her cancer battle in 2009. Sean was fond of saying “When you’re out there on a ledge and there’s a storm rolling in, you can’t just cut the line. You have to keep on going and fighting.” Indeed. More about HERA foundation can be found here: http://www.herafoundation.org . Since my initial Dx I have been a great supporter of HERA and the events they sponsor such as Climb4Life and Run4Life Events as fundraising events to then support research into ovarian cancer.

For the women on ST or the female partners know the symptoms. It's called a "whisper disease" because the symptoms "whisper" and mimic so many other diseases. If you or your female partner are having any of these symptoms for a period of time be assertive with your doctor about looking more deeply into what is causing the problems. Unfortunately there are no screenings for Ovarian cancer but a good place to start is requesting a Ca125 blood test. It's not definitive but it can be a starting place if your symptoms just won't go away. If, and hopefully not, things are starting to not look good get yourself to a gynecologic oncologist. Study after study has shown that the best chance for long term survival is treatment by a specialist. As well as treatment at a leading teaching hospital or cancer center.


About my journey:

I had just retired, my beloved dog had passed but still the whole world was open with nothing but time to do "it all". At Facelift 2010 I was struggling a little with not feeling all that well....ah....like I did't want to eat (Bingo! shoulda known something was up!). On our last day we did a climb on El Cap and it was blistering hot. We came down and headed for home. I just couldn't "recover" Mike was chatting away and I had to ask him to stop. I told him I just couldn't process language at the moment ... "the heat really beat me up". By Mariposa I splashed some water on my face and was starting to "recover". At some point that week I felt a hardness in my lower abdomen. I had been doing alot of working out but didn't think I would get rock hard abs at my age and why just on one side. Coincidentally I had a docs appointment that week and asked her to check it out. The look on her face said everything...and all the referrals for tests etc. Long story short within days I was in surgery with a 16 cm. cystic mass tested positive for ovarian cancer, Grade 3 (highest grade) but Stage 1C (early). Surgery, 6 rounds of chemo and I've been cancer free ever since. For whatever reason the God(s) were smiling on me and I was caught early stage. Prognosis for long term survivial, even with the high grade: excellent.

Just weeks before my Dx Disaster Master Paul started to post about what was happening with his cancer. That thread can be found here: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1239624/Malignent-Melanoma-Survivors-who-climb. So many of us followed his journey's ups and downs until the end. I'm not sure I have ever encountered a spirit so rich and full of life and so accepting while still fighting to the last. After being Dx about a month after he started posting I turned to him and to his posts as a beacon of how to do this. He was a strength that kept me afloat. We shared and chatted so much across those months. I got to meet him and Ruth (God rest her soul) several times.

It's always been heart breaking for me to now how many we lost. I think often of Paul, of course. Blitzo was an amazing person to so many. Shortly after my last chemo, while still bald we were down at the Gordon Ranch for some event. I went over to the beer keg and there was Blitzo. I hadn't met him in person yet, but he took one look at me and said "ummm, you've either had a bad hair day, or you are Susan". Classic Blizto. Who knew he would be taken too. And Charlie Gill, getting reading to do another Big Wall. I've gotten to know his wife Michelle and what a wonderful and gracious lady. And too many others. As I keep marching on the one thing I feel for those left behind is a deep sense of personal responsibilitiy to embrace life, vitality, everything that was given to me, that the part of their spirit I carry forward embraces all that is good, fun, adventurous and full of love in this world.

So as I come to celebrate my five year anniversary I want to celebrate it for them and our other lost tribe members and how ever the spirit world works; for them to know that they are carried on in deep love and outrageous adventures.









Cancer can be the disease of 2nd chances. To say the things you know you should, to embrace a little longer, be more kind, more giving, do those things you keep putting off. I have never forgotten that my 2nd chance has been longer than many, but they paved the way for me to never, ever forget that regardless of how short or long your first or 2nd chance is, hold tight to your dreams, your friends, your family.

Susan