Sharing hope
Today, many will gather to fight ovarian cancer
Today, many will gather to fight ovarian cancer

By Lindsay Goodier

Published: September 22, 2007

Three and a half years ago, Laura Cross, 61, of Edmond was planning for a relaxed retirement with her husband, Jim.

When the disguise was lifted, and ovarian cancer discovered, her life drastically changed.

"It really was like pouring cold water on my whole family's face,” Cross said.

After being surprised, Cross, an attorney for nurses, decided to not only fight ovarian cancer, but also to help other women in her situation.

She is one of the founders of the annual Walk of Hope, which will begin at 3 p.m. today at the Oklahoma Bar Association, 1901 Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City.

Symptoms include pelvic or abdominal pain, bloating or abdominal fullness, feeling full quicker when eating, increased urinary frequency and nausea or reflux.

"The symptoms that are described by patients are incredibly common in the general public,” Walker said. "The patients talk themselves out of the symptoms being serious.”

Since there is not yet a screening test for ovarian cancer, Walker said physicians have developed an algorithm for determining whether a woman has the disease.

First, she said it is very rare for women younger than 40 to have ovarian cancer. She said women who have most or all symptoms of ovarian cancer for two weeks consistently should see their doctor for a pelvic exam.

Cross encourages women to visit their physician if they have similar symptoms to those she experienced.

"Most of us think, I'm a little bigger in the middle because of my age, and frequent urination is normal, but if they are persistent two weeks or more abdominal pain, we need to go in and find out what's going on,” Cross said.

Spotting ovarian cancer early is important.

According to the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation estimates, about 78,000 new cases will be diagnosed and about 28,000 will die from gynecologic cancers in the U.S. this year.

One of her grandsons, Jake, wrote an essay in school about someone who had made a difference in his life.

"He wrote about me … that I had cancer and even when I didn't feel good, I would play with him and that taught him courage,” Cross said.

"You leave a legacy to your children and grandchildren. You teach them valuable lessons through the disease process.”

Cross is not the first member of her family to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. One of her nieces was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 27 years ago, and as a result, another niece chose to have her ovaries removed.

Walker said it is important for women to know their family medical history, because about 10 percent of ovarian cancer cases are due to a genetic cause, according to researchers at the OU Health Sciences Center.

"If there's an accumulation of breast cancers and ovarian cancer, she should know that and find out what kind of cancers they've had,” Walker said.

While Cross' life is different now, she has not given up.

As a founder of the Walk of Hope, she said it is important for women to form a sense of community in fighting the disease and raising awareness.

"We want to honor survivors and the ones we've lost,” she said. "It's important for women to feel supported by others. It encourages me and gives me hope.”

"We want to honor survivors and the ones we've lost.”

Laura Cross

Toolbar sponsored by: David Stanley Ford

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