Doylestown Turns Teal For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Doylestown has taken on the color of ovarian cancer awareness for the month of September thanks to a band of volunteers who spent Saturday turning the town teal.

Teal ribbons are now adorning lampposts and trees throughout the business district to make women aware of ovarian cancer, its often subtle symptoms, and the risk factors involved.

“All of you being here is showing what a caring and wonderful community we are,” said former Doylestown Borough Councilwoman Joan Doyle, who has coordinated the tealing of Doylestown for the past 16 years.

“You can tell I’m passionate about this,” said Doyle, who is spurred on by the memory of her older sister, Anita Stein, who died from the disease after an almost six-year battle. “This is all about directing attention to learning symptoms and risk factors for ovarian cancer and catching this disease early to give people a fighting chance against this disease.”

Doyle was joined by Mayor Noni West who remarked on the volume of research being done on the disease “thanks to the advocacy of Turn the Towns Teal, the advocacy of people like Joan, the advocacy of this group, and the advocacy of our survivors,” Mayor West told the crowd.

Mayor West read a proclamation declaring support “for this worthy campaign” and designating September as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in the community.

“We are proud to display the ribbons of cancer awareness throughout our downtown and we call upon residents, organizations and healthcare providers to raise awareness of ovarian cancer as well as all cancers and the importance of early detection to help those in our community live longer and healthier lives,” said Mayor West.

Helping to Turn the Town Teal are, from left, Cathy Hoot, survivor Susan Hutchinson of Newtown and Joan Doyle. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

Joan Doyle.

State Senator Steve Santarsiero and State Rep. Tim Brennan surprised Doyle with a plaque recognizing her for her work to raise ovarian cancer awareness through the Turn the Town Teal campaign.

“This is a horrible disease. Whatever we can do to detect it early and to treat it early is something that can save lives," said Santarsiero. "We’re lucky here jn Bucks County that we have such an engaged community like all of you who are going to go out there today and make your presence felt. The work that you do today to Turn the Town Teal - in raising money and awareness - is critically important.

"But I would be remiss this morning if I did not say a word about Joan Doyle. Joan served the community for many years as a member of the council but even after she left the council she continued to serve," said Santarsiero. "And this is just one example of how she does that. It is my pleasure today to recognize her for her many years of service to Doylestown.”

He presented a plaque to Doyle from the Pennsylvania State Senate recognizing her service to the community. In addition, he joined Rep. Brennan in presenting her with a flag flown over the state capitol in Harrisburg.

Brennan, who was appointed to fill Doyle’s seat on council after she left, thanked the volunteers for their help in turning the town teal.

"You’re here making this town a great place to live," he said. "It’s also a great opportunity for me to get out here and thank Joan for everything she does to organize this. She is a wonderful friend and a wonderful participant in what is going on in this community. We owe a debt to her for all the great things she has done.”

Before heading out to teal the commercial core of Doylestown to spread the awareness message, Doyle recognized the Ovarian Cancer Warriors who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and have either survived or are still battling the disease. She also led the gathering in silence as the names of those lost to the disease were remembered.

Joining Doyle was Susan Hutchinson of Newtown, a 15-year stage four survivor of the disease, who shared her inspiring story with the gathering

"When I was first diagnosed, the thing that encouraged me was when I met long-term survivors. I'm glad to be here today to do that," she said.

Huchinson was diagnosed in 2009 when she was 56. "It was a very, very big shock because there were no female cancers in my family. In fact, on both my mother's and father's side, all the women lived well into their 90s so it never occurred to me that someday I wouldn't be a very old lady which I took for granted.

"When I was a young mom in 1989 I remember reading Gilda Radner's book, 'It's Always Something,' and we know that Gilda died from ovarian cancer. I remember closing that book and thinking, 'Wow. That's a killer. That's something you don't want to get.'

"So here I was, in Gilda's shoes, and as we all know, it is the silent killer. And I was no exception. I had nine symptoms. I had a lower back ache. I was very tired. And I had bad heartburn. I had an upper GI and they said my esophagus is fine.' Take some Nexium. Come back in a couple of months.' Two months later I called and said it's just terrible. I found out later I had a baseball-sized tumor pressing on my esophagus."

The next thought by her doctors was that she had gallstones. They ended up taking her gallbladder out, but while she was having that surgery the doctor saw something that merited exploration and ordered an ultrasound. Two weeks later, her gynecologist called and within 15 days she was headed to the hospital for surgery.

"My head was just spinning," she said.

"I met Dr. Edelson. He was my new best friend. And what a friend he turned out to be," she said.

When she awoke from surgery, not only did she find out that she had stage four ovarian cancer it was a strain of the disease often resistant to chemotherapy.

She heard the news from Dr. Edelson, who she called, in her mind, "The Scary Doctor," because every time they met, he shared with her something scary.

Volunteers decorate the lampposts with teal ribbons. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

This year's Turn the Town Teal crew. (photos by Jeff Werner)

"It really was not his problem. Dr. Edelson is wonderful and very knowledgeable. It was me. I was scared silly," she admitted, but as a woman of faith, "I put my life in God's hands."

Not long after her surgery, she heard about a clinical trial taking place at another hospital. She quickly put her name in, but later found out that she wouldn't be included in the trial.

"I was devastated. I put my head down on my desk and I prayed. Within two minutes my phone rang. It was Dr. Edelson. 'He says, I've been thinking of you. We have a clinical trial here. He told me about it. He signed me up. And I started on my trial.

"The trial was a difficult and traumatic course of treatment," she said. "The routine was blood work every three months and CAT scans every six. For five years, that's what I did. I cried every time I went. I just couldn't believe I was there. It was so overwhelming.

"What happened was days turned into weeks. The weeks turned into months. The months turned into years and I was still going through my routine. At five years, I saw Dr. Edelson. I said to him, 'Five years. That's great, thinking he'd let me off the hook.' He said, 'You know, with ovarian cancer it has to be 10.' So back to the routine. Two years ago, when I saw him, he said, "I'm reading the results of the clinical trial that you ran. From what I can see - 'and this was a national study' - you're one of two survivors.

"To that I say, 'Thank you Dr. Edelson. And to God be the glory. That's really how I feel.

"You can't give up hope, my friends. There's not a lot of hope with this disease, but you can't give up hope," she said. "I believe God is in the miracle business today. And I'm living proof of it. You might not believe like I do and that's okay. But this is my story and I'm sticking to it."

Symptoms of ovarian cancer

• Bloating
• Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
• Vague but persistent gastrointestinal upset such as gas, nausea and indigestion
• Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
• Frequent and/or urgency of urination in the absence of infection
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits
• Ongoing unusual fatigue
• Menstrual changes
• Pain during intimacy