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