Minnesota woman battles ovarian cancer while honoring late friend
Minnesota woman battles ovarian cancer while honoring late friend
Becky Drexler has spent years honoring the memory of her college friend Connie Dahl, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer in 2015. The cancer spread to her brain, and Connie died in 2017. Ten months after Connie's death, Becky received her own ovarian cancer diagnosis — Stage 3. FOX 9's Leah Beno has the story.
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Becky Drexler has spent years honoring the memory of her college friend Connie Dahl, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer in 2015. The cancer spread to her brain, and Connie died in 2017.
Becky and Connie's ovarian cancer journeys
The backstory:
"I met Connie in college and we became great friends and that friendship continued to the end," Drexler said.
Ten months after Connie's death, Becky received her own ovarian cancer diagnosis — Stage 3.
Becky said she had to remind herself that her situation was not the same as Connie's, and that treatments had advanced in the years since Connie's diagnosis.
What they're saying:
"You know, I had to remind myself a lot that I'm not Connie, and things had advanced," Becky said. "Even in the few years from while she was dealing with it, a lot of new things were starting to come out with drugs. And so that kind of kept me feeling like, okay, if I can fight this and just keep going, hopefully there'll be something new if I need it. And so it was tough. But you just do what you need to do."
Becky battled her cancer, but this summer it returned. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy again.
Becky gives back through MOCA
What we know:
Despite her own ongoing treatment, Becky has remained one of the most active volunteers within the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance, known as MOCA. She has served on the MOCA board of directors, chaired the Black, White and Teal Gala, fundraised for the annual Teal Strides walk, worked as a patient advocate within the consumer research review process, and participated in MOCA's medical education program, which trains future health care providers to recognize early signs of ovarian cancer.
"It feels like I'm giving back in a way that is important to not just myself, but to other women in the future," Becky said.
Ovarian cancer symptoms
By the numbers:
Ovarian cancer strikes about 1 in 91 women nationally. There is no cure and no early detection method, which is why MOCA encourages women to know the symptoms: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, trouble eating or feeling full quickly, and urgent or frequent urinary symptoms.
Becky said she recognized those symptoms — clues she had learned from watching Connie — and went to a doctor when they lasted more than two weeks.
"I wish I would have asked her more questions," Becky said of Connie.
Teal Strides 5K
What's next:
Marlo, Becky, and their group of lifelong friends are now leading fundraising efforts for MOCA's Teal Strides 5K, scheduled for September 19. Their team, named the Ms. Pac-Man Cancer Chompers — a name Connie gave the group — plans to keep going.
"And it's an emotional day just to see the support, the family members that are there, the friends, the people you don't see very often, but they're there to support you and to help raise funds for MOCA since they know how important it is to us," one member of the group said.