Sami Soltani, 7, and his brother Youcef, 9, help “turn the town teal” by tying a ribbon to the entrance of Lotos Dry Cleaners in downtown Allentown to promote awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. For more photos, see www.gmnews.com. ERIC SUCAR staff When Tricia Scott volunteered to help Terry Veiga turn Allentown teal, she didn’t tell her friend all of her reasons for wanting to help.
Veiga, an ovarian cancer survivor who lives in Upper Freehold, organized the education project on Aug. 31 in cooperation with Turn The Towns Teal, a national campaign to promote awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. Volunteers like Scott and members of Allentown Boy Scout Pack 180 helped Veiga tie teal ribbons throughout downtown Allentown and distribute symptom cards to highlight National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Family, friends and other community members who learned about Veiga’s project through a Facebook group she created all said they joined the effort to support Veiga and other women affected by the potentially deadly disease. Scott had another reason, even closer to home, for participating.
Pet Life of Allentown owner Denise Mummolo (l) ties a ribbon to the pole in front of her downtown Allentown business Aug. 31 in support of Turn The Towns Teal, a campaign to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. For more photos, see www.gmnews.com. ERIC SUCAR staff As they decorated street lamp poles and storefronts in downtown Allentown with the ribbons, Scott, also of Upper Freehold, revealed to her for the first time that she too is an ovarian cancer survivor who recognizes the importance of educating women about the little-known and less-talked-about disease.
Both women said they were shocked when they were diagnosed after a regular visit to the gynecologist before which neither experienced any telling symptoms. Veiga was diagnosed with stage one ovarian cancer four years ago. Scott was diagnosed with stage two ovarian cancer in 2003.
“I knew nothing at all about ovarian cancer,” Scott said. “I heard the word ‘cancer’ and thought, ‘Oh, my God,’ but I didn’t know what ovarian cancer meant or what I would be able to do about it.” Veiga also felt like she was in the dark when she received her diagnosis. “The doctors found it really early and reassured me I would be fine,” Veiga said. “At the time, I didn’t know how deadly ovarian cancer is and how important it is to find it early.”
Both women attribute their survival to doctors who were aggressive in both diagnosing and treating the disease. Veiga said her doctor, Robert Mayson, observed a thickness and immediately sent her to an oncologist to have it checked out.
“The key is to get to an oncologist right away,” Veiga said.
Scott added, “Early detection is huge! I was already far along with it, but within a year, I was cancer free.”
Scott’s treatment included an outpatient procedure during which all of the cancerous areas were removed, followed by checkups every three months for two years until she went back to her regular doctor visit routine.
Veiga had surgery to remove the affected areas, followed by six rounds of chemotherapy and close monitoring by her doctor. She said she continues regular doctor visits, which will include blood work for the next five years.
Veiga had a hard road to recovery, softened by her husband, Joe, who took care of their two children, and by friends and neighbors in the Grande at Old York development who pooled funds to hire a maid for the family during her recovery.
“I had a lot of support during the time I was sick,” Veiga said.
Veiga felt blessed not to have to struggle through the traumatic experience alone, and more so after she started talking to others about ovarian cancer.
“The more I talked about it, the more I met people who know people who have it, people who went through it and people living with it,” Veiga said.
Realizing the disease is more prominent than people think, Veiga joined the Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation’s annual walkathon to raise awareness and funds for ovarian cancer activism in New Jersey. After discovering three local women were recently diagnosed, Veiga wanted to do something to raise awareness in her community and brought Turn The Towns Teal to Allentown.
“Every woman can get ovarian cancer,” Veiga said. “Those who are diagnosed in the late stages and a lot of people who get it don’t survive. We need to get the symptoms and awareness out there.”
As she helped distribute the symptom cards to downtown businesses, which will have them available throughout September, Scott also recognized the importance of educating young women about the potentially deadly disease.
“This is something that can be prevented,” Scott said. “Now that I am more conscious of it, I want my young daughter to be more conscious of it. This would be so traumatic to a young woman.”
The symptom cards indicate potential symptoms of ovarian cancer as pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort; vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea and indigestion; frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection; unexplained changes in bowel habits; unexplained weight gain or weight loss; pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness; ongoing unusual fatigue; menstrual changes and pain during sex. The cards instruct women who experience these symptoms persistently for 10-14 days to visit a gynecologist or a physician.
“The earlier the diagnosis, the better prognosis,” Veiga said.
Turn The Towns Teal is a nonprofit organization that aims to educate everyone in the United States about ovarian cancer and its symptoms. Donations to help the nonprofit achieve this goal are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. To make a donation or for more information, visit www.turnthetownsteal.org.