Think Teal: September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Finding a cure for, or at the very least, a more precise and accurate panel of testing and diagnosis for Ovarian Cancer, has been a cause close to my heart since losing my aunt to the disease in 2004. She was 42 years old and had been misdiagnosed for three years. 

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, so I thought I would take this opportunity to write about some of the facts surrounding this disease. Ovarian Cancer is know as the silent killer--the cancer that whispers--because the symptoms can be so subtle and easy to miss. The symptoms are "generic," if you will, and are often confused with other conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and bladder infection.

This is taken from the Mayo Clinic's web site:

The key seems to be persistent or worsening signs and symptoms. With most digestive disorders, symptoms tend to come and go, or they occur in certain situations or after eating certain foods. With ovarian cancer, there's typically little fluctuation — symptoms are constant and gradually worsen.

Recent studies have shown that women with ovarian cancer are more likely than are other women to consistently experience the following symptoms:

• Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating
• Urinary urgency
• Pelvic discomfort or pain

Additional signs and symptoms that women with ovarian cancer may experience include:

• Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
• Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
• Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full
• Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist
• Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
• A persistent lack of energy
• Low back pain
• Changes in menstruation

When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you have swelling, bloating, pressure or pain in your abdomen or pelvis that lasts for more than a few weeks. If you've already seen a doctor and received a diagnosis other than ovarian cancer, but you're not getting relief from the treatment, schedule a follow-up visit with your doctor or get a second opinion. Make sure that a pelvic exam is a part of your evaluation.

The CA-125 blood test is also available now and serves as a pretty accurate marker in discovering the presence of ovarian cancer in the blood. CA-125 is found on the surface of ovarian cancer cells (as well as normal tissue). A higher than normal level of C-125 can be an indication that cancer {or other disease} is present in the body. 

This is not meant to be an alarmist post, but rather an informational one. I think it's good to always keep information like this in the back of your head for reference. If you or someone you know mentions any of these symptoms, it would be a good idea to have it checked out. Perhaps the worst part of my Aunt's story is that she was consistently misdiagnosed for three years. Thankfully, a new level of awareness about this disease has come to the forefront of our collective medical conscious since my aunt lost her battle. The more information you have, the more you can be an advocate for your own health.

Major retailers are donating a percentage of September's profits to the fight against Ovarian Cancer; you can see a list of retailers and items here. For more information on the various OC events going on this September, you can check out this web site. For more information on the ongoing fight against Ovarian Cancer, you can check out the NOCC's web site. 

Friday, September 3rd, is the designated day to wear Teal in honor of the fight against Ovarian Cancer, so if you have any fun teal pieces in your closet, tomorrow would be a perfect day to break them out :)

I hope everyone enjoys a happy and safe long Holiday weekend! As always, thanks for reading.

xoxo,

Andi