HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — Louisa Potthast and her mother, Jan Ficarra, have a tight bond—more special than most.
“She’s my hero because she is a four-time cancer survivor. She had her first bout when she was 28 years old,” said Potthast.
Now in her late 70s, Ficarra has fought cancer throughout her life—cervical cancer, breast cancer—twice, and ovarian cancer that spread to her colon.
Through it all, she was determined to stay positive for her family.
“Tomorrow is another day, and I’m going to be there for them. I have things to do. I just have to be there,” said Ficarra.
The example she set had a lasting impact on her daughter.
“This wasn’t going to beat her. She was going to beat it every single time. So that helps a lot with my own positivity. She is a good role model,” said Potthast.
Both women tested positive for BRCA, the gene that can impact a person’s chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
Potthast was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer in June 2021.
“My tumor markers were at almost 7,000, and normal is considered under 30,” said Potthast.
She was rushed into treatment.
“My doctor is Mary Li, and she wasted no time. She got me into treatment right away. I did six rounds every three weeks,” said Potthast.
The chemo was working. Potthast then had a hysterectomy, followed by another round of chemo because the tumor was aggressive.
“I was feeling great and ready to move on with my life,” said Potthast.
Then, shortly after, she suffered a major heart attack and was put on blood thinners that doctors believe caused a serious complication.
“I felt terrible. Very low energy. I could barely get off the couch,” said Potthast.
“My doctor sent me for a blood transfusion, and that would be the first of 18 that I had to do,” she added.
Potthast then recently had to deal with a large blood clot in her leg, and a few months ago, she found out her cancer returned.
“I’m currently in treatment for that every Tuesday. A much lower dose, but the good news is the tumor markers are going down,” said Potthast.
It’s been a long journey for this mother-and-daughter team, but they said they’ve been able to get through it with supportive family, friends, co-workers and especially each other.
“She goes to every appointment with me. Even though she can’t go in the treatment room, you know, since COVID, she stays in the waiting room just to let me know that she’s there. She goes to every doctor’s appointment with me,” said Potthast.
They have a message for anyone else fighting a battle of their own.
“Do everything in your power to think positive. At the end of the day, nobody knows how much time they have. Whether you’re healthy or not, we don’t know. So treat every day like it’s a gift, the gift that it is,” said Potthast.
“Think positive. The mind is a very powerful thing. And spreading that positivity throughout your body and into the world can only help,” she added.
