Phil's Friends – Theresa's Ovarian Cancer Journey

Cancer Support: Phil’s Friends

By Gloria Morris | September 23, 2022 |

Phils Friends is an organization I have supported with donations and volunteering for many years. It was strange to be on the other side of things for the first time. I know the Executive Director personally, Judi Earnshaw. We spoke on the phone and she reassured me with the most thoughtful and kind words and…

My name is Gloria Morris (aka GoGo) and Theresa Cicco is my mother. I am her only child and we basically grew up together as I popped in to her life at the young age of 18. She hasn't had it easy with me as I really have lived up to my childhood nickname GoGo and kept her on her toes for sure. She and I have been through a lot and even had a massive head on collision together where she endured significant injuries but I was left without a scratch. My mom had a ruptured appendix many years ago but outside of that has been very healthy. At least we thought she was healthy. Just a few weeks ago she finally felt she needed to take action on her feelings of fatigue, discomfort and abdominal bloating. On September 9, 2022 she decided to visit an urgent care clinic and based on her symptoms, she was diagnosed with a potential urinary tract infection and was prescribed an antibiotic and sent home. Six days later, realizing she didn't feel better she made an appointment with the nurse practitioner from her Dr. office and I took her to get checked on September 15th. The nurse practitioner, Patti felt a CT Scan was the best next step. After much back and forth, we were able to expedite her CT Scan and get her in the next day, September 16th. She went home after her test and we waited for the results. Dr. Lauren Harting called her at 7pm that evening and asked that she proceed to the emergency room that Friday night. My Aunt Tina (Popp nee Cicco) took her and I left my fundraising event and headed to St Mary’s Medical Center. After a battery of tests and various discussions, we now know she’s been battling advanced stage Ovarian Cancer. To say we are devastated is an understatement and after thousands of text messages to loved ones I decided to use this platform to document and consolidate information about our journey together. We have so many friends, family members, work colleagues and customers from our family business (John Cicco's Menswear) who want to know how my mom is doing and I have decided this is the best way to communicate. I will also use this for my own documentation and to organize all of the new information that is being presented to us for the first time. There are few backdated journal entries that are more for my own historical documentation. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work together to fight for her life.