Making Memories & Staying Positive Through Cancer
- Sherry Pollex, 43, longtime partner of NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr., 42, was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2014. After being in remission for a few years, sadly, her cancer returned last September for the second time.
- The health-enthusiast and yogiwho appears completely "normal" on the outside, which is typically a strange feeling for cancer patientscontinues making memories and keeps a positive outlook on life after setbacks with her treatment.
- The reality is that ovarian cancer, for many cases, will eventually return after treatment, but it's important to stay hopeful, as new therapies are extending the time between recurrences.
Despite battling cancer, Pollex has made it a point to live life to the fullest while advocating for women fighting ovarian cancer. Just a few days ago, Pollex served as the honorary pace car driver for the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 12 at Texas Motor Speedway.
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Sherry Pollex's Ovarian Cancer Journey
Pollex is taking her cancer battle in stride, and she indicates she has more wisdom and confidence than she did when she was first diagnosed at age 35. Now at 43, she says, "It's very scary, especially when you're young."She previously told The Athletic, "I often wonder if that's my purpose here. It's maybe not what I would have chosen for myself nobody really wants to be the poster child for any type of cancer but maybe I'm supposed to go through all this so I can pave the way for other women."
She continues, "On some days, that can be a really hard pill to swallow. But on other days, it's like, 'You know, I've been given this really important role in this life, and if I'm going to leave a legacy behind and help other people, then I need to do it 100 percent."
SurvivorNet caught up with Sherry in April and she had mused about the term "warrior" and how she had been feeling. "It's hard to see yourself as a warrior when you're in it. You're in fight or flight mode," Pollex told us at the time.
No matter what she wants to call it, the real life Wonder Woman seems more determined than ever to fight, noting that she's not giving up and is "keeping faith" that there will be a treatment match out there for her.
The last time Sherry underwent chemotherapy, a few months before her latest recurrence, she, unfortunately, found out that her cancer was what they call "platinum resistant," so she and her medical team are determined to find other options. Surgery, sadly, is not one, now that she says that her cancer is spreading from her lung into her esophagus.
"It's heavy, because it's not like you're just making a decision on your house or your car," she says. "It's your life. What you decide needs to work. The pressure and the mental side of it is really hard."
In the meantime, as she plays the waiting game for her next move, her doctors have urged her to "go enjoy your life" and travel, but as a "type-A personality," that's not always achievableespecially when you can't tune out what's going on on the inside.
"The worst thing you can do is sit still by yourself and give yourself too much time to think about it, because then you just can't stop," she continued to The Athletic. "You go down that rabbit hole of, 'Well, what if this doesn't work?' And that becomes so dangerous, because we don't know whether that's true or not. So to take those possibilities and run with them can get you in a lot of trouble. And I try not to do that. But it's really hard."
What she does have control of is advocating for other women and cancer patients, and that is exactly what she has dedicated her life to doing. Even before she was sick, Sherry co-founded the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation with her love in 2007 to help pediatric cancer patients.
"I often wonder if that's my purpose here," she expressed. "It's maybe not what I would have chosen for myself nobody really wants to be the poster child for any type of cancer but maybe I'm supposed to go through all this so I can pave the way for other women.
The Signs & Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer has been called "the cancer that whispers," because of its hard-to-detect symptoms. Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, explains in a previous interview, "What we've found from multiple studies, it's this constellation of symptoms.”
Ovarian Cancer: The Cancer That Whispers
"If that's really happening and you're experiencing it every day, and they seem to be crescendo-ing, getting worse, even if that goes on for only two weeks, you should call your doctor,” she said.
Ovarian cancer symptoms may include:
- Feeling full earlier/decrease in appetite
- Feeling bloated
- Changes in bowel habits
- Pain in the pelvis
- Urinary symptoms, such as an urgent need to go
- Extreme fatigue
- Abdominal swelling
- Pain during sex
When Ovarian Cancer Comes Back
The reality is that ovarian cancer, for many cases, will eventually return after treatment, but it's important to stay hopeful, as new therapies are extending the time between recurrences.
Finishing your initial ovarian cancer treatment, which is usually a combination of chemotherapy and surgery, can be a big milestone, but unfortunately, it often doesn't mark the end of your cancer journey. As many as 80 percent of women may ultimately experience a recurrence, meaning that their cancer returns. "For many patients, that relapse comes one to two years after they complete their first therapies," says Dr. Gillian Hsieh, gynecologic oncologist at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation in the Bay Area in California.
The likelihood of the cancer returning depends, in part, on its stage and grade. People who are diagnosed at stage I, when the cancer is confined to the ovaries, have a much lower chance of a recurrence than those who are diagnosed with a stage IV cancer, which has spread outside of the abdomen.
Understanding Ovarian Cancer Recurrence
While a cancer's stages are defined by location, the tumor's grade describes its biology. A high-grade tumor has more abnormal cells, and tends to be more aggressive than a low-grade tumor, "and so it has a lot of opportunities to mutate and to overcome the effects of previously successful treatments," Dr. Hsieh says.
Treatment Options for Cancer Recurrence
The type of treatment you receive for a recurrence can depend on a number of factors. Two of the most important:
- The length of time between your last treatment and the recurrence
- The type of chemotherapy you had in the past
If the time between remission and recurrence is more than six months, then the ovarian cancer is categorized as platinum-sensitive, meaning it responded well to a platinum-based chemotherapy treatment in the past. In that case it's likely that you'll have chemotherapy again, using another platinum-based drug.
But if your recurrence happens less than six months into remission, the cancer is classified as platinum-resistant, and you'll probably be treated with different drugs.
Secondary surgery is sometimes recommended after a recurrence, although that practice is becoming less popular as new studies are showing the surgery doesn't improve survival for most women.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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