Tuesday 30 July 2013

What every woman should know about ovarian cancer

You may have noticed I haven't been around much in the past week. I haven't really felt like blogging. Or reading. Or much of anything. You see, my former boss, Sarah McCarthy, who gave me my big break and changed my life, passed away from ovarian cancer last week. Even though she's been sick for a couple of years, it still came as a shock. She was always so positive and selfless. She was a beautiful person, inside and out, and it's devastating to think that she won't be in the world anymore.


Ovarian cancer is a freaking scary disease. According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, early diagnosis is really important, but because the symptoms aren't always obvious, most women aren't diagnosed until they're already in an advanced stage of the disease. There is no screening test - which means, contrary to what many believe, it is not detected in your pap smear (that would be cervical cancer). Only about 30 per cent of women whose ovarian cancer is diagnosed in an advanced stage (sadly, the majority) will survive for more than five years. 

I remember reading these statistics in the office, when Sah told us about her diagnosis. We were terrified for her. Less than five years? Impossible, I thought. That can't happen. It can't be right. Not to Sah. 

Less than three years later, here we are.

The thing I will always remember about Sah is her strength. She was amazingly positive and fierce. She didn't like to focus on the disease, but instead on living life. She was an inspiration to me and so many others in so many ways. She was bright and bubbly and intelligent and funny and incredibly, incredibly brave. She was also passionate about advocating for ovarian cancer research and awareness. She wrote about her journey on her blog, See How I Run, and it's an amazing read.


I wasn't sure about writing this post, because it's not exactly related to the rest of my blog. But I not only want to honour Sah, I also want all the beautiful ladies I know - and don't know - to be aware of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation explains that symptoms include: 

  • Vague abdominal pain or pressure
  • Feeling of abdominal fullness, gas, nausea, or indigestion different to your normal sensations.
  • Sudden abdominal swelling, weight gain or bloating
  • Persistent changes in bowel or bladder patterns
  •  Lower backache or cramps
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding
  • Pain during intercourse
  • Unexplained weight loss

As you can see, the symptoms are pretty vague and can be explained away by so many things. But it's good to be aware of them so that if you do experience any, you can get it checked out by a doctor. Chances are it won't be ovarian cancer - but it's worth being sure.

If you're interested in donating to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, here is how you can do so.


Rest in peace, Sah. 

22 comments:

  1. What a wonderful tribute to your friend.

    We lost a close family friend to ovarian cancer, so thank you for posting the warning signs.

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    1. So sorry to hear that. It's an awful disease.

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  2. What a beautiful dedication to your friend. I'm sorry for your loss, I hope that raising awareness of the warning signs helps other women.

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  3. What a sad and lovely post. I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend and mentor. It is always so hard to lose somebody you are close with. I think it is wonderful that you are trying to raise awareness of such a hard and awful disease. My mother is a cancer survivor. Advocacy is so important.

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  4. I'm so sorry for your loss, Belle. I think it's wonderful that you've chosen to honour and dedicate such an informative and lovely post to a dear friend/colleague.

    My great-grandmother died of ovarian cancer and my grandmother is a two-time survivor of breast cancer. She tested positive for the BRCA gene last year, as did my aunt and uncle (yes, men can have it too!). Fortunately, my mum did not so I'm less at risk for it, however, I firmly believe that advocacy and education of these diseases are incredibly important. Thank you so much for posting this --- book blog or not, awareness is ALWAYS the key!

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    1. Thanks, Nikki. Sorry to hear about your great-grandmother. It's such an awful disease. But yes, awareness is so important.

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  5. Oh no. She was beautiful and so young. This breaks my heart.

    What a good post. Thanks for spreading the word.

    I'm sorry for you loss btw. She was obviously radiant.

    *hug*

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    1. She was one of those people that lit up a room. So sad.
      Thanks Juju x

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  6. Thank you for sharing your friends journey with us. I have to say.. cancer is a scary thing. I have seen many people suffer from it. I am sorry for your loss.

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    1. It is terrifying. I hope one day they find a cure.

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  7. I'm so sorry for your loss, but what a fantastic way to honour her memory. I remember hearing the stats in health class once and they're terrifying, so until they can work out a better way to test or identify (those symptoms really are the most vague, and so many are such standard period symptoms)it'll be posts like this that help keep it present enough in people's minds to watch out for.

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    1. Thanks Kayleigh. I hope they find a better way to test it soon! It would prevent a lot of women dying.

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  8. I am so sorry for your loss, Belle. She is a truly glowing and beautiful woman in those photos. You did the right thing by posting this. It might help someone and that's what matters. *hugs* to you

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  9. I'm so, so incredibly sorry, Belle, and I think it's incredibly brave of you to post this. I think you've done a really excellent thing, amidst a terrible time.
    xx

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  10. I read something about your friend's passing. I am so sorry that you have lost someone who clearly meant a lot to you and made a difference to you.

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    1. Thanks Marg! She made a massive difference to my life. I'm glad I got the chance to work with her.

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  11. Hi "Belle",

    I came onto your page for the first time today (in what feels like forever) because I have been hard at work gearing up for Uni and have totally missed your blog! I was obviously gearing up for something other than this post. Reading this is devastating and I am so upset to think that something like this can happen to such a gorgeous woman. I grew up reading Girlfriend issues that she was always the editor of. My heart goes out to you and your co-workers, her family and friends. What a tragic loss. I'm lost for words. I'm very glad that you've decided to post on it though, awareness is always the first step. Love your work Belle xo

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    1. Hi Angeline, sorry the post wasn't what you were expecting, but thank you for your kind words. x

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