This month, October, is breast cancer month. The month of September, past, focused attention on prostate and ovarian cancer. Mrs. Ethne Richardson sat down with The Anguillian to relate her experience with a bout of ovarian cancer which, if not attended to urgently, could have cost her life.
Ethne reflected: “The main reason why I want people to know my story is to educate women concerning the plight of ovarian cancer. I am an educated person. I have a Bachelors Degree in Accounting, I have a Master’s in Public Sector Management and I have been an Educator for forty years. However, though I taught academic theory and sought to equip my students with knowledge, I did not have the knowledge that the signs which I felt pointed to ovarian cancer. Knowledge is power, and it is my intention to empower women with some knowledge by telling my story.”
“Thank God that I am a cancer survivor,” Ethne said. “Ovarian cancer has no tell-tale symptoms,” she continued, “but there are some effects on the body that a woman must pay attention to. While the bodies of different women may react differently to any cancer, in my case I had begun to lose my appetite, and I started to suffer from acid reflux. Most noticeably, I had developed a swelling in my abdomen.
“When I noticed that I had a larger abdomen than usual, I became very concerned. That, coupled with the effects of appetite loss and acid-reflux — whenever I would eat — drove me up the wall. I had a history of fibroids, and I was of the view that maybe my swollen abdomen was a result of the returning fibroids. That was my mistake.
“When one gets abnormal feelings, such as what I experienced, it does not make sense to self diagnose. We have a habit of saying, ‘oh, it is gas’, or ‘it is this or that.’ But I would like to advise people to pay attention to three points: one, know your body; two, obey your body; and three, care your body.”
Ethne went on to tell how her idea of fibroids was a mistake: “In November of 2015, when I was getting all these signs, I went to the doctor, and he said that it was indeed the fibroids returning. At that time my tummy was so big, that I felt like I was about five months pregnant. Eventually, the pain in my abdomen became unbearable. The cancer had caused a growth the size of a grapefruit and it was pushing against my bladder. I felt my stomach being pushed up, my diaphragm was dislodged, and I had problems breathing. The discomfort was excruciating.
“It made me cough uncontrollable and by this time I could hardly eat. I realised something else was wrong other than fibroids, so one morning I made up my mind to visit ‘Doctor Low’ at Hughes Medical Centre. One of the doctors there did an ultrasound on my abdomen, and momentarily Dr. Hughes came in to do an inspection. He immediately shocked me when he said it is possible that I had cancer. Along with the ultrasound, I was given a CT-scan that day. The findings were sent overseas, and when I went back the following Friday for the report, my fears were confirmed. I did really had cancer.”
When asked what her feelings were like when the doctor broke the news concerning her cancer, Ethne exclaimed: “Oh Gosh!” “Words cannot express the trauma I felt. I was still thinking that I would hear that I had fibroids but, against my greatest fears, I had ovarian cancer. It was as if my world had caved in. It was a death knell for me, because I always knew that ovarian cancer kills. My mind reflected on two young women — younger than me — whom I knew died from ovarian cancer. I was fearful, but not faithless.”
She continued: “I got that horrific news on a Friday afternoon, January 8th, 2016, and I took action at once. I booked a flight to leave for the United States the following Sunday morning, January 10th, 2016. At the Presbyterian Hospital in New York, I began what would turn out to be six months of treatment under Dr. Linus Chuang and Dr. Joan Adams. I underwent three rounds of chemotherapy. That process actually shrank the cancer. Then, I took a radical surgery to remove my ovaries and the cancerous growth. Following that, I was administered another three months of chemotherapy.”
For a moment, Ethne descended to a silent, contemplative mode then went on: “Now, chemo is quite drastic,” she said. “Yes, it is. “It has a devastating impact on the body and it makes you very weak. Once I did the surgery, I would go to the hospital every three weeks or so for rigorous chemo. I would arrive at the hospital at 8:00 a.m., have a blood test done, and then go on the machine to have intravenous medicines run through every cell of my body. I would not leave the hospital until about 5:00 in the afternoon. The treatment took a great toll on my body.
“Anyway, from what I had heard about persons going through cancer treatment and chemotherapy, I would marvel at my response to the medicines. My doctors told me that patients would be ‘sick as a horse’ for about ten days, and then they would be good for five days before going back to repeat the cycle — and get sickly once again. But I took a bold and confident approach to the chemo. One thing that kept me going was a daily surge of hope within my spirit.
“I refused to be knocked down by my cancer and chemotherapy. I remember that after my first round of chemo, though I was feeling very weak, I never felt sick like most people, and I did not have any problem with vomiting that is typical of cancer patients. I ate anything I wanted to gain strength. But it was my faith in God, and the strong hope that I held on to, that kept me stable. After one of the chemo sessions, my oncologist pulled me aside and said: ‘I am so pleased with your progress so far, and you have an amazing CA125 reading.’”
In general, persons who undergo chemotherapy usually lose their hair. Ethne recounts her hair loss experience: “I had to face baldness head on. I used to have beautiful, long, thick hair which I was always so proud of. But now, I had to embrace my baldness. I wore a wig two or three times, but could not wait to take it off. I looked funny being bald, but I did not mind. I just decided to cover my head with a head-tie. But like the wig, I soon ditched the head-tie as well, and I decided to go around with my bald head. People who knew me would meet me and say things like: ‘Girl, you just rock that hairstyle.’”
Reflecting on the support she received throughout the whole ordeal, Ethne said: “I had the best medical team and the best care I could wish for. My friends and family were very supportive and caring. My sister, Diane, dropped all that she was doing in Anguilla just to be with me in the U.S. My family, including my siblings, my husband Nat, my children Theon and Natalie, and my mother Olive, were all devastated but they coped by trusting God and praying for my recovery. My daughter, Natalie, would always say, ‘Mommy, you gotta fight this thing.’ And by God’s grace, fight I did.
“I am thankful to God for everyday that I live. My greatest inspiration has been my cousin-in-law, Joan Adams, who is a doctor, with whom I stayed for a year in New York. Every morning when we greet one another she would say to me: ‘Well, you are alive. God did not promise us tomorrow, but we have today. So, just embrace life and live every day as if it is your last.”’
Ethne was asked to comment on her progress: “My life has completely changed since I was diagnosed. It is almost five years now, and I am cancer-free, praise God. I feel good, and I look good too. I am now more conscious of my health and stress factors than ever before. I now live a healthier, happier lifestyle. I exercise daily and I swim regularly.”
She added: “I make sure to do my tests regularly. I have to do a test called a CA125 every four months at the Hughes Medical Centre. If that test ever reads 35 or over, then it would mean that my body has recurring cancer cells. My readings have been between 7 and 11 for the past four-and-a-half years, thank God. Dr. Chuang told me that once I reach five years with a clean bill of health, I can say that I am ‘out of the woods’. The lesson I learnt is that I must know my body, obey my body, and take care of my body.”
She finally said: “You know, some people may be like some lovely looking avocados. They look healthy and fit on the outside, but on the inside there are maladies. Women, as well as men, should practice making regular checks for cancer. Breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer are silent killers. Many times the cancer has taken root before any symptoms manifest. I am doing what I can in trying to raise awareness of the signs of ovarian cancer, and I do my best to support women who are affected. As long as there is life there is hope.”
Ethne is a member of the Anguilla Cancer Society, of which she is the Secretary. She noted that the society does whatever it can to assist persons who are cancer patients. She said that the society holds occasional fundraisers, and one such activity is a breast and prostate cancer walk which will be held on October 23rd.
– Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
