KATHY BATES - BATES: 'I SHOULD HAVE MADE CANCER BATTLE PUBLIC'

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1996 and thank God I have remained cancer free. When I first noticed that I was not feeling well, my symptoms started with a sharp stomach ache and eventually I found myself on the bathroom floor one night in so much stomach pain it was unbearable. I called a doctor the next morning and went in for a check up he said I was fine and it was probably gas, but I asked him if he thought it was cancer and he said no because the symptoms were not isolated in one spot. He then gave me a prescription for a pain killer and was going to send me home, but I insisted that the pain was too unbearable to be nothing. So he reluntantly order a sonagram for me. I had the sonagram and went back to the doctor who told me that they found nothing except a slight inflammation of my pancreas. So I went home still convinced that something was very wrong. I continued to have slight pain but it wasn't until a week or so later that I found myself on the bathroom floor again with such awful pain that cut through me like a knife. I called the doctor back and he seemed really annoyed that I was insisting that he see me again and agreed to see me the next day. He then ordered an MRI. When I was waiting for them to start my MRI and answering their questions, I inadvertently asked them if an MRI would pick up ovarian cancer. The tecnhician asked me if that was what the doctor was looking for and said "no, that's what I am looking for". I left the hospital and went back to work and within three to four hours I received a call from my doctor's office telling me that they needed me to call them immediately. I called them and they told me to come in the next morning without really telling me anything. I went in the next morning and the doctor, who was not taking the credit for ordering the MRI told me that I was very lucky it had been ordered because I did in fact have cancer. They had found a 7 centimeter tumor and I was a stage 2-3. Apparently, as I was to find out later the tumor affected my fallopian tube and ovary. It was this miracle of it being in my fallopian tube which caused me all the pain or else I probably would have never had any pain. I went to USC and a Dr. Bernette operated on me and took out everything. He told me right from the get go that he had no doubt that I was going to make it and be fine, and so far he is right. That was almost twelve years ago. But my battle was still very trying, difficult, lonely and scary.