Olga, Cervical Cancer Survivor
Just by looking at Olga, you might not guess that she had cancer. When she was diagnosed at age 29 with cervical cancer, she was shocked herself.
It was during Olga’s routine yearly gynecologic exam that her doctor first found the abnormal cells. He had her come back for further testing and a biopsy, which is when they found the cancer.
“When I got that phone call with the diagnosis, I couldn’t believe it,” Olga says. “I was barely 29, I felt like I still had my whole life ahead of me.”
Olga then sought out another physician, who gave the same diagnosis, and also told her that it was very likely she would have to have a full hysterectomy to eradicate the cancer, which would leave her unable to have children.
“That was the hardest part for me,” Olga recalls. “I’m so young and the thought of never being able to have children really scared me. I want to get married and have a family someday.”
With the support of her family, including her twin sister, Olga decided to continue her treatment with Dr. Daniel Donato, a gynecological oncologist at Rose, and asked him if there was any possibility of treatment that might not leave her sterile.
“Dr. Donato was very patient with me, and he came up with an alternative,” she says. “He said that I would have to have surgery, but that we could take out only the part of the cervix and the surrounding lymph nodes that were affected, and that they could wait and see how much the cancer had spread before taking any other drastic steps.”
Olga decided to have the surgery and was at home recovering when Dr. Donato’s office called to give her the results—the surgery had worked, her lymph nodes were okay and she wouldn’t need any further treatment at the moment.
“I started crying. I immediately called my dad and he started crying,” Olga says. “It was such a happy day. The best part is that my chance to be a mom is still there. All of my testing has been okay. I feel very lucky.”
Today, Olga is healthy and cancer-free for three years. She says that one thing she has learned from this experience is the importance of regular checkups, and being active in your health and well-being.
“With me, I had regularly been going to see my doctor, and I had never had any problems with abnormal pap smears,” she says. “Then, it just happened. I had no signs or symptoms. Don’t be afraid of going to the doctor, and don’t be afraid to make your voice heard about what is important to you.”
The Rose “Surviving Well” Calendar is a 12-month calendar highlighting our cancer services, physicians, and some inspirational stories from our patients. Olga is our survivor for January, which is also Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
