Lorna's Message: Listen To Your Body - Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Such a great idea to spread information in order to get women on board with how their body can subtly be telling them that something is wrong.

You might think that a disease that can potentially be so catastrophic would be announcing itself at full volume, unmistakably obvious in glaring neon lights with headlines stating, “I’m here, you need to seek help!”

Unfortunately not. Ovarian cancer is sly.

It likes to hide behind the symptoms that many women can suffer from monthly with their periods – bloating, abdominal/pelvic pain or discomfort, back pain, fatigue - all symptoms that women put up with every month.

However, if you realise that you have these symptoms with added new ones such as feeling full quickly after eating with constant bloating, an urgent/frequent need to urinate, changes in bowel habits, irregular bleeding, rapid weight gain/loss that are different to your normal signs GET YOURSELF TO YOUR GP.

THIS is how your body is subtly telling you, and as you know your body best, PLEASE don’t ignore it.

As a founder of The Robin Cancer Trust, I knew all the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer – I won’t bore you with all the details as I’ve gone over them on previous posts but in a nutshell, after having various intestinal problems since I was in my thirties (I’m now 68 yrs old), the pain that I felt in my lower left pelvic area, in January 2024 and lead me to make a GP appointment immediately as I thought I’d developed diverticulitis, wasn’t that at all.

It was stage three high grade serous carcinoma ovarian cancer that had spread to my omentum, the fatty layer that protects the organs in that lower pelvic area and my peritoneum, that lines the abdominal wall, giving me a CA125 blood test tumour marker reading of 555 - WITHOUT ME REALISING.

Therefore 2024 was the year that I had chemotherapy for three sessions, underwent debulking surgery which involved a complete hysterectomy and removal of my omentum and peritoneum layers, then another three sessions of chemotherapy to mop up any stray cells.

I was told I was in remission in September ’24 and was put onto a parp inhibitor medication called Olaparib, which is a targeted cancer drug that blocks cancer cells from repairing themselves therefore the cells die, which aim to reduce the chance of the cancer returning.

That medication has worked effectively up until recently – my regular blood tests are

now showing that my tumour markers are rising again, therefore I have been informed that I will probably be back on chemotherapy within three to six months’ time.

To sum up, had I become complacent because I’d gotten so used to having constant

bowel changes over many years? I don’t believe that I had because as soon as I had

the pain developing, which was a new symptom for me, I made an appointment to

see my GP, therefore my main message that I want to put across to you is:

A) Be aware of your normal/usual sensations and symptoms within your body on a

monthly basis.

B) Don’t put up with new symptoms thinking that they will go away.

C) Don’t hesitate to see your GP if you have any of the symptoms listed above.

D) Please don’t ever think that you’re bothering your GP/you’re too busy/haven’t got

time to make a GP appointment – YOU matter!

E) Don’t believe that a regular cervical smear test will detect ovarian cancer – it

doesn’t.

F) Most importantly of all remember that “You’re Not Ovaryacting!”

Yes it is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, but teach yourselves to be aware every

month and take care of yourselves ladies. You know your bodies better than anyone

else so listen to those subtle messages as they can potentially save your life.

Written by Lorna Freeman

Learn more about the symptoms of ovarian cancer here.