Thank you again for all of the love, warm thoughts and unwavering support. I am completely overwhelmed (in the best way possible) by all of the people that have reached out to show their support. I think one of the more important aspects of these updates is to let you know not only how I’m doing from a medical standpoint but how my spirit is as well. That being said below are a few of the things that I am most recently grateful for:

• All members of my immediate and extended family have really come together and rallied for me. My brother even flew in from sunny California to be with me through my surgery. Last night my parents and I went out for my “last supper” and celebrated an early Hanukkah so that I would be well enough to enjoy it. I am also proud to announce that my brother quit smoking the night I was diagnosed and he is about 9 days cigarette free (best gift of all!). My mom is doing a sympathy clear liquid only diet with me today. It’s appreciated but I really wish she’d just quit and order a pizza so I can live vicariously through her. Thanks mom!

• This past weekend my beautiful roommate, Kelly, spearheaded an incredible party for me. She wanted to ensure that I was able to fully enjoy my 25th birthday (that won’t happen for another month) so she threw a big early-birthday party for me and invited friends from all aspects of my life. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

• Complete strangers- I have been receiving messages and emails from people all over the country and in other parts of the world that have caught wind of my illness from friends of friends of friends. I am fairly sure that we have love and prayer coming from all continents except for Africa and Antarctica (can’t win ’em all!). It is unreal how much love exists in the world. The power of positivity will go a long way.

Needless to say- my heart is very full right now.

Tomorrow at 2pm I will be going under the knife (held by the super capable hands of Dr. Azodi at Yale New Haven hospital). When all is said and done I will lose a few organs, A LOT of pesky tumors, and gain a well deserved belly scar. It will be a great conversation piece at the beach. Many people have asked me if I’m scared. The answer is NOPE! Ok fine- maybe I’m a little scared but I would have done this surgery yesterday if I could. This is such a huge step in my recovery and if it means cutting me open and taking away what is making me sick, I say LET’S DO IT!

I anticipate being in the hospital for 4-8 days. I will make sure that my Mom keeps everyone informed as to how I am doing when I wake up from my surgery. I will also make sure you guys know when I feel peppy enough for visitors.

That is all for now.

I would first like to express how truly grateful I am for all of the love and support that I have received over the past week. Never in a million years did I think that cancer would ever be a factor in my life, but it is. The amount of positivity coming my way from family, friends, acquaintances and strangers alike has made moving forward from this diagnosis far easier.

As many of you know, I have been diagnosed with Ovarian Epithelial Cancer. Since my luxurious stay in the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital over Thanksgiving (don’t worry! I got turkey AND pie!) I have been referred to an amazing gynecological oncologist at Yale New Haven Hospital. I can assure you that I am in the absolute best hands. My parents and I met with him in person on Monday and he has since sent my case to what is called a tumor board (a team of doctors at Yale) to review. My oncologist and the tumor board have agreed that my tumor is considered low grade, which is good news as it typically has a better prognosis.

On Tuesday, December 4th, I will undergo surgery to remove as much tumor as they can. It will be a very extensive surgery with a long recovery time as the doctors must remove my ovaries, uterus, omentum, and restructure my bowels. They will also be removing a small amount of tumor on the surface of my diaphragm and liver. Because tumor has spread to other organs such as my liver the oncologist believes it to be a stage 3 cancer. The staging will be confirmed once I undergo surgery. Don’t get too hung up on the stage classification! The good news is that my cat scan showed that my chest is in good shape- none on the lungs, woo-hoo! This is all I can ask for. Overall, Tuesday will mark the beginning of my journey to a healthy and happy future.

I will be taking a leave of absence from my wonderful job at Bryant University starting this Friday, November 30th until February 4th. This should give me enough time to recover. I will have my surgery this coming Tuesday and will likely be in the hospital up to 8 days. After that I have 4-6 weeks of recovery. Luckily I have two amazing parents and the best big brother in the world to take care of me at home in Torrington, CT through my recovery. Once I have bounced back I intend on returning to Providence for chemo through Women and Infants hospital. I have no idea when that will begin.

Overall I have gone through tidal waves of sadness, anger, and fear. More than anything I have been uplifted by the support of my loved ones. I do not just think- I KNOW, that I will come out on the other end of this illness victorious and healthy. I am by no means minimizing the seriousness of this condition but there is nothing I could have done to prevent it. There is nothing fair about the hand I was dealt but I am more than ready to do anything it takes to be well and live the life I have imagined.

I will keep you all updated as details unfold. Due to the amount of pain killers I am expecting after my surgery- I may not be able to provide an update right away (unless of course you want a cryptic email where I accidentally disclose all of my secrets). I will have my family disseminate information when they are able to.

Keep the positive thoughts going because I sure am.