When the news broke that Andrea Gibson had passed away in July 2025, it felt like a collective intake of breath across the poetry world. People weren't just sad; they were mourning a voice that had essentially taught an entire generation of queer kids how to breathe. But for those who weren't following every Instagram update or Substack post, one question kept surfacing: what kind of cancer did Andrea Gibson have?
They were 49. It felt too soon. It always does.
Andrea was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the summer of 2021. But it wasn't just a "medical event" for them. If you know anything about Andrea's work, you know they didn't just "have" cancer—they wrestled with it, wrote about it, and eventually, in a way that sounds almost impossible, they befriended it.
The Diagnosis: When a "Stomach Bug" Isn't One
It started like so many stories do—with something that seemed like nothing. Andrea initially thought they were just dealing with a persistent stomach bug. Maybe some indigestion or a weird virus.
By August 2021, the reality hit. It wasn't a bug.
It was ovarian cancer. Specifically, it was an aggressive form that had already begun to move. For a person who spent much of their life struggling with severe hypochondria and "crushing anxiety," this was the ultimate nightmare come to life. Andrea often talked about how they’d spent years terrified of getting sick.
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Then, the thing they feared most actually happened.
And something weird occurred: the anxiety vanished. Andrea described it as if the "bracing" for the disaster was actually more exhausting than the disaster itself. Once the monster was in the room, they didn't have to look under the bed anymore.
Four Years of Chemotherapy and "Radiant Health"
Andrea’s battle lasted four years. That’s a long time to be in the ring with ovarian cancer.
The medical specifics were heavy. They underwent a radical hysterectomy. They endured round after round of chemotherapy, often describing themselves as "doing chemo almost nonstop." At one point, about two years into the journey, their doctors told them the cancer was terminal and incurable.
Most people would crumble. Andrea wrote a poem about it.
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They started talking about "radiant health" while they were literally losing their hair. It sounds like some toxic positivity nonsense until you actually heard them speak. They weren't ignoring the tumors in their lungs or liver; they were just refusing to let the cancer be the only thing happening in their body.
- Diagnosis Date: August 2021
- Primary Site: Ovaries
- Metastasis: Eventually spread to the lungs and liver
- Treatment: Radical hysterectomy, multiple lines of chemotherapy, and holistic healing modalities
The Reality of Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
Andrea's story is a pretty stark reminder of why ovarian cancer is often called the "silent killer." The symptoms are notoriously vague.
Think about it: bloating, feeling full quickly, pelvic pain, or "stomach bugs" that don't go away. These are things we all feel after a bad burrito or a stressful week. Because there is no standard screening test for ovarian cancer (a Pap smear does not detect it), it's frequently caught in later stages.
In Andrea’s case, it had progressed significantly by the time it was identified. They were open about the fact that they had also lived with chronic Lyme disease since 2010, which likely made it even harder to distinguish new pains from old ones.
Come See Me in the Good Light
If you want to see what those final years actually looked like, you should check out the documentary Come See Me in the Good Light. It premiered at Sundance in 2025, just months before Andrea died.
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The film is... a lot. It’s a love story between Andrea and their wife, Megan Falley. But it’s also a very raw look at what it means to live in a body that is breaking down while your spirit is hitting its peak.
One of the most moving parts of Andrea's later years was their poem "MAGA Hat in the Chemo Room." It’s basically about sitting next to someone who represents everything you politically oppose, but realizing you’re both just humans tethered to the same IV pole. That was Andrea's gift—finding the thread of connection when everything else was falling apart.
Living With the "End"
Andrea died on July 14, 2025, at their home in Longmont, Colorado. They were surrounded by their wife, their parents, and—in true Andrea fashion—several ex-girlfriends who had remained close friends.
They didn't "lose their battle." That's a phrase people hate, and Andrea certainly didn't use it. They simply finished their time here.
Honestly, the way they handled their ovarian cancer diagnosis changed the way a lot of people think about mortality. They stopped fighting the facts of their life and started "thanking" life instead. It’s a wild shift to make when you're facing a terminal diagnosis, but it gave them a kind of peace that most healthy people never find.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Health
If Andrea’s story has you thinking about your own health or someone you love, here are a few things that actually matter when it comes to ovarian cancer:
- Know the vague symptoms: Persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, and feeling full quickly are the "big three." If these last for more than two weeks, see a doctor.
- Understand the testing: Again, a Pap smear is for cervical cancer. If you're worried about your ovaries, you need to ask for a transvaginal ultrasound or a CA-125 blood test.
- Family history matters: If you have a history of breast or ovarian cancer in your family, talk to a genetic counselor about the BRCA gene.
- Advocate for yourself: Andrea often said that once they heard "we can't save you," they finally felt like their life was back in their own hands. Don't wait for a terminal diagnosis to take ownership of your medical journey.
Andrea Gibson’s legacy isn't just their poems about gender or heartbreak anymore. It's now also a roadmap for how to face the unthinkable with a weird, beautiful kind of grace. They showed us that even when the body is failing, the person inside can be more alive than ever.