By Laura Scott
e have seen them – beautiful, strong, bold, and courageous women. Women with an incredible zeal for life who inspire and motivate everyone they meet. Shreveport resident Shelly Willis is one such woman. With her unyielding resolve and zest for life, Shelly exemplifies the extraordinary power of resilience. Opting to use her fighter mentality amid what some consider their darkest hours, Shelly's story of triumph inspires all women, but especially ovarian cancer patients and survivors.
It was the day of her work Christmas party that 37-year-old Shelly Willis awoke with stomach cramps. This marked the first symptom of a disease that will strike about 1 in 78 women during their lifetime – ovarian cancer.
As she ate, she started to feel full faster than usual, and her stomachache never went away. “I thought I had a stomach bug, so I went to the emergency room. They sent me home with pain medication, and I was told to come back if I didn’t get better. The next week, I went to the ER in agonizing pain, and they found a mass on my left ovary.”
A cancer test was performed, which revealed Shelly’s CA-125 was elevated. The following month, she learned she had a 20-centimeter (about 8 inches) tumor on her ovaries and part of her colon. Her diagnosis – seromucinous carcinoma, a rare form of ovarian cancer that represents less than 3 percent of all ovarian cancers.
As the symptoms progressed, Shelly could not hold food down, not even water. From there, she came close to having kidney failure, and a complete hysterectomy was performed. For 18 weeks Shelly underwent chemotherapy, and in July 2019, she celebrated her last chemo treatment. Today, she is currently in remission, joining the nearly 50 percent of ovarian cancer patients who survive for five years or more.
Shelly’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer didn’t slow her down. Instead, she finds inspiration. “If I can advocate for other women and be an inspiration to them by teaching them about their health and ovarian cancer, I am happy.” In addition to working for Infinity Nutrition, a health and wellness lifestyle career, she is a member of HD Fitness Challenge on Facebook, an exercise accountability group that inspires other people to stay fit.
“Having cancer has helped me be a better me by loving myself even more, not taking a day or friend or family for granted!” Willis wants women to know that “early detection means increased survival. Know the signs and remember that a pap smear does not detect ovarian cancer–you must get checked. And if cancer runs in your family, don’t be afraid to ask for a CA-125 test.”
Over 300,000 women are diagnosed annually with ovarian cancer worldwide, and the disease is responsible for about 185,000 deaths each year. Shelly says, “We need to be proactive and advocate for ourselves and others. September is Global Teal Talk Day, so gather your friends, wear teal for a day out together, and let’s talk about ovarian cancer.”