Hello, my name is Adrienne. I am 52 years old and live in Hartland, Michigan, USA. I was diagnosed with stage 3C low-grade serous carcinoma in May of 2021 at the age of 48. I am a wife and mother to a 14-year-old daughter.
Almost immediately, I knew I wanted to learn everything I could about my cancer, its current state of research and educate myself and other women on advocating for themselves within the medical setting.
Talking about my cancer on my Facebook page was healing, and gave me a voice to educate all of my female family members and friends on the signs and symptoms to look for. I was not aware of any of them prior to my own diagnosis. Since then, I’ve had many women reach out to me to ask questions when their own family member has been diagnosed. I love that I’ve been able to help fellow patients within group pages as there are so many women willing to embrace me when I too was faced with so much uncertainty.
I have learned so much about my diagnosis, resources available to me, the value of personal experiences and how to advocate for myself. Without the LGSOC Initiative Peer-Support Group on Facebook, I would never have known about Dr. Gershenson at MD Anderson, from whom I was fortunate to have had a second opinion.
While I am very comfortable sharing my story, I realize that it is not for everyone. I respect anyone’s wish to remain private within their cancer journey. The support I have received from family, friends, work colleagues and beyond has been uplifting, encouraging and has inspired me to become a Mentor to cancer patients through Imerman Angels. I want to give back where I can, whenever I can.
I was recently matched with someone who was already familiar with me through the LGSOC Peer Support Group. She shared with me that she had saved many of the posts that I had responded to which she said made her feel calm and supported. I felt so good knowing that a fellow patient was comforted by my experience and knowledge.
I greatly appreciate any and all forums where I can give a patient comfort and hope. I hope to continue to do this for many, many years to come.”
– Adrienne Conner
We are grateful to Adrienne for sharing her experience with low-grade serous ovarian cancer and for helping us raise awareness. If you would like to share your story too, find out more here.
