Happy Survivor’s Brunch Week!!! I am Diane Hoyt and I am the President of the WOCA Board. I have been on the board for 6 years and involved with WOCA for over 15. The Survivor’s Brunch is my FAVORITE event every year because I love to meet all of you beautiful ladies and to celebrate life with each of you. But with the current state of affairs right now our number one priority is to keep everyone safe.
The reason I am involved with WOCA is to honor the memory of my mom, Cheryl Hoyt. Let’s rewind to the Spring of 2000, I was a senior in college in Madison, which is also my hometown. No one in my family had ever had any major health issues or concerns, but all of a sudden my mom was consistently not feeling good….abdominal pain, bloating, digestive problems, which we now know as the “Classic Symptoms” of this horrible disease.
Due to these symptoms and recently having had a hysterectomy she was referred to Dr. Hartenbach at UW’s Carbone Cancer Center. An ultra sound revealed an abdominal mass and surgery confirmed that my mom had Stage III-C Ovarian Cancer. Our worlds changed overnight and we as a family prepared to fight for my mom’s life.
My mom had well over 100 radiation treatments and dozens of chemo treatments. But unfortunately the cancer had other plans for her and after it spread to her brain her journey with us ended on April 6, 2005.
After experiencing this first hand I knew I needed to do something. I wanted to help to educate other woman about the signs and symptoms of Ovarian Cancer. I wanted to help other woman who were fighting the same battle that my mom had fought. I wanted to help to find a test or a cure so other women could at least be diagnosed at an earlier stage. I wanted mother’s to see their children grow up and grandmother’s to be able to meet their grandchildren.
Everyday new drugs are being tested and approved better drugs and we are getting closer and closer to a better test and ideally a cure for Ovarian Cancer. Until then I will continue to support the fighters, admire the survivors and remember the taken!!
Stay well and I cannot wait to see all of you next year!!!
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