Susan Quinn

When Susan Quinn was a child in Girl Scouts, her troop toured Mayo Clinic. She couldn't have imagined the role it would play in her future.

More than three decades later, her gynecologist told her she had ovarian cancer and would need surgery. The gynecologist encouraged her to seek another opinion. A friend told Susan to contact C. Robert Stanhope, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist at Mayo Clinic, describing him as "the best."

Within days, Susan was examined at Mayo Clinic and diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer that had spread to her diaphragm, liver and colon. Dr. Stanhope brought his colleague, Brigitte Barrette, M.D., a gynecologist, onto Susan's health care team.

Susan had two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy.

"I started chemo while I was recuperating from surgery, and I have never felt so weak and tired," she says. "One day at chemo, I was feeling down. A doctor said, 'Well, we just don't give up around here — we're trying to make you well!' I'll never forget that. She was funny and turned my attitude around. Christ put all the right people there to help me, and I'll never forget any of them. Everyone was so kind, careful, concerned, thorough, supportive and positive. Mayo Clinic has been a blessing in my life."

While the treatment was difficult for Susan, she says it was harder for her family — husband, Leighton, and children, Alyssa, Christopher and Michael.

"They were as prepared as they could be to deal with what I looked like after surgery, how weak I was during chemo and how much pain I was in at times, but it was very difficult for them for a long time," she says. "My incision was all the way down my abdomen because part of my colon was removed. My mouth got dry, and it hurt to laugh, cough or cry. But I'm eternally grateful that I soldiered through it and can now laugh, cough and cry in good health."

It has been seven years since Susan was diagnosed with cancer, and it remains in remission.

"I can do anything now!" she says. "Dr. Barrette makes sure of that. She wants my quality of life to be great. If there's anything that hinders it, she solves it. She is the most incredible doctor you could have."

Susan's journey to an accurate diagnosis was not easy. She had told her regular physician that she was having back pain, stomach aches and frequent urination. He referred her to a neurologist for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to determine the cause of the back pain. Images of her lower back appeared fine, and her physician recommended exercise and ibuprofen. Susan's pain spread to her hips and pelvis and continued to confound her regular physicians. She developed symptoms including heavy menstrual bleeding, spotting between periods, painful urination, bloating, cramps, fatigue and aching. She had ultrasounds, a CT scan, blood and Pap tests, and a pelvic exam. Her physicians thought she might have a urinary tract infection, Lyme disease or an abdominal hematoma (a collection of blood, some possibly clotted). They dismissed her suggestion that she might have cancer.

Finally, Susan insisted on being checked for cancer. Another CT scan — read by a different radiologist — revealed the cancer.

Susan hopes other women will be vigilant about getting the right care. "If you have symptoms that don't go away, keep asking questions and getting other opinions until you get a solution," she says. "If you need surgery for ovarian cancer, be sure it's performed by a gynecologic oncologist who is experienced with ovarian cancer. And go to Mayo Clinic — they know what to do. I don't think I'd be alive today without my faith and their expertise. As soon as Dr. Stanhope saw my CT scan, he knew how serious the situation was."

The motto of the Girl Scouts of the USA is "Be Prepared." After what she has been through, Susan feels prepared for anything.

"I can trust that even when something goes wrong, it will be OK," she says. "This experience has strengthened my faith. God will be there for me just like he was through the cancer."