Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
By daeckardt
@daeckardt (6237)
United States
September 19, 2012 9:27pm CST
Hi everyone!
I'm not sure this has been brought up yet or not, but I will get on my soapbox for a few minutes. For those who know me, I am currently in treatment for a recurrence of ovarian cancer. The strange thing about my original diagnosis in 2003 was that it occurred September 13 (right in the middle of the ovarian cancer awareness month). I only found out after my surgery when my sister-in-law told me that. I was cancer free from about February 2004 until December 2010.
I would like to suggest to all of you women to become aware of your body and if you sense something is not as it should be...get it checked out. This is good advice for anyone of course! I won't include very many links here, but here is one showing four early signs: http://www.webmd.com/ovarian-cancer/news/20070613/ovarian-cancer-symptoms-4-early-signs
These include: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly and urinary frequency or urgency. I had all of these symptoms and my clothes weren't fitting me well and I was looking pregnant even though I hadn't done anything to get that way. My doctor tried to tell me I just had a UTI. She finally got me in to a gynecologist a month or so later after a CT and MRI showed a large mass and that afternoon she referred me to a gyn/onc and a week later I was in surgery.
If this message can get even one person to get checked out early it is worth the time spent on it. If you are able to get diagnosed in the early stages survival is much more likely than if you wait until the later stages. Even if you just pass this information on to the women in your lives (this is for the men in the group!) you can make a difference! Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer. It whispers so listen!
1 person likes this
4 responses
@adnileb (5276)
• Philippines
21 Sep 12
Thanks for that one!
Hope all is well for you today. 
As I am reading the symptoms, I often feel bloating because of the air in my tummy. Then, after few farts, it is gone. 
My boyfriend tells me I have the symptoms but when he read "difficulty eating", he said it's not. Baaaaad boyfriend. But it is true, I don't have difficulty in eating. 
Anyways, hope every mylooter could read this discussion so that they may be aware of it before something bad gets worse.
Thanks again!!
Have a safe day!
As I am reading the symptoms, I often feel bloating because of the air in my tummy. Then, after few farts, it is gone.
My boyfriend tells me I have the symptoms but when he read "difficulty eating", he said it's not. Baaaaad boyfriend. But it is true, I don't have difficulty in eating.
Anyways, hope every mylooter could read this discussion so that they may be aware of it before something bad gets worse.
Thanks again!!
Have a safe day!1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
21 Sep 12
At least it got you thinking! You know your body and if something doesn't improve given time then it is important to get it checked out. Like you say your symptoms improve quickly so as long as you are aware of that and watch for changes in that you should be ok. Have a great weekend!!!
@AmbiePam (88834)
• United States
20 Sep 12
You are so right. I'm glad you brought it up. I need to go get a check. You are supposed to have one every year, correct? Does it show up in a pap smear? And what kind of lunatic tells you that a UTI is why your clothes don't fit and you fill up quickly, ect...I hope she felt badly when she found out what it was.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (88834)
• United States
20 Sep 12
Okay, so it is ovarian that does not show up on the pap smear. I couldn't remember if that was cervical or ovarian. I don't know if you've ever heard of the show Real World/Road Rules Challenge, sometimes it is called Battle of the Seasons. It's on MTV. I don't like the individual shows because, well, I don't watch 'em. But one of the seasons they had the challenge I watched it and they feautured a young girl who had ovarian cancer. Long story short, she went on to another season and then another. And now, at age 30, she recently announced her ovarian cancer is back. Thiry and she's now completely thrown into menopause not to mention fighting for her life.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
21 Sep 12
Wow! I remember reading recently a post that someone made about a 9 year old girl who had germ cell ovarian cancer. I hope that this woman wasn't the same way and that the little girl I read about doesn't have a recurrence when she is older. Thanks for sharing!
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
22 Sep 12
I honestly didn't know that September was ovarian cancer awareness month. But now it is something that I know and I will definitely remind all of the females in my life that there is a lot of importance in getting regular gynecological checks.
In my real life, I've never known anyone that has suffered from ovarian cancer, but I do know that it is a cancer that is more common than we really know about.
And of course, I hope that you have the best of luck with your continuing treatment for your cancer.
1 person likes this
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
22 Sep 12
I remember thinking when I was first told that cancer was suspected that I kept thinking this can't be happening to me. I was only 43 and was too young to have cancer. Of course there are kids who get cancer so that part doesn't really apply. I read recently about a 9 year old girl who had a germ cell ovarian cancer and had been through chemo and all that. So I guess no female is really safe from this disease. I just hope that one day that this and all forms of cancer are cured. Have a great weekend!!!
@merylinkid (69)
• United States
21 Sep 12
Thank you for your message.
Good luck and hang in there. I hope for the best for you.
