NEED TO KNOW
- Jessica Gilbert, 42, assumed her fever and “stuffy head” were signs of a sinus infection
- When tests came back negative for COVID-19, the flu and RSV, she asked the doctor if it was a sinus infection or low iron
- Instead, her ER physician diagnosed her with stage 3 ovarian cancer
An Ohio mother of two mistook her ovarian cancer symptoms for those of a sinus infection.
Jessica Gilbert, a 42-year-old wife and mom, felt “off” before a family trip to Walt Disney World in January.
“I woke up with a fever, and I thought it was a sinus infection because I had a stuffy head all week,” Gilbert told ABC News. “I decided to go to my [primary care] doctor to get COVID, flu, [and] RSV tests, and they all came back negative.”
After the negative test results, Gilbert presumed her symptoms reflected a potential sinus infection or low iron levels. However, once she explained the symptoms, an ER doctor suggested they run tests for ovarian cancer.
“The whole world just stood still,” Gilbert told the outlet. “I was just totally shocked. [I had] no family history. I didn’t know any of the signs for ovarian cancer. I just didn’t know anything about it at all.”
Doctors at UC Medical Center went on to diagnose her with stage 3 ovarian cancer, local NBC affiliate WLWT 5 reports.
“I didn’t really know the symptoms for ovarian cancer. And since I don’t have family history, I just really didn’t think anything of it,” Gilbert told WLWT. She has since had a full hysterectomy and started chemotherapy.
Gilbert cited her longtime support for the Cincinnati Bengals as one of her comforts as she undergoes treatment. “I feel like the Bengals are always like kind of considered the underdog. And Joe Burrow, he said, ‘Why not us?’ And that really stuck with me,” Gilbert told the local news station.
Gilbert’s brother, Shawn Gilbert, started a GoFundMe to support the financial and emotional costs of his sister’s cancer treatment journey.
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“My dear sister, Jessica Gilbert, a loving mother to 6-year-old Harry and 10-year-old Mia, is facing a tough and unexpected fight,” Shawn wrote in the description.
“We are reaching out to you, our community to rally together and provide Jessica with the financial support she needs to get the best possible care and to ease the burden on her family during this challenging time,” Shawn continued.
As of publication, the fundraiser has raised $25,200 of their $40,000 goal.
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