BARNEGAT – By the time Nicole Argento walked into CityMD in Manahawkin just days before New Year’s Eve last year, the 34-year-old Barnegat mother was tired, uncomfortable and certain she knew exactly what was wrong.
She had already been turned away from three urgent care centers that day because they were too full to see her. All she wanted was a simple antibiotic for what she believed was a urinary tract infection. The lower abdominal pain felt like menstrual cramps. It did not seem serious. It did not seem life-threatening.
She certainly did not expect to hear the words “Go to the emergency room.”
Yet that is precisely what Dr. Michael Zielinski, the urgent care physician told her after she mentioned that her back had started hurting in addition to the abdominal discomfort.
“I just kept asking him to give me the antibiotic,” Nicole said, recalling how she pleaded her case. “I didn’t want to sit in the ER for hours.”
But the doctor refused to budge. Looking back now, Nicole believes that refusal may have saved her life.
The Hospital Visit She Tried To Avoid
Reluctantly, Nicole drove to Southern Ocean Medical Center, still thinking this would end with medication. She handed over the paperwork from the urgent care facility and explained that she was there because of a suspected UTI.
Instead of confirming an infection, emergency room physicians ordered imaging to rule out a kidney issue because of her reported back pain. The results quickly shifted the conversation.
“They told me I did not have a UTI,” Nicole recalled. “And then they said they found a really large mass on my right ovary.”
Nicole remained hospitalized for additional testing over the next two days as doctors ran bloodwork and further scans, explaining that while some markers suggested cancer, they would not know for certain until they operated. She was discharged just before New Year’s Eve with strict instructions to see an oncologist in Neptune the following afternoon.
Within two weeks, she was scheduled for surgery.
What Surgeons Found
Based on the imaging, physicians initially believed the mass might be limited to one ovary and that the surgery could be relatively straightforward. Nicole prepared herself for the possibility of losing one ovary, never imagining the scope of what would follow.
Once surgeons opened her abdomen, they discovered a second tumor on the other ovary and evidence that the cancer had already spread throughout her abdominal cavity.
When Nicole woke up, she had a long incision running down her abdomen and devastating news: Stage 3 ovarian cancer.
In addition to removing both ovaries, surgeons performed a full hysterectomy and treated cancerous tissue that had spread to multiple organs within her abdomen. At just 34 years old, Nicole was suddenly thrust into surgical menopause, grieving not only for her health but also the future she had imagined.
“I wanted to have more children,” she said softly.
Understanding A “Silent” Cancer
Nicole was diagnosed with Stage 3 epithelial ovarian cancer, the most common type of ovarian cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, epithelial tumors account for approximately 90 percent of ovarian cancer cases and begin in the cells that form the outer surface of the ovaries. The National Cancer Institute notes that ovarian cancer is often referred to as a “silent disease” because its early symptoms are vague and easily mistaken for more common, less serious conditions such as bloating, abdominal discomfort or urinary changes.
Looking back, Nicole realizes how easily her symptoms blended into everyday life.
Nicole works for Ocean County Social Services, processing Medicaid renewals and applications in a building with multiple long staircases. When she experienced cramping climbing those stairs, Nicole assumed she was simply out of shape.
“I really thought I just needed to work out more,” she said.
Chemotherapy And Community
After recovering from surgery, Nicole began chemotherapy, understanding that even though surgeons removed visible tumors, microscopic cancer cells can remain.
“They explained it like when you go to the beach,” she said. “You wash off the sand, but the next day there’s still some in your bed. The chemo gets what they can’t see.”
Then came another blow. A port inserted in her chest for chemotherapy became infected, leading to sepsis and blood clots in her lungs. Nicole described it as the sickest she had ever felt, struggling to breathe and battling a high fever before returning to the hospital.
Chemotherapy is now temporarily paused while she receives IV antibiotics through a PICC line.
Fourteen days after her first chemo treatment, Nicole’s hair began falling out rapidly. Severe matting forced her to seek immediate help shaving it.
She turned to Wigs & Wishes in Blackwood, where founder Martino Cartier provides free wigs to cancer patients, an experience she described as both heartbreaking and empowering.
“My body changed so fast,” she said. “The scars, the hair, everything.”
Nicole’s greatest concern has not been for herself, but her 7-year-old son, Cooper, a second grader at Cecil S. Collins School. She explained to Cooper that she was sick and needed medicine that would help her get better, even if it made her tired and caused her hair to fall out.
“Mommy, you’re still going to be beautiful to me,” Cooper told her.
Her boyfriend of five years, James Mancini, has stepped into a steady caregiving role, helping with school drop-offs, sports practices and the daily rhythms of parenting when Nicole is too exhausted to leave bed.
The Barnegat community has rallied around them. Other parents have offered rides and childcare. The local baseball league waived Cooper’s registration fee this season. Teachers sent gift cards and financial support. “It’s been amazing,” Nicole said.
Friends and family have organized a fundraising benefit to help offset mounting medical expenses and support Nicole and Cooper during treatment.
The event will take place on April 18 at the Beach Haven Moose Lodge 1575 and will feature a full Italian dinner and dessert, open bar with beer, wine and soda, a 50/50 raffle and a Tricky Tray auction. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.
Tickets may be purchased at the Moose Lodge or by calling Mary at 609-713-5488. Venmo and Zelle options are also available for those who wish to contribute but cannot attend.
A GoFundMe campaign titled “Your Kindness Equals Strength For Nicole” has also been established to assist with ongoing medical and household expenses.
Nicole is expected to undergo six rounds of chemotherapy, likely continuing through the summer. Her doctors are optimistic, but the months ahead will require endurance, patience and faith.
When asked what gives her strength during the hardest moments, her answer comes quickly. “My son,” she said.
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