Ovarian cancer survivor: ‘I wish I’d gone to UT MD Anderson first’

When you’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, it’s easy to just go with whatever your doctor tells you. You’re really scared, you can’t think straight and you don’t know what to do. But if I could offer other newly diagnosed patients just one piece of advice, it would be this:

Take a minute to step back and really think about things for yourself. Then, take a few deep breaths, and get a second opinion from a hospital that specializes in cancer — and treats you respectfully — before making any big decisions. You don’t know how important this is.

I wish someone had told me that back in April 2022, when I was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My experiences at the first hospital I went to near my home in Boston were so terrible that I still have medical trauma-related PTSD to this day.

I wish now that I had gone to UT MD Anderson first. My experience there has been really good, from start to finish.

Making sure I got the best ovarian cancer care this time

I made my initial appointment at UT MD Anderson in March 2025, after some abdominal scans taken during a routine follow-up visit revealed an enlarged lymph node. My doctor in Boston suspected an ovarian cancer recurrence, but she wasn’t sure if I should have a second surgery or not.

As a veterinary nurse, I’m a very research-driven person. I like facts and statistics. But I didn’t feel like I had a chance to really look into that stuff after my original diagnosis. I was so rattled back then that I just took whatever was given to me and didn’t ask any questions.

This time, I wanted to make sure I got the best. So, I searched for the No. 1 cancer hospital online — and found UT MD Anderson.

The best of both worlds at UT MD Anderson: compassion and expertise

At UT MD Anderson, I met first with Dr. Alexandra Bercow. She’s a surgical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of gynecologic cancers. After my previous experiences with other specialists, I felt pretty nervous. She turned out to be awesome.

Some people don’t have the greatest bedside manner, yet you know that they’re really skilled doctors. At UT MD Anderson, I got the best of both worlds.

Dr. Bercow is clearly super smart and an expert in her field — but she’s also extremely compassionate and down-to-earth. She explained things in such a way that I felt really comfortable and reassured.

A thoughtful approach to ovarian cancer treatment and a sympathetic ear

After conducting her own examination and tests, Dr. Bercow said she believed I was having a relapse. She recommended surgery. Unfortunately, I still had one last consultation scheduled with a specialist near my home. I felt like it was too late to cancel that, so I went ahead with it.

Big mistake.

That visit was so horrific that I literally left the doctor’s office in hysterics. I called Dr. Bercow because she’d been so kind to me. I needed a sympathetic ear. She called me back personally and helped me settle down, then calmly laid out her own plan.

She said that because this was most likely a recurrence, surgery was probably the best option. But she wanted to go in laparoscopically first to look around with a tiny camera. She explained that when ovarian cancer is confined to one area, it’s better to start treatment by removing as much of it as possible, in what’s called a debulking surgery. If there’s too much evidence of metastatic disease, though, it’s better to start with chemotherapy.

She also said that while my case was not unusual, she wanted to review it with a group of her colleagues to make sure there wasn’t anything she was overlooking. She also wanted to coordinate with another specialist, urologic oncologist Dr. José Karam, to make sure he could be present during the entire procedure, just in case my kidney became compromised and had to be removed.

I really appreciated her thoroughness. I was also struck by all of her thoughtful approaches. She wanted to do what was best for me. As big as UT MD Anderson is, you’d think I’d get less personalized service. But I felt so heard and respected there, I think I actually got more.

A very positive experience

I had surgery at UT MD Anderson on April 22, 2025, followed by six rounds of chemotherapy locally. After that, I started taking a PARP inhibitor called olaparib, which I’m still taking to this day. I’ve shown no evidence of disease since last December.

The only lingering side effect I have now is a lot of anxiety in some medical settings. But that’s due to my previous experiences, not UT MD Anderson. I’ve noticed that I don’t even get triggered anymore when I go to UT MD Anderson. Looking back, it’s easy to understand why.

I had a panic attack at another hospital right before a procedure. But I couldn’t get anyone there to take my anxiety seriously. When I asked Dr. Bercow and Dr. Karam if I could have something to quiet my nerves before surgery at UT MD Anderson, though, they said, “Of course.” They didn’t even hesitate. They listened to what I had to say, actually heard me and then responded compassionately. So, dealing with them — and UT MD Anderson — has been a very positive experience.

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