PEABODY â Itâs been 13 years since Peabody resident Robin Bernstein was diagnosed with cancer. Now cancer free, sheâs riding in the Pan-Mass Challengeâs Winter Cycle for the sixth time to fight the terrible disease.
âI want to let people know what I went through and that thereâs hope,â said Bernstein, a 61-year-old legal assistant. âThatâs the biggest thing: Thereâs hope. Youâve got to believe.â
It was May 2012 when Bernstein became concerned by how much more frequently she was using the bathroom each day and noticed that her stomach was fully distended. The Tuesday after Memorial Day, a doctorâs visit turned into a sudden trip to the hospital for testing on a mass in her body.
At 9:40 p.m. that night, her doctor shared news that she never expected: She had ovarian cancer.
âI donât know how I got home that night, but I didâ¦â Bernstein said. âYou can have all the money in the world, but if you donât have your health, you have absolutely nothing.â
Bernstein underwent surgery for a hysterectomy and to remove her appendix and the cancerous mass that June. When she woke up in little pain and without a colostomy bag following the surgery, she had a feeling everything was going to be OK.
She was right. On July 3, 2012, Bernsteinâs oncologist called her to let her know the cancer was Stage 1 and Grade 1A, meaning she wouldnât need chemotherapy or radiation.
âI walked outside of Starbucks, I sat on the ground and I bawled my eyes out. I thought I was going to have a heart attack,â Bernstein said. âHealth is wealth.â
Bernstein takes part in the Pan-Mass Challenge to support those who are still fighting their cancer and raise money for a cure.
Sheâs participating in the organizationâs PMC Winter Cycle on March 9 at Fenway Park. Along with hundreds of others, sheâll be riding a stationary bike and raising funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Participants have to raise a minimum of $400. Bernsteinâs already raised about $2,100 from friends, colleagues and even current cancer patients.
âOne woman that lives on the North Shore, sheâs got pancreatic cancer. She doesnât have more than six months to live, and sheâs one of the people that donated to my ride,â Bernstein said. âThatâs pretty special.â
As jarring as her diagnosis was, Bernstein counts herself as one of the lucky ones.
âI just think how lucky am I to be sitting on a bike pedaling, listening to music? How lucky am I to be 12-and-a-half years cancer free?â she said.
âThere is hope. Youâve got to believe that eventually, thereâs going to be a cure.â
For more information on the Pan-Mass Challenge, visit www.pmc.org/. To donate to Bernsteinâs ride, go to http://tinyurl.com/robinsridepmc.
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.