Janet (Fuller) Perkins Wagner
1965 – 2010
Janet Wagner, cervical cancer patient and advocate, died on April 25, 2010 from an aggressive battle with cervical cancer.
Janet was the Director of the San Antonio, TX Chapter of the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) and a wonderful friend. Her efforts with the NCCC continue through all of her friends, family and “survivor sisters” that knew her. She leaves behind a legacy that will truly be missed, but never forgotten.
The NCCC will honor Janet's memory and will keep doing her work to help others STOP the cancer before it invades their homes through education about prevention and early detection.
Always in our hearts.
Life was fairly "normal" for Linda Opferman. She had a great boyfriend, a stable job, and overall, was content with the path her life was taking. Shockingly, she found out her employer was going out of business and she would soon lose her job. As anxiety and stress swirled around her, Linda hurried to squeeze in doctor appointments before her good health insurance dissipated. If losing her job wasn't stressful enough, one of her routine doctor appointments led to a serious diagnosis that would forever change her outlook on life. The diagnosis was cervical cancer.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. While most cases of HPV can clear up on its own, when it doesn't, it can develop into cervical cancer.
Luckily for MaryBeth Hammer, an upstate NY native and now Philadelphia resident, her HPV was caught in time by a Pap test which came back abnormal.
If you would have asked me what HPV and Cervical Cancer was 6 years ago, I wouldn't have had a clue. My first visit to the gynecologist was intended to go find out about birth control, but instead I learned that I was pregnant with my first child. I'm actually not even sure when I was told I had HPV. My doctor didn't tell me or explain to me the dangers of HPV. I actually didn't learn how serious the situation was until after my daughter my second child was born. I remember being at home and getting a call from my doctor. My husband answered the phone and he was told that I needed to make an appointment right away. When he [my husband] hung up the phone he was concerned and told me that the doctor had just told him that I had cervical cancer. I was scared; I didn't know what to think. Death never even crossed my mind.
A series of unexpected events is what Sherbrooke’s Karen Eryou attributes to saving her life. Back in 2007, Eryou found herself in need of a prescription renewal for asthma medication but, without a family physician, she was having a hard time obtaining it.
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