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BREAK THE SILENCE! Join me in spreading the word about Ovarian Cancer... the symptoms whisper, but THEY EXSIST!

My Mother

My mother was diagnosed with Stage 3C Ovarian Cancer AND stage 2B Cervical Cancer in January 2006. She was scheduled for a hysterectomy only two days prior to her diagnosis! A previous pap smear detected pre cancer cells on her cervix… and therefore, a hysterectomy was recommended. The weekend before her surgery, she found blood in her stool. She called her gynecologist and he figured the blood was from a hemorrhoid- so he told her to get some cream and not worry about it. That didn’t float well with me, so she got dressed and i took her to the ER. After they ruled out hemorrhoids, they sent her in for a CAT scan… and it was at that moment in the emergency room where someone finally saw the ovarian cancer. But by this time it was already a stage 3C- and was wide spread throughout her abdominal cavity and lymph nodes. The pre cancer cells that the PAP smear picked up in her cervix already escalated to a stage 2B. So on this night- 2 days prior to a scheduled hysterectomy , something that was supposed to help PREVENT CANCER FROM OCCURING, my mother was diagnosed with two primary cancers… her life, and mine, were never the same since.She went through surgeries, 3 lines of chemo, radiations, blood transfusions, a long bout with ascities- being tapped numerous times, countless visits to ER, and finally a final stay in hospice. It was a battle I will never ever forget… and although the experience has left a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach, I try hard to remain hopeful. In so doing, I find it critical to spread the awareness about this undeserved disease. I’m here for anyone who has questions, or simply needs someone to talk to. You’re not alone!1) Pap Smears DO NOT detect ovarian cancer. Because my mother’s mom died at a young age (36), there was no “family history” of this disease, and therefore, proper screening was never recommended. Yearly pap smears were the norm… Unfortunately, they weren’t enough.
2) My mother had signs and symptoms that most women often overlook and consider “normal woman symptoms”. In retrospect- they were anything but normalI hope I can shed some light about gynecological cancers and stress the importance of proper screening. My mother was too young to die, and she was too good of a person to have suffered the way she did. She always helped others… this doesn’t have to end now that she’s gone. Through her death- I hope to extend life.
Sweet Dreams Mom

UPDATES

Click on the following links to get up to date information on Ovarian Cancer as it happens in the news!

Last Updated: 11/14/07

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The Role Genetics Play in Ovarian Cancer

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