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I Was Grieving My Sister and Dad, Then Came Another Heartbreaking Blow
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. My sister suddenly passed away in September 2023 at just 30 years old. We were incredibly close, and her death devastated me and my family.
Around the same time, I started experiencing pain underneath my right breast. It seemed to come on after eating a large meal or drinking alcohol. Looking back, I wish I had paid more attention to it, but at the time I was grieving and trying to get through each day.
It felt like my family simply couldn't catch a break. We were dealing with one loss after another, and in the summer of 2025, my mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Throughout all of this, the pain under my breast never really went away. I was also constantly bloated, nauseous and exhausted. But I was in survival mode. I told myself it was anxiety, stress, period pain, or simply the result of everything I had been through.
In January 2026, I woke up one morning feeling particularly unwell. The pain had spread from beneath my breast into my shoulder, and I found it difficult to take a deep breath.
I met up with a friend, but the pain kept getting worse. Eventually I started vomiting. I went home thinking maybe I just needed to lie down, but the pain became a sharp, stabbing sensation on my right side. It was worse than anything I had ever experienced before.
I went to the emergency room, where doctors performed an ultrasound on my gallbladder . They told me it wasn't inflamed, but it did contain gallstones. Because of my symptoms, they said they would remove it anyway.
I didn't question it. My mom had her gallbladder removed a few years before, so I assumed I was dealing with the same problem.
I spent about five days in the hospital. When the pathology results came back, they showed my gallbladder had been chronically inflamed. I thought that was the answer and assumed I would finally feel better.
But less than a month later, I developed excruciating lower abdominal pain that felt similar to period cramps, but much more severe. The pain in my shoulder returned, and once again I couldn't take a deep breath. After suffering for around 24 hours, I knew something wasn't right and went back to the emergency room.
Doctors suspected appendicitis and sent me for a CT scan with contrast. The scan confirmed I had appendicitis, but it also revealed lesions on my liver.
My appendix was removed, and afterward the surgeon told me he was shocked by the condition it was in. He said it didn't look like someone who had only recently developed appendicitis. He mentioned the possibility of endometriosis and suggested I follow up with my OB-GYN.
I later had an ultrasound and was told everything looked fine.
Still, my symptoms continued. The bloating and pain gradually got worse. I was on birth control, my periods were regular, and I didn't think there was any reason to suspect something more serious.
On February 26, a snowstorm forced the cancellation of a face-to-face appointment. Instead, my doctor called me at work. He told me the pathology results from my appendix had come back and showed ovarian cancer origin. I completely broke down.
Cancer wasn't even on my radar. It had never crossed my mind. Looking back, the surgeon's concern about the state of my appendix suddenly made more sense. What doctors initially thought might be endometriosis was actually part of the tumor.
At the time, I was completely oblivious.
The diagnosis was difficult to process. First came the shock. After everything my family had already endured, I couldn't believe this was happening to me too.
Eventually, though, I switched into what I call "task mode," and I've been there ever since. I've also received free therapy, which has helped tremendously.
The following month, I underwent IVF treatment and had 10 eggs retrieved and frozen. That was incredibly emotional for me. I've always wanted children, and I wasn't willing to let cancer take that possibility away.
A PET scan later revealed that the cancer had spread to sections of my liver. That's when the persistent pain on my right side finally made sense. While I had been grieving and living through years of family trauma, the cancer had been there too.
I was diagnosed with high-grade serous carcinoma, the most common type of ovarian cancer, accounting for around 75 percent of cases that develop in the tissue lining the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
On April 7, I underwent extensive surgery, including a full hysterectomy and the removal of sections of my liver and spleen. At the end of May, I began chemotherapy. My final treatment is scheduled for September 4. In total, I will have completed six cycles.
Overall, I've done well with treatment. I lost some of my hair, though not all of it because I used cold capping. People describe it as helping to preserve hair during chemotherapy, but to me it felt like the worst brain freeze imaginable.
Through all of this, I also learned that I carry the BRCA2 mutation, which is why I developed ovarian cancer at 35.
My mom is currently undergoing genetic testing too. She has no siblings, and both of her parents have passed away, so we're trying to understand more about our family's history.
I've been fortunate to have incredible support from family and close friends.
While I'm doing OK, I'm also nervous about what comes next. After years of loss, illness and uncertainty, it can be difficult to imagine life returning to normal. At the same time, I feel positive.
Cancer has given me a completely different outlook on life. I was handed a horrible diagnosis, and if I can get through that, then I need to start really living. I want to do the things I've always talked about doing. I want to travel, go to shows and stop putting things off.
Before I started sharing my own story online, I found comfort in o...
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