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When you¡¯ve just been diagnosed with cancer, it¡¯s easy to just go along 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 ¡ª and treats you respectfully ¡ª 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 ¡ª 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 . 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 ¡ª 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 , 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 ¡ª and UT MD Anderson ¡ª has been a very positive experience.

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