[2020-11-10] Going public
Today, I took a huge leap and posted my blog publicly. For those who haven't been following my journey, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on July 29, 2020. I started this blog on August 6, 2020. Initially distributed only by email, the blog is now also available at jenesis.postach.io, and you're free to pass the link on to others.
I'll admit that sharing my story in a public way is scary. But I set aside my fears because I believe the potential for good outweighs the possibilities for bad.
One of my goals in sharing my journey is to increase awareness about ovarian cancer. It is a rare disease, affecting only 1-2% of women. As such, many people will never know someone with the disease and therefore know very little about it. And because its symptoms are so difficult to differentiate from other common ailments and because there is no reliable screening method for the disease, women who have it may not be diagnosed until the illness has progressed to an advanced stage.
Another one of my goals is to share my experience of dealing with the disease. Cancer is a dirty word that strikes fear into those who are diagnosed with it as well as their loved ones. That's how I felt when I was told that I had ovarian cancer. But once the initial shock wore off, I bounced back. I have been coping well. Physically, I have recovered well from surgery and have tolerated well the first two of six rounds of chemotherapy. Mentally, I am feeling positive about the future and grateful for the tremendous support I have received.
And, as I've written previously, my mission is to wring every positive thing out of cancer, grow from the experience, and be an even brighter light in the world, both during and after treatment. Putting my story out publicly is part of reaching that goal. I hope that readers find the blog both informative and inspiring.
