The story of gina

Gina was only 17 years old when her physician discovered pre-cancerous cells on her cervix during a routine gynecological exam. “They put me in a birthing chair and gave me a local anesthetic, then used lasers to cut out the infected area,” she says. “After that, I had to have regular PAPs four times a year.” When Gina was 21, doctors found a tumor on her left ovary. “This time I lost it,” she says. “I thought, ‘This is it. This is the way I’m going to die.’ My daughter was just a baby, and I wondered who was going to raise her when I was gone. This was a long time ago, and back then there were no support groups. Cancer was like a dirty word. You didn’t talk about it. I started drinking and partying more. I guess I figured if this thing was going to get me, I might as well help it along.”

Gina’s options were to try chemotherapy or to undergo a second laser surgery. “I didn’t have any medical insurance and the chemo was a lot more expensive,” she says. “Back then, some of the drugs were still experimental, so I decided to go with the surgery.” This time, the surgery was done under general anesthesia.

Twenty-one years later, Gina is still cancer free. “If I had any advice to give to people who are living with cancer it would be to go out and do something,” she says.

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