February 14, 2025
A fulfilling life on the other side of ovarian cancer
As a wife and a mother, Autumn Gray was determined to beat cancer to be present for her loved ones’ special moments.
The symptoms Gray initially dismissed as food poisoning later proved to be the signs of Stage 3 ovarian cancer.
At age 48, Autumn Gray still had a lot of life left ahead of her — and a number of big family milestones on the horizon. Both of her children were in college, and her daughter was soon to be engaged. But an ovarian cancer diagnosis threatened to keep her from being there to celebrate life’s biggest moments.
Much worse than food poisoning
Gray was on a vacation in November 2019 when she felt pain in her lower abdominal area. The pain was so severe that it forced her to cut the trip short. Upon returning home, the discomfort subsided, and she figured it was just a bad case of food poisoning. But when she went back to work, her colleagues observed a noticeable difference in her appearance and encouraged her to see a doctor.
Gray, a Kaiser Permanente member in San Diego, California, got a same-day appointment with a primary care doctor. The doctor suspected appendicitis based on her complaint of belly pain and the findings of a CT scan. However, appendicitis can be hard to diagnose, and tests aren’t always conclusive, so the diagnosis often is not confirmed until surgery.
Not wanting to take any chances, Gray enthusiastically scheduled an appendectomy to have her appendix removed. During the procedure, no issues were found with her appendix, but the surgeon discovered internal bleeding near her ovaries.
A gynecologist was brought in, and they were concerned by the presence of small implants, or clumps of tissue, often consistent with endometriosis. A biopsy was performed and found to be cancerous. Gray was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer.
“When I came out of surgery and they gave me the news, I was floored,” said Gray. “That changed the entire trajectory of my life.”
She started a 4-month chemotherapy regimen in January 2020. Two months later, the COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented strain on the health care industry.
“When COVID-19 hit, Kaiser Permanente never missed a beat with regard to my treatment,” Gray recalled. “While I had to go to the remainder of my appointments alone, the pandemic never disrupted my treatment plan. I know that wasn’t the case for some cancer patients at other hospitals.”
Living life to the fullest
On April 20, 2020, Gray finished her last round of chemotherapy. She was then put on a PARP inhibitor, a class of drug that can prevent cancer cells from repairing damage to their DNA. Regular CT scans and colonoscopies have confirmed that she remains in the clear.
As of early 2025, Gray is approaching 5 years of being cancer-free, a major milestone for all cancer survivors. In that time, she has been intentional about making the most of all that life has to offer.
She took a trip to Greece with her husband. She attended both of her children’s college graduation ceremonies. She helped her daughter plan her wedding and saw her get married. She watched her son become an officer in the United States Marine Corps, head off to flight school, and get engaged.
Her advice to others dealing with cancer is straightforward: “Ask questions of your doctors. Trust the process. Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Focus on one round of treatment at a time.”
Learn more about cancer care at Kaiser Permanente.
