In honor of the Olympics and just simply because I got an email from someone who asked me to post this article, and of course because my very own mom was affected by this, I have decided to write this post on Ovarian Cancer. First you will get my mom's story and then at the end is an interview with Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller.
My B-E-A-UTIFUL, mom was diagnosed about 21 years ago with Ovarian Cancer. It was the scariest moment of my life. When she sat down and told me that she was going to have surgery and that she had cancer, I was 11 years old, and super scared that I might not get my mom back. I remember thoughts going through my head, "Is cancer contagious?, What if she dies? If she makes it through surgery, will she loose her hair? I don't want to be here without my mom! She has to be ok! "
I'm sure my mom saw the fear on my face, because she started telling me that she was going to be just fine and that this cancer wasn't going to get her down! She then answered all of my questions and at the very end of our conversation when she was explaining what chemo therapy was, she told me that she WOULD NOT loose her hair! She sounded so confident that it was calming and I totally believed her. From that moment on, the way I saw my mom was forever changed. I not only saw my mom as my mother who loves me unconditionally, I saw her as this strong fighter, who wasn't going to take this cancer B.S.! And I still see her as that fighter, and she is the reason I refuse to let this Hashimotos diagnosis get me down!
After my mom had gone through a total hysterectomy, and five months of chemo treatments, my mom was doing well, and didn't go bald from chemo, just like she said! Her hair got a little thinner, but if you would have seen her then, you would have never known that she had cancer and was going through chemo treatments. As you can tell, I am so very proud of my mom for refusing to just take it! For fighting back! She fought a tough fight and won!
One very important thing she taught me was to pay attention to my body! She said get familiar with how I feel. If something doesn't feel right, say something, have it checked out. It turns out, that, that advise has helped me be a fighter myself. I may not have cancer, but I do have Hashimotos, and I am VERY familiar with how my body works. I have become familiar with my symptoms and know when my medication needs to be adjusted. I have even gotten fired as a patient by my doctor because I KNOW how I want to feel, and I'm not going to let ANY of these symptoms take me down, not for a second, just because, "It's the nature of Hashimotos." Do I sound like a hard a$#? Well I hope I do!
So my advice to all of you out there, PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODIES!!!
If something doesn't feel right have it checked out. Don't be scared of the outcome! And get a BAD ASS attitude. Be a fighter!
With that said, we should all be aware that cancer doesn't care who you are. Some types of cancer can also be silent with no symptoms at all. So it is also very important to go to your yearly check ups, and know your family history.
That said, here is my mom's story in her own words
Ok, you asked about my symptoms before I was diagnosed with
ovarian cancer I will try to keep this short.
I had always experienced major cramps
before and during my periods. I saw a doctor once when I was 18 who after a
quick exam told me I had cancer. With that scary news I told my mom what he had said to me she then
made an appointment with another doctor who said no I did not have cancer and
treated me for a yeast infection (neither doctor ran any tests just a quick
exam.) This was 1977.
When I was 21 I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. (I had a normal
pregnancy no problems)
About 2 ½ years later the cramps began to get worse, some would
stop me in my tracks. I visited doctors who would just prescribe
pain meds and send me on my way. At times I would feel bloated or felt like I
was pregnant and with all the trips to the bathroom, I either had to pee often,
was constipated or had diarrhea, I was miserable. More trips to doctors, more prescriptions, some
for infections of one type or another, some doctors would again prescribe pain
meds and advised curling up with a heating pad until the pain subsided. I
missed work often and pissed off bosses, who took cramps as just an excuse to
not come in to work. My periods were awful! I sometimes felt as if I might bleed to death.
One doctor suggested I may have endometriosis which might explain why I had
difficulty getting pregnant again, but he never confirmed it exactly. Yes I had
pap tests over the years all I was told were normal, until I was almost 33 and
a single mom at that point.
That spring with my new
health insurance I went to my new doctor (a woman) for my annual exam. She took
her time and felt something odd on my right side, she asked questions and then she
ordered an ultrasound and some blood tests, one very important test, a CA-125
test. I remember during this time a
woman had approached me in a store one day and asked me when my baby was
due........not pregnant, just bloated that day.
The blood test came back “slightly elevated” and
the ultrasound showed something on my right ovary. My lovely new doctor sat me
down and explained what she thought it was, I can’t tell you exactly what she
said because my head was just swimming with this rush of very scary
information, she advised that I have surgery soon to have this removed, I said
I needed time to think about it and left her office.
All of this new information swam through my head I had a lot to
think about and I knew this was way serious; Gilda Radner had died from this
disease!!
I decided I needed an outside opinion, so I looked for a doctor
outside of my health plan. But while I was waiting for that appointment, my
doctor and her nurse were not giving up on me!!
They called me at work, left messages at my home, they were
relentless, begging me to “please don’t ignore this! Let’s get the surgery scheduled,
your life depends on it!”
I was so scared, here’s me,
single mom, and very afraid. I would be
leaving my daughter without a mom, this was a very tough decision. But with the
love and support of my parents, sister & very special friends I agreed to
the surgery.
When the surgery process
was explained to me I was asked if I wanted more children, (depending on where
the tumor was would determine weather it not they would perform a hysterectomy)
well yes I wanted more kids, but I told her to do what they had to do, I would
deal with whatever the outcome.
Well, surgery happened. When
I was waking up I remember asking “what happened?”. I was
told that they removed my appendix, I remember thinking in my drugged up head “oh
that’s on my right side, that’s what was wrong!!” Sadly no, that wasn’t all.
Yes they got the tumor, thank God, and everything else. No, not just
hysterectomy but an Oophorectomy, they chose this procedure to remove the risk
of another tumor developing again as this type of cancer was hormone driven. When
the results came back I was told that the tumor was the size of my pinkie (they
caught it early) and that the type of cancer was very rare.
The oncologist met with me
I was to have chemo every 3 weeks for 5 to 6 months, and with the love and
support of my parents, sister, beautiful daughter and really special friends
who “had coffee with God every
day” we got through those tough 5 months... And years to follow.
If it had not been for my
caring doctor and her wonderful nurse never giving up on me to have the surgery,
I wouldn’t be here to tell my story, but here it is 20 years later, and I’m
still here!!
And, no I couldn’t have more babies, but I was blessed to marry
the most loving wonderful man in the world with two beautiful daughters that I
had the honor of adopting and raising.
Well that’s it, not as short as I had hoped to keep it, but maybe
my story will be of help to someone.
God Bless.
Here is also an interview with Olympian Shannon Miller who was also diagnosed Ovarian Cancer
http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/staff/from-olympic-gold-to-ovarian-cancer-our-interview-with-former-us-gymnast-shannon-miller.htm
I hope all of this information reaches someone who needs it.
As always,
Happy Thyroids (and this time, Happy Ovaries Too)
