Today's what-I-do-not-want-to-forget moment is a message I received in response to my recent post Ovarian cancer follow-up March 2024. An incredible woman wrote to me to say:

Jennifer, I want to commend you for your "good news" post last night. Many with ovarian cancer (myself included) have been unlucky: a late stage 4 diagnosis, no BRCA or other mutations to increase treatment possibilities, and susceptibility to treatment toxicities from the start. But as I used to tell my university students when they asked me why I tried so hard to help them succeed, whatever their goal was (to excel with an A+ or merely to scrape a pass with a C), "your success feels like my success."

I guess, in other words, "freudenfreude." Their happiness made me feel happy, too, as does your "good news" report. When one of us succeeds or has good luck in such a bad situation, it at least offers up the collective possibility of hope. Most of us may not benefit from that hope, but it is good to believe that hope can exist!

I wish you all the continued good luck possible!

My friend's response is one of the most beautiful, generous and meaningful messages I have ever received. I was touched by her kindness, as she acknowledged my good fortune even though she hasn't been so lucky herself. Her message reminded me of the many proud and supportive posts I saw on International Women's Day, which—coincidentally—occurred on the same day as my most recent ovarian cancer follow-up.

Also, my friend's comment beautifully illustrates that it's possible to hold two contrary emotions in one's heart at the same time—such as happiness for a friend and sadness for one's own circumstances or joy that one part of one's life is going well even while another part is challenging.

I can relate to my friend's message that it's good to believe that hope can exist. I felt this way after talking to four women who had undergone a single or bilateral mastectomy with breast reconstruction. Their success (even with complications and the obvious requirement for recovery) gives me hope that I, too, will have success.

It is good to believe that hope can exist!