Julie is an ovarian cancer survivor who was diagnosed in January 2013. She has worn both sets of shoes, as she was also a caregiver of her husband who passed away from prostate cancer. Julie was a teacher and principal in her career and retired in 2015. Since then, she has been active with walking, biking and water aerobics. Julie also likes to be creative with cooking, beach glassing crafts and writing poems. She has remarried and now her husband supports her with his healing love. Julie’s combined family consists of five adult children and spouses along with 10 grandchildren. She feels blessed beyond measure to be able to spend time with her family.

Julie S. Brokaw

Julie is an ovarian cancer survivor who was diagnosed in January 2013. 

This year started last year in July. I did write a piece about the year, and clearly, it has been a very long year. Last months of June and July, I started to have balancing issues. My husband had to hold my hand for just so I would be able to walk properly on the street sidewalk. I also fell several times off my bike. One fall was down a ravine into some mucky, earthy dirt.

After coming home from our vacation at the beach, an MRI was ordered by my oncologist, and I was diagnosed with a small brain tumor. At least we had answers. I was able to receive Gamma Knife surgery — type of radiation therapy that uses focused beams of gamma rays to treat tumors or other abnormalities in the brain without an incision — at the Cleveland Clinic with the most experienced doctors and staff. After a regimen of steroids, I was much better.

In the process of getting well, I also noticed a rash on my arm. It probably started from the fall in the mucky earth ravine. By September, my balance issues seemed resolved, but the rash became worse. By October, I was experiencing open lesions that were incredibly painful. These lesions were only on my arms and legs. I went to my dermatologist who took biopsies on two different occasions; however, she was not able to come up with any diagnosis.

I was referred to a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. He took more biopsies and then had referred me to an infectious disease doctor. The sores were getting larger, some the size of a $.50 piece! By January, the diagnosis was made that I had an environmentally micro bacterial infection (chelonae: a type of infection caused by mycobacterium chelonae, a rapidly growing environmental mycobacterium found in soil and water) that is common and anyone can get. Because my own immune system is compromised, I was not able to fight it.

By February, cultures were grown, and antibiotics were tested to fight the infection. On February 18 I started a regimen of two IV antibiotics and one oral antibiotic that I had to give myself every day, twice a day. I felt like I was my own nurse. After 44 days of IV’s, I was able to switch to three oral antibiotics. Slowly, the sores started to heal. The protocol was a four-to-six-month regimen. I am getting better but have terrible marks on my arms and legs. Hopefully, they will fade.

In March, the balance issues returned. After three MRI’s the neurologist determined that my tumor is dying, and the balance problems are related to necrotic tissue being angry. This was good news.

We are again at the beach this week. We have 22 family members celebrating birthdays, a graduation, me getting better, and living our best life. Families came from Idaho, Ohio, and North Carolina to our beach at Emerald Isle in North Carolina. We are ocean front and our view is spectacular. This year, this fabulous family of mine are celebrating and living our best life. My husband and I are with all our adult children and our ten grandchildren. We are not promised tomorrow but we are celebrating the best vacation ever!

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Articles

A challenging year began with balance issues, leading to the discovery of a brain tumor treated with Gamma Knife surgery. Subsequent complications included a severe rash, later diagnosed as a mycobacterial infection due to a compromised immune system. Treatment involved a rigorous antibiotic regimen, resulting in gradual healing. Despite recurring balance issues linked to necrotic tissue, the tumor is dying. A family beach gathering celebrates recovery and life, emphasizing the importance of cherishing moments with loved ones amidst health challenges.

After a brain tumor diagnosis and infection, I celebrate recovery with family at the beach, embracing life’s precious moments together.

Living My Best Life: A Family Beach Vacation After a Brain Tumor

It is early December, my house is decorated, and I will be making my Chex Mixes soon. Add to that, cookies! But first, before my schedule gets crazy, I need to get organized with gifts and plans as well as reflect on the holidays in the weeks. I believe that reflections can be great gifts for my soul.

My last blog was about healing. My husband and I are still healing from a summer of challenging health concerns. I don’t want to wish my life away, but I was very glad we were at the end of the summer. Fall gave us a two-week trip to the beach where we truly did experience the blessings of healing. Sitting under the tent, walking the beach, bike rides, walks in our favorite beach town, lots of shopping and eating amazing seafood was truly life giving.

When we got back from the beach, fall was in the air, and we both were back in the reality of doctor appointments, CT scans, bloodwork, MRIs, and radiation. You must know that when you get a cancer diagnosis or have a heart attack, life is never the same. You are always fighting the fight.

My reflections are simple as I have been fighting ovarian cancer for almost 12 years. I know that I am blessed and am probably an anomaly given the life expectancy with this disease. I have had so many treatments, and I am constantly reminded that my time on Earth is compromised, but I celebrate the times I get a period of respite. This helps me remain resilient and positive. I think that, sometimes, I am even surprising my physicians, and I am OK with that! 

I look at my difficult days (yes, there are those days) and continue to know that my positive attitude needs to be the remedy for those days. I realize that I am lucky that I am still here.

The cookies will get baked, and the Chex mixes made. The final gifts will be purchased and wrapped. These tasks can be overwhelming, but I plan to celebrate every bit of flour that is mixed, Worcestershire Sauce measured, chocolate melted, Christmas paper cut and taped, and ribbons tied. I will celebrate all the things that make Christmas at my house. We do get gifts for our kids — mostly things they need — but we are trying to give the kind of gifts that leave memories. This includes making cookies together, skiing down a mountain as a family, sleepovers, games played, and dinners eaten together. Making memories and spending time with family are truly the greatest gifts ever. This Christmas will be even more special, as we will get to see and celebrate with all our children and grandchildren, located in three different states. We will be there!

As we begin to think about the holidays and New Year’s Eve, we are planning for the coming year. We want to travel, ski, celebrate a grandchild’s graduation, experience a total family vacation in North Carolina (22 people), and revisit the beach in September for two weeks together with my husband. We will work in the doctor appointments that we will need, though we are going to live our lives to the fullest. We do not know how much time we have, no one does, but we will celebrate 2025 the best that we can. I know it is cliché, but I have a quote from a movie that is posted above my computer. It reads:

“There are two ways to live your life —

One is as if though nothing is a miracle…

The other is as though everything is…”

Yes, that is what I believe. Life is a miracle.

The narrative reflects on the importance of cherishing life amidst health challenges, particularly with a long-standing battle against ovarian cancer. It emphasizes the significance of maintaining a positive attitude and celebrating small joys, such as holiday preparations and family gatherings. The author highlights the value of creating lasting memories with loved ones, despite the uncertainties of life. Looking forward to the future, the focus remains on living life to the fullest, planning family vacations, and embracing every moment as a miracle, underscoring the resilience and gratitude for life.

Nearly 12 years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Julie Brokaw believes life is a miracle.

Reflecting on 2024 Following an Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

When I look back to the blog posts that I have written for CURE®, I realize that it has been since 

July of 2023 when I last shared my cancer experience

. There were many challenging reasons for this. I have had so many changes since that time, I could write a book. I did try to write about my experience during that time, but the words did not come easily. Maybe the challenges were just too hard to write down.

I have named this piece “Healing” and rightfully so. It is a dreary morning where I am but that is OK because I am so lucky to be here at the beach. This trip is truly a gift as a little over a week ago, we were not sure we would make this trip at all. We had planned this trip for more than a year to spend two weeks at the beach in September. The beaches are less crowded, our favorite restaurants have no wait time, the shops have summer sales to pick up a few pieces of pottery and clothing, and the pace of life here at the beach is slower. I needed this. My husband needed this too.

Healing goes way beyond the physical means that our bodies have been through. The mind has its own challenges. This is where I am today. I have written in the past about the ups and downs that a person goes through on their cancer journey.

For more than a year, I have had many moments of going down the hole of unthinkable thoughts. My job today is to remain positive and use this vacation time with my husband to heal my head, body and soul.

Some of the challenges from the past 15 months have included new chemotherapies that did not work, immunotherapy that did work, loss of my oncologist, life-giving care from my nurse practitioner, loss of my nurse practitioner, a new oncologist, new hospital system, balance and falling issues, brain metastases, gamma knife surgery, new chemotherapy that put me into the intensive care unit in the hospital, my husband’s illness, and steroids. As you can see, the challenges have been overwhelming, especially since last July. Each one of these items could be its own blog post. But today, it is about healing. I am on the other side of many of these challenges.

Since I just got out of the hospital a week ago, my goals this week will focus on the healing of my body. I was not able to do any exercise while in the hospital, so my legs seemed to atrophy terribly. We are in a second story condo, so I will do some steps today. I did the steps two times yesterday but today it will be four times, at least. I must keep moving. The reaction to the chemo affected my eyes, so I also plan to listen and finish a book while resting on the deck of the condo. I love to read but my eyes will need some care first.

The crazy thing with this cancer diagnosis is that each thing that happens to you affects something else in your body. So, as I finish this blog post, I am reminded that these two weeks will see me get stronger in my body, my soul will be replenished by the great traditions on our favorite beach adventures and my mind will get stronger to prepare for my future therapy as I continue to fight the fight and survive.

Thank you to my husband, family and friends who know the details of these past 15 months and have been there to help me get to the next day, and even sometimes just the next minute. They are all part of the healing that I need to do to keep going.

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The past 15 months have been challenging regarding treatment for my ovarian cancer. But today, my goal is to focus on healing my mind, body and soul.

Healing and Reflecting on My Ovarian Cancer Experience 

It has been a while since I have been able to put some words on paper. I have had a change in my treatment, so I have been focused on that. Sometimes I have so many ideas and then I just can’t find the words. Today, I found them.

I have been fighting ovarian cancer for 10 and a half years. I told my first amazing oncologist that I wanted to be her poster child for survivorship. She helped me accomplish that with her excellent and diligent care for me, with lots of items from her arsenal of medications, surgeries and radiation. I also did a clinical trial. My doctor took another job out of state and now I have another outstanding oncologist with a team of fantastic support staff to take care of me. I have asked her to continue my dream of being that poster child. She is hoping the same for me.

Since February, my numbers have risen, so something clearly had changed. I was on a maintenance drug from last September until late spring. That was a great bit of respite for me. The medication was easy to take and had very little side effects. I was very lucky. Again, a blessing in disguise.

Recently, my numbers proved that we must go back to the drawing board and see what that entails. Fortunately, I had some genetic testing the first year after my diagnosis as well as about five years ago. In June, we did a liquid biopsy (bloodwork) and a liver biopsy of the lesion on my liver, and that specimen was sent to be genetically tested to see if my original tumor had changed or morphed.

The results showed that it had changed a bit but not with too much relevance.

But they found something else. My lesion was feeding off what little estrogen that was floating around in my body. I did not know that was possible as my first surgery took all my female anatomy out. Having early genetic testing was ablessing in disguise.

As for my new 7th round of chemo which I have had two of six treatments, I had to change my regular carboplatin to another drug, as carboplatin is out of stock. I am also on another drug with that, which will hopefully help to bring those numbers down. I am also taking a medication to stop the estrogen in my body so that the lesion can’t get nourishment. New meds available, a blessing in disguise.

With all this medical information presented so far, I also want to share the other blessings in disguise that I have encountered these last few months. My oncologist and her amazing support staff have helped me to be able to travel this summer to see family and friends. We worked out a calendar so I could be with some of the best medicine available, children, grandchildren, and girlfriends. I have been to Idaho and Tennessee so far and will be leaving for North Carolina and Utah with their blessings and support. I do not know what I would do without these chances to visit family.

There is one other blessing in disguise that I would like to share. When you go in for treatment and believe me, I am at my hospital very regularly, I have met some of the finest people. Some of them I will never know their names, as they are like me, a patient getting treatment. But they are amazingly friendly. It is like we are all in this nightmare together, but they are fighting hard just like you. Last week, I witnessed an older man walking his wife out after treatment and he put his arm around her shoulder to help her walk with confidence. That gesture was full of love and support. To see it was a blessing in disguise. I have seen so many moments like this during my plus ten years and it always gives me hope. We all need that.

I have certainly had my moments when I get down, but I try to remember the little blessings in disguise. Sometimes it can be the best medicine.


For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to 

Sometimes difficult experiences like cancer can come with blessings in disguise.  

Julie S. Brokaw

Living My Best Life: A Family Beach Vacation After a Brain Tumor

Reflecting on 2024 Following an Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

Healing and Reflecting on My Ovarian Cancer Experience

Blessings in Disguise During Cancer

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