It is almost the end of September and I can’t let it slip by without reminding everyone that it is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Though it seems impossible that so many years have gone by, it has been 14 years now since my precious friend Andrea Smith passed away at just 37 years old after a fierce battle with ovarian cancer and I always want to share information about it in her memory because it is often difficult to detect and therefore found in the later stages, making it harder to treat.
First, here is a post from several years ago about our sweet Andrea. ❤
She was a precious soul and she fought hard for more than two years. As I recall, her cancer was in a Stage Three when it was found – serious for any cancer but especially ovarian cancer.
This is sadly common when we speak of detecting ovarian cancer because its symptoms can be vague and mimic so many other things women are accustomed to experiencing such as pain related to the menstrual cycle or other reproductive system issues or they may be attributed to GI problems like IBS or food intolerances.
In thinking of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, it is important to get any lingering concerns – even if they seem small, but just won’t stop – checked out.
Early detection makes an incredible difference in outcomes of all cancers – and this is especially true of ovarian cancer.
As the above graphic states, if ovarian cancer is detected before it has spread beyond the ovaries, it has a 90% cure rate – which is just amazing. However, only 19% of cases are found this early.
This is why awareness of unusual symptoms is so critical (again):
- Bloating
- Feeling Full Quickly When Eating
- Loss of Appetite
- Abdominal or Pelvic Pain
- Urinary Frequency or Urgency
- Pain with Intercourse
- Sudden Unexplained Back Pain
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Indigestion
- Nausea
These are just the primary ones. Investigate any persistent unusual symptoms. It’s always better to get checked and leave with reassurance than to ignore something until it’s a spreading problem.
Be well, everybody. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Grace and Blessings.
the autoimmune hippie. 