I am an ovarian cancer survivor

Hello…
My name is Kendal Seidel. I am an ovarian cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer when I was 34, at which time I was told I had an approximate 50% chance to live out 5 years but I was encouraged to get my affairs in order as soon as possible. That was nearly 6 years ago. I have been in remission for 6 years (10/13/2006).

I was adopted as an infant. When I was 23, my biological sister found me after many years of searching for me, with the intention of communicating to me the large family history of ovarian cancer. I had been experiencing many female problems prior to her call. So many doctors had told me that what I felt were problems were in actuality “my normal”. Whatever was happening to my body continued to happen for many years…whether or not these problems were related to my eventual cancer diagnosis will never really be known. I had gone in for an exploratory laparoscopy in 2000 for what I was told was probable endometriosis. I woke up to the cancer diagnosis. I was determined to prove the doctors wrong, I wanted to beat the odds. My mom had always likened me to a Pit Bull, saying I had tenacity. This was not always meant to be a complement, but this same tenacity served me well following the diagnosis…

One year after my diagnosis, my other sister was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer. Her surgeon told her the disease was too advanced and that there was not much he could do. I pleaded with her and her husband to come to where I was, for a second opinion. I begged them not to give up. Thankfully they did get the second opinion, and while she has battled recurrence after recurrence, she is still with us and she is still fighting.
I began a online web group called ovarian cancer networking once I completed chemo in an effort to connect with other women going through the same thing as I had. My goal, my hope is to see to it that very woman has the knowledge she needs in order to be proactive in her healthcare. In light of the fact that there is no definitive test for ovarian cancer, the one thing we can do is share information. This is the one way we can extend tangible assistance to one another. This is one way we may save a life.

Thank you for letting me share my story with you! Thank you for your website, it is beautiful!
Kendal Seidel