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My Survival Story

Updated: Sep 17

by Debbie Giese

Florida

August 2024


 

Finding out I had cancer was the most shocking news I have ever received. I was a 51-year-old fit and active woman who led a very healthy lifestyle. My reaction to the devastating news was “Why me?”


Debbie Giese, Survivor
Debbie Giese

In September 2017, during a routine gynecology exam, my doctor told me I had uterine fibroids. She said not to worry because they would shrink and grow based on changing estrogen levels, and she recommended I come back for a follow up visit in five to six months. In late February 2018, I had a bloated feeling in my abdomen and thought maybe the uterine fibroids weren’t shrinking like the doctor said they would. I made an appointment with my gynecologist for the soonest available date, March 13, 2018. My doctor immediately sent me for an ultrasound that showed something suspicious and she referred me to a gynecological oncologist, Dr. Jennifer Ducie in Annapolis. 


I saw Dr. Ducie on April 2. I was extremely nervous, but chose to go to this appointment alone. After an exam and another ultrasound, Dr. Ducie recommended a partial hysterectomy. Surgery was scheduled for May 4. About two weeks before my surgery, Dr. Ducie wanted me to get a CT scan and MRI prior to the surgery. Within 12 hours of having the scans, she called and said she saw something suspicious on the MRI and wanted me to get a biopsy ASAP. The clock was ticking, and we were within days of my originally scheduled surgery. Dr. Ducie canceled the original surgery pending the biopsy results. 


On the morning of May 2, I went for the biopsy and by early afternoon I received a call from Dr. Ducie. I had leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that grows in the smooth muscles and she recommended a hysterectomy as soon as possible. Because she was nine months pregnant, Dr. Ducie referred me to a colleague in Baltimore, Dr. Therese Diaz-Montes. When I told my husband, Rob, and my parents what the initial diagnosis was, I could barely get the words out. 


I met with Dr. Diaz-Montes on May 16. She confirmed the diagnosis and recommended a full hysterectomy. She also said I would be a good candidate for Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) and she wanted me to see Dr. Armando Sardi. She called his office and immediately sent me to see him. Things were moving so fast. I had brought a notepad with me and was shaking writing all this information down. Again, I chose to go alone to these appointments, which I regretted.


After a thorough exam, Dr. Sardi explained the type of cancer I had in layman’s terms. He said I was a good candidate for the cytoreductive surgery that also included HIPEC, but that he wouldn’t know the extent of the cancer until the actual surgery.  Dr. Sardi sensed my fear and he made me feel like my life mattered. I was wearing a polo shirt and he asked me if I was a golfer, which I am. He told me about a September golf outing to benefit Partners for Cancer Care and Prevention, an organization he co-founded to support cancer patients and caregivers. I told him I would play in it if he did one thing - get me better. He replied, “You’ve got yourself a deal!” 


Walking to my car with a three-ring binder and a wealth of information regarding the surgery, I was in a complete daze and couldn’t hold my composure any longer. I broke down and cried in the car for what seemed like hours.


I went home and told Rob the diagnosis and then I called my parents. All my life, I had never had a problem saying the word “cancer,” but now that I had it, I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I knew that while I didn’t have all the answers, I was sure the pieces of my puzzle would fall into their appropriate places in time. Now it felt like I had the border of the puzzle complete, and the entire middle section was scattered all over the table.


I had a few weeks to get everything ready and in order before the big day, Thursday June 14. I coordinated short-term disability through my employer. I cleaned the house from top to bottom and made sure things like toilet paper, dog food and dry goods were stocked. I was trying to make things as smooth as possible for everyone around me, which also provided me a distraction.


My surgery was June 14. Rob and my parents sat in the waiting room where the kind receptionist provided them updates every two hours. At 10 pm, she gave them one last update before she left for the night and assured them Dr. Sardi would talk with them after the surgery. Soon after she left, the update monitor went blank and the names of patients scheduled for the next day appeared. Their first thought was, “We lost her.” 


The average time for cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC is between 8-12 hours, depending on the extent of the cancer. My surgery was 15 1/2 hours. In later discussions with Dr. Sardi, he told me that my surgery was one of the most difficult cases he had had. He said if he had to spend two or three more hours, he would have done it – he was not going to give up on me. 


Dr. Sardi removed my gall bladder, spleen, appendix, a portion of my small intestines, my entire colon and did a full hysterectomy. One of my greatest fears going into this surgery was coming out with a colostomy bag. That was now a reality. With the extent of the cancer, he was surprised I wasn’t in more pain prior to the surgery. 


Within 24 hours of the surgery, physical therapy came to my room and to “get me up and walking.” I was shocked and wondered if they had any idea what I had been through. With encouragement and conversation, I walked one entire lap of the floor. 


I was transferred out of ICU in three days. On the nineteenth day post-surgery, the staples on my incision were removed, and after about 30 days, my body was finally accepting solid food without vomiting or nausea.  


On July 19, after 35 days in the hospital, Dr. Sardi said I was being discharged. I had a slight sense of hesitation about going home. In the hospital, there was a feeling of security with nurses and doctors right there to help if I needed anything. After not having shed a tear during my entire hospital stay, within minutes of leaving the hospital, tears of joy were flowing freely. 


On July 25, during my first follow-up visit, Dr. Sardi told me he was very pleased with my progress. I was getting stronger and more independent each day. I was driving, going to lunch with friends, taking small walks around the neighborhood, getting a haircut and a pedicure and doing small things around the house. We even took an overnight trip.


On August 18, two months post-surgery, I was back on the golf course playing golf with my husband and Dr. Sardi. This round went so well that I booked another tee time for August 25 with Dr. Sardi and his wife, Mavalynne. On that round, I completed 14 holes. My stamina was improving each day, and I thought there was nothing that was going to stop me. 


Debbie golfing post-surgery
Debbie on the greens post-surgery

On September 27, almost five months after my surgery, I returned to work part time for four weeks and by mid-October, I was back working full time.


I recognized that I was given a second chance at life and decided to take on a challenge that represented new territory for me. I don’t think I would have been given this obstacle and these challenges without a higher purpose.


I outlined a proposal for a volunteer ambassador role for HIPEC patients and by November 2018 I began visiting patients prior to their HIPEC surgery. I was nervous the first time I spoke with a patient, but I found that after introducing myself and telling these patients that I was a survivor and was in their shoes just a few short months ago, they knew I could relate to their fears and anticipation. Talking to people and sharing my story, I am no longer afraid to say the word “cancer”. 


In 2020, Rob and I moved to Florida. Sadly, my father passed away in 2021 from cancer and my mother also moved to Florida in 2023.  I take advantage of my regular medical appointments in Baltimore to spend valuable time with friends. I also rescued a little beagle/basset mix dog that I trained for my mom who became a wonderful companion for her.  


Living true to my commitment to Dr. Sardi, I’ve returned each fall to participate in the annual PFCCAP golf tournament as well as the “Heat it to Beat It” fundraiser led by Dr. Sardi to raise money for research and increase awareness of the HIPEC treatment. 


Today, I feel fantastic and am so happy to be alive. I have grown in so many ways in this journey, and I am now striving to be fully present in every situation with no regrets. I feel stronger than ever before.



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