Upper Freehold woman seeks to raise awareness of ovarian cancer

UPPER FREEHOLD — Terry Veiga considers herself to be a very lucky woman.

It's not just the nice house in the Grande at Old York development, the good husband, the two active sons, and her adored dogs. Last year, at the age of 42, Veiga was diagnosed with stage one ovarian cancer. After surgery and chemotherapy, she's now healthy and happy and wants to spread awareness about the disease, the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in women and the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer in this country.

On Sept. 27, Veiga will be joining a walkathon at the Avalon boardwalk sponsored by the Kaleidoscope of Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to fight ovarian cancer as well as raising awareness of the disease. While she intends to do the entire five-mile walk, her husband, Joe, and sons Erik, 12, and Matthew, 6, will do a one-mile walk. So far, 11 friends of Veiga's are joining them, and she is looking for sponsors to help raise awareness about this devastating disease.

The signs of ovarian cancer are subtle, such as feeling full or bloated, and women usually attribute them to something else, she said. In her case, she had a backache, but thought it was from spending too much time at the computer. Veiga realized she was long overdue for a gynecological exam, and made an appointment for a routine check-up. Her gynecologist, Dr. Robert Mayson, East Windsor, noticed something amiss and sent her for an ultrasound. A large mass on her ovary was discovered, and Veiga was referred to Dr. Henry Sprance, West Long Branch, a gynecological oncologist.

Surgery was performed July 27, 2007, at Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, where Veiga was found to have the stage one ovarian cancer.

"I'm really lucky," she said. "It's rare to find it this early."

She finished her six rounds of chemotherapy right before Christmas, which made for a happy holiday, she said. Throughout her ordeal, she remained optimistic.

"I was told they caught it early, and I never thought anything bad would happen," she said. The chemotherapy was done as a precautionary measure, she said. Veiga kept thinking, "This is something I have to do. Next year it will be a story."

Veiga's first cousin on her father's side was diagnosed with ovarian cancer seven years ago, and was a great help to her during her treatment. Her cousin is still on chemotherapy, and her disease is like a chronic illness, Veiga said.

When asked how her family coped with her illness, she said her husband, who has his own business, stayed home a lot to care for the children and for her. Her sons were told that their mom was sick, but Erik was not told she had cancer until she planned to do the walkathon. Veiga said her father and their dog had died from cancer, and they did not want to scare the youngsters.

Veiga called her friends and neighbors "amazing," as they came together to help her and her family. Her fellow preschool mothers hired cleaning help for her until her chemotherapy was over. Others took her sons to play dates and other events.

According to the N.J. Department of Health and Senior Services, there were 4,182 cases of ovarian cancer in the state from 1998-2002, and approximately 1900 of those diagnosed did not survive. Roughly 380 New Jersey women die of the disease each year. According to the Kaleidoscope of Hope, if the cancer is found before it spreads outside the ovary, 90-95 percent of women will survive at least five years. However, only 19 percent of ovarian cancers are found at this stage, so the five-year survival rate is only 44 percent.

The most important measure women can take to protect themselves is to have regular gynecological exams, advised Veiga, because early detection saves lives.

For more information, visit the Kaleidoscope of Hope Web site at www.kohnj.org. To sponsor Veiga, e-mail rescuepupsmf@yahoo.com.