Show Love: The Story of Melissa Sciba
We recently sat down with Ovarcomer Melissa Sciba to learn about her Ovarian Cancer journey. Not just her experience with treatment and the disease, but her strength and her determination to Ovarcome! 💙 We thank Melissa for sharing her story and for “Showing Love” to the Teal Community!
Q: How did your ovarian cancer get diagnosed?
A: I was busy preparing for my son’s wedding and working nights at the NICU as a Nurse. I thought it was stress building up as I started to feel unwell. One morning my husband woke me up and told me he had made a doctor’s appointment for me and insisted I go to the Doctor before we left town for my son’s wedding. Reluctantly I went for the check up. I was just explaining to the Doc that with the night shift as a nurse, and the stress of the upcoming wedding, I was just not feeling my normal self, confident it wasn’t anything else to be concerned about.
The doctor felt a mass during examination and did an ultrasound right away. They called in the doctor and the radiologist. They made an expedited appointment at the ER for me to have more tests. I told the doctor I was not going through additional tests at the time as I had my son’s wedding to attend. My Doctor teared up and said “you know I wouldn’t send you if I didn’t think you needed to go.” At the hospital, after a series of tests, they confirmed to me and to my husband that I had advanced Ovarian Cancer. I went to my son’s wedding determined not to be unfazed by that life changing diagnosis.
Q: What Challenges have you faced in your journey with ovarian cancer?
A: My biggest challenge was to keep my kids and my husband calm. We decided not to tell anyone until my son returned from his Honeymoon. I tried to keep busy each day and to keep my attention purposeful, to help me take my mind off of the dreadful diagnosis.
Q: How have you learned to thrive in the face of ovarian cancer?
A: I’ve had to learn that it’s okay to not be the strong one and it’s okay to have breakdown days. Your loved ones and friends deal better when they know you are human because they are also facing their own challenges in coming to terms with our diagnosis . It allows you to be more whole and realistic.
Q: Tell us about your fresh perspective in life after the life changing cancer diagnosis.
A: You can’t sweat the small stuff. You appreciate the rain, you appreciate the sun, you appreciate your child, you appreciate opening your eyes when you wake up. You are happy just to be around your loved ones, around your friends, you aren’t supposed to be here but you are and every day is a gift and you have to take advantage of it.
Q: How do you manage the life limiting effects of the illness and the possibility of recurrence?
A: I’m human. I have good days and bad days. I do want to know I’m 100% cured and that the cancer won’t come back. But I look at other people, and realize all of us are going through our own challenges – someone or the other is experiencing life altering moments as we speak. I’m no more special than anyone else, everyone has their challenges. Just keeping a positive attitude and embracing and accepting reality is what I do to manage.
Q: What message would you give to someone just diagnosed or going through active treatment?
A: Hang in there. It doesn’t feel real but you can make the best of it. You can make it a good journey or a bad journey. You can complain about chemo and the pain and the rest or you can appreciate that you have a new chance; you can make it what you want.
Q: You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?
A: Pink, I’ve always liked the color pink. It’s not as fiery as red or as soft as some others but it’s a happy color and brings happiness to life.
Q: What inspires your inner sparkle?
A: My love for God, my love for family, my love for friends, my love for the knowledge that we can always be better and we can be better as a community as long as we give love to one another.
Q: How has Ovarcome helped in supporting you through your journey?
A: I am so happy my Physician Dr. Nicole Fleming introduced me to Ovarcome. It’s nice to know there are other women out there facing the same kinds of challenges. It gives me HOPE that we can all come together in OVARCOMING this disease.
Q: Share your two words of wisdom.
A: Show Love. (We love this so much!💙💙)
“As long as you keep faith and positivity it does not matter how dim it is out there
it will be bright and you will persevere in this journey of Ovarcoming!”
