Joanne chose a
hospital that felt
like home
Joanne Falcione, 76, still lives in the Bloomfi eld house she grew
up in. She strolls around her neighborhood twice a day, every
day. When ovarian cancer threatened, she walked right to
West Penn Hospital.
Joanne volunteers at West Penn, cuddling drug dependent
newborns. So when she noticed swelling in her abdomen, she
went to the emergency room. The doctors did a CT scan and
found signs of ovarian cancer. “When they said they were going
to admit me for cancer, I was totally shocked,” Joanne said.
In the hospital, doctors confi rmed her diagnosis with biopsies
and immediately started her fi rst cycle of chemotherapy. After
additional chemotherapy, her surgeon, Dr. Sarah Crafton,
removed her ovaries, cervix, fallopian tubes, and other tissue
for evaluation. Joanne then had additional rounds of chemo
afterward.
“Dr. Crafton has been just wonderful for the surgery and
directing my chemo,” she said.
Now starting maintenance chemotherapy, Joanne is feeling
stronger — and grateful for the support of her family and West
Penn staff . “They are very nice in the infusion center. It’s been
like my second home,” she said.
“West Penn is my only hospital,” Joanne added. “When I get well
and get my balance back, I want to go hold those babies again.”
“I don’t know
where I would
have been
without her.”
A WOMAN’S CHANCES OF GETTING
OVARIAN CANCER*
JOANNE FALCIONE,
CANCER PATIENT
OF WOMEN ARE AT RISK BECAUSE THERE
ARE NO SCREENINGS OR VACCINATIONS*
*cancer.org/cancer/ovarian-cancer/about/key-statistics.html