40 | DECEMBER 26 • 2019

Health

S

asha Bialock, 63, of West
Bloomfield, is a woman who
has spent her life embracing
everything she can about it, from
being physically fit to gardening,
playing music and photographing
objects that are beautiful to her
eyes.
“I’
m a person who can’
t wait to
go to bed to get back up the next
day,” she said. “I love life.”
Her cancer diagnosis has altered
her perspective on life.
“Cancer came and my life
changed,” she said in the next
breath. “We think we’
re invincible.
The cancer diagnosis was shock-
ing.”
Bialock was diagnosed with
Stage 3c high-grade advanced
epithelial ovarian cancer on Nov.
7, 2018. She had gone to see
her gynecologist at the end of
October. At the time, she had a
vaginal ultrasound and experience
a “tiny bit of pain,” she said.
The prior summer, she said she
just felt “off” and was experienc-
ing back pain she describes as
horrible. As someone who wears a
pacemaker due to sick sinus syn-
drome and tachycardia, she said
she is diligent in keeping up with
her doctor appointments.

It was during the gynecologist’
s
visit for her annual pap smear
that they found something sus-
pect following a vaginal ultra-
sound that revealed some masses.
Bialock was sent to the Barbara
Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute,
where Ira Winer, M.D., member
of the Gynecologic Oncology
Multidisciplinary Team, ordered a
CA125 blood test and a CAT scan
for her.
Bialock calls it a fluke that her
cancer was found.
“I believe in karma and sixth
sense,” she said. “Ovarian cancer is
considered a silent killer because
it mimics other (conditions).”
In retrospect, she said her
back pain and stomach bloating
were primary symptoms of her
advanced cancer.
“The masses were so large they
were causing compression in my
lower back area,” she said.
Bialock went through surgery
and more than five months of che-
motherapy, which kept her mostly
bedridden because of chemother-
apy side effects, though she did
force herself to get up and walk
once a day. Her last chemotherapy
treatment was May 29 of this year.
“You’
re left with all sorts of
emotional and physical symp-

toms,” she said. “It’
s a fear that
overcomes you. I’
m afraid I’
m
going to disappear.”
Despite her fears, Bialock says
she pushed herself when she felt
able to.
“My first challenge was the
Gilda’
s Club Family Walk & 5K
Run,” she said about the event
in September 2019. “I ran. I told
myself, you must do it. I crossed
the finish line.”

LIFE IN REMISSION
Bialock is now in remission with
her cancer. Though she said many
things frightened her, including
being alone, driving a car and get-
ting back out into the world, she
focuses on doing fun things each
day. That could include going
to museums, the Detroit Zoo,
walking, traveling, gardening and
returning to her love of photog-
raphy.
“I challenge myself to face some
of my fears,” she said. “I force
myself to get out.”
Bialock also draws comfort
from attending the daytime
Women’
s Wellness Group at
Karmanos’
Weisberg Cancer
Treatment Center in Farmington
Hills. The group meets at 11

COURTESY OF KARMANOS

ELIZABETH KATZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Woman with ovarian cancer
aces her fears of chronic disease
with support, self motivation.

Living with
Chronic
Cancer

Sasha Bialock