Cancer has a new face
- PFCCAP Admin
- Sep 23, 2023
- 3 min read
by Lisa Daniels
Maryland
September 23, 2023
Lisa was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and her family just wanted to know her life expectancy. Instead of a number of years, she got reassured that her doctors would save her life. Now, she expresses herself through an original poem she wrote and performed during our HIPEC awareness talent show in Baltimore. This is her story.
Edited Transcript:
When I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in November of 2022, the prognosis my doctor shared was "we're here to save your life. And we will keep you around for a very long time. We have patients who are fifteen, twenty, thirty years out from HIPEC." I felt a huge sense of relief because my family and I did not think I would have a long life expectancy. I was amazed that the doctors refused to give me any such number of months or years of life remaining, instead, they just focused on saving my life.
I found out about the HIPEC procedure through another physician. I initially thought that I would just be going in for a traditional debulking surgery. And when I found out about HIPEC and the additional step with the heated chemotherapy, I knew that was the ticket. I received the HIPEC surgery on Valentine's Day 2023.
Today, I feel amazing. I feel like myself again. I'm walking three to four miles a day. I'm doing yoga. I did not think it was possible to feel this good again and it is incredible.
I'd like to share a poem that I have written, and it is called "Cancer Has a New Face." So often when meeting cancer patients, we see an emaciated person who has been given a death sentence of only a few months to live. With the advancement of procedures like the HIPEC, the prognosis of cancer has dramatically changed and people look healthy and vibrant after the surgery and into follow-up treatment. I'm excited to share a bit of my journey in a very concise, poetic way. During my recovery period, I was compelled to capture my thoughts in a poem and here it is....
CANCER has a NEW FACE
by Lisa Daniels
I glance as I pass the mirror
My hair is gone. My weight is lighter.
I now have the cheek bones I’ve always wanted
Is this the face of cancer?
I start the day with anxiety of how I will manage to eat.
No taste buds, yet hunger pains persist, but then they disappear
I struggle onward. Toward a journey of redemption. Through this adventure, yes…it’s an adventure.
God is with me. So many angels have come to help me. To hold my hand. To support me. To recover my soul…To reclaim my natural spirit of optimism.
As the road goes from tough to rough, the light of potential survival peeks through. It’s the miracle of a magical surgery that “heats to beat” this thing called cancer.
New hope. Real hope. A chance at survival. A chance to love life more deeply. To help others.
My work is not done.
The face of cancer has changed. We fight through. It’s a battle we can win.
Through the immensity of it all, it’s a battle we will win.
We are triumphed warriors, Wonder Women and Super Men. We are the new breed.
The face of cancer has changed. Cancer has a new face. Isn’t it beautiful?
I am Lisa Daniels, and I hail from the Chicagoland area. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November of 2022. The prognosis that I was given was really, we're here to save your life. We will keep you around for a very long time. We have patients who are fifteen, twenty, thirty years out of HIPEC. I felt very relieved because my family, our initial question was, what's her life expectancy? That was the question that we we started with, and they refused to give me any such number and said we're here to save your life.
If you have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, please review our resource alliance.pfccap.org/resources. If you'd like to connect with our Patient and Caregiver Network, please email networkcoordinator@pfccap.org.
