34-Year-Old Mother from Ocean County Battles Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer

34-Year-Old Mother Battles Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer

According to a GoFundMe created by Mary Rider-Gasarowski for Donna Argento who is a single mother, went for a visit to an urgent care for a possible UTI which then turned into a life-altering experience.

After being at Urgent Care, she was advised to go right to the hospital. Nicole drove reluctantly to Southern Ocean Medical Center, still believing that medication would be the solution. She explained that she went there due to a possible UTI and gave the urgent care facility's papers.

Because of her reported back pain, emergency care doctors ordered imaging to rule out a kidney problem rather than confirming an infection. The outcome swiftly changed the topic of discussion.

Nicole stated, "They told me I did not have a UTI." "After that, they claimed to have discovered a sizable tumor on my right ovary."

Over the course of the following two days, Nicole stayed in the hospital for extra testing. The physicians performed blood work and additional scans, emphasizing that although some markers suggested cancer, they would not know for sure until they performed surgery.

Just before New Year's Eve, she was released from the hospital with strong instructions to see an oncologist in Neptune the next afternoon.

She was scheduled for surgery in two weeks.

At first, doctors thought the surgery may be quite simple and that the lump might only affect one ovary based on the imaging. Never realizing the extent of what would happen, Nicole braced herself for the prospect of losing one ovary.

When the surgeons entered her abdomen cavity, they found signs that the cancer had already spread throughout her abdominal cavity as well as a second tumor on the other ovary.

Nicole awoke to the terrible news that she had stage 3 ovarian cancer and a lengthy incision going down her abdomen .

Surgeons removed both ovaries, treated malignant tissue that had spread to other organs in her abdomen, and performed a complete hysterectomy. When Nicole was abruptly forced into surgical menopause at the age of 34, she grieved for both her health and the future she had envisioned.

The most prevalent kind of ovarian cancer, Stage 3 epithelial ovarian cancer, was Nicole's diagnosis.

About 90% of occurrences of ovarian cancer are epithelial tumors, which start in the cells that make up the ovaries' outer surface, according to the American Cancer Society. According to the National Cancer Institute, ovarian cancer is frequently referred to as a "silent disease" since its early signs are ambiguous and readily confused with more prevalent, less dangerous disorders including bloating, discomfort in the abdomen, or abnormalities in the urine.

Friends and family have organized a fundraising benefit to help offset mounting medical expenses and support Nicole and Cooper during treatment.

The event will take place on April 18 at the Beach Haven Moose Lodge 1575 and will feature a full Italian dinner and dessert, open bar with beer, wine and soda, a 50/50 raffle and a Tricky Tray auction. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.

Tickets may be purchased at the Moose Lodge or by calling Mary at 609-713-5488. Venmo and Zelle options are also available for those who wish to contribute but cannot attend.

Additionally, a GoFundMe page called "Your Kindness Equals Strength For Nicole" has been created to help with continuing household and medical costs.

Nicole is anticipated to need six rounds of chemotherapy, which will probably last all summer. Her physicians are hopeful, but the coming months will call for perseverance, faith, and endurance.

She responds rapidly when asked what gives her strength in the most trying times. "My son," she murmured.