"Four years ago I was diagnosed with stage-4 ovarian cancer … None of [the stages] are any good, but 4 has everyone around you looking pretty darn sad. The doctors told me I had six months to live.

"After I-don’t-remember-how-many courses of chemo, CT and PET scans, ports, nausea, hair loss (the least of my worries), and running out of money because cancer is expensive, I’m still here and real happy about it!

"The good news is there’s hope for women with gynecologic cancers. Drugs that didn’t exist when I was first diagnosed have kicked back the cancer one more time, and my oncologist tells me more are available. Don’t ever give up hope, always remember to look out a window each day and smile, and be sure to tell those around you that they’re special—because they are."

—Judy

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