A woman's battle with ovarian cancer as told by her daughter.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
pink October..........
Three years ago a mammogram saved my life. It found the start of cancer so I could stop it in its tracks. It's easy to remember to do your self-checks or mammograms in 'Pink October', but please remember them all year. You should also be aware that if women in your family have had breast or ovarian cancer, you could be genetically at risk. Know what you need to know, and do what you need to do- Knowledge is power..
If you read nothing else here, please scroll to the bottom of the page and read what is written there.
I started this journal when my mother was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer.
The entry that I wrote shortly after her death was meant to be my last.
After some time had passed, I remembered my mother's words; "If just one person is helped by what is learned from my illness, then everything will be alright..".
I then decided to leave this journal in place, and write entries from time to time in hope that someone reading will learn something that may help them or others...
You can start reading from December 2004 in the archives if you would like to read our story from the beginning. Read the comments as well. They contain wonderful, comforting words from many amazing people.......
(written September of 2005) I have learned much in the last nine months.
I have read that ovarian cancer whispers. I say it screams. It just needs someone to listen. The American Cancer Society statistics for ovarian cancer estimate that there will be 22,220 new cases and 16,210 deaths in 2005. This is a death rate FOUR TIMES that of breast cancer.Almost 70 percent of women with the common epithelial ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until the disease is advanced in stage. The 5-year survival rate for these women is only 15 to 20 percent. This is unacceptable. Women need to be made more aware of the symptoms, and doctors need to listen to their patients. Especially when the patient tells them that they fear they have ovca, as my mother did for almost a year before she was finally diagnosed. It’s so sad and senseless when a woman knows the symptoms but can’t get anyone to listen to what she is saying.
