Here is my story, which is extremely personal to me, but I vowed I would share it a year on from my diagnosis to raise awareness of symptoms and the Target Ovarian Cancer charity.
It's a little over edited, that's the press for you, but with potentially being read by 2million viewers, there will be someone it strikes a cord with and they will hopefully get to their GP sooner rather than later. Prior to diagnosis I hadn't heard of Target Ovarian Cancer, really hoping to get it out there even at the expense of showing my great big bloated tummy!
Good for you and very brave to share your story! It will be very inspiring to people and promote much needed awareness! I hope your son is still well and remains so, it must have been such a tough 3/4 years for you and your family.
Jess this is just so impressive...am trying to get protocols to include laparascopies as diagnostic tools myself! You inspire me....hope you get on the trial...am also an intermittent Marsden patient! Chris xxxx
Oh my, what a difficult time you’ve had - your courage is overwhelming. My own Cancer was undiagnosed for a year despite scans and raised CA125 - they simply couldn’t see anything. I talk about my experience constantly in the hope that at least one more woman perseveres and gets a swift diagnosis. I had a meeting with the professor I was under to ask him whether anything could have been done differently and he has now advised his colleagues that GP surgeries should be told (after initial negative investigations) to retest CA125 every three months and that scanning should take place if it has gone up. Sadly, women need to take the initiative and push for further investigations. I knew I was ill, but couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong.
Wishing you and your whole family well in all you do - you must be very proud of Jaye.
That makes perfect sense! Given that it isn't a wholly reliable tool. I tell all my female friends this is what they should push for if ever they were to experience even just one of the symptoms. It's a fine balance I feel between knowledge and causing fear. But that is always the case with awareness in any cancer diagnosis.
Thanks for sharing - with us and with the world. You have done amazingly well under such difficult circumstances. GPs don't always join the dots on OC, so the message needs to be out there.
Well done Jessica for sharing your story and helping raise awareness of this horrendous disease . Am sure your family are so proud of you and you are a great inspiration to them . Hope your son is continuing to do well and your treatment plan is effective at keeping you stable . I had a similar tummy which expanded over 4 days whilst on holiday in Mauritius when diagnosed but wasn't brave enough to take a pic . Remember standing looking in the mirror thinking something's not right but never entered my head it was cancer !
I stood up and told my story at a well woman's event last week for Ovarian Cancer Action so am trying to do my own small bit to make a difference .
Wishing you many more good days with your beautiful family . Love and best wishes Kim x 💜
Very brave of you to show the picture and it will certainly grab attention but we know how brave you are anyway going through what you do. Exactly the exposure we need. Well done.
Shona
Well done Jess!
I will never forget your terrible complications after surgery and how you stoically dealt with that. Here are my customary flowers 💐💐💐 xxx
Hello , great article for raising awareness. You're very strong and inspiring for sharing your story. I hope this will help women to understand the symptoms better for ovca!!
I had a similar issue. Went to the GP on 8 occasions about my symptoms. They never once recommended an ultrasound and Ca125 test. They simply told me to go to A&e if the symptoms got worse. I eventually ended up in a&e with chronic pain due to an ovarian torsion and was sent home that evening , after being told there is nothing wrong with me. No scan or test was offered. Eventually, after seeing another two private medical consultants (who also did not recommend a scan or blood test) who told me that i am absolutely fine ... I finally saw a third private consultant who ordered the ultrasound and there i was diagnosed with the largest ovarian cyst they'd ever seen and went into surgery on that day.
In total, I saw 7 doctors before the 8th doctor had the common sense to order the scan. Still makes me so angry to this day, i get so upset by it.
My story is so similar to yours, I had been on a long course of strong antibiotics for an eye infection. The specialist had told me they might affect my stomach. It grew just like yours. I went to see two different GPS, the first listened to my tummy and sent me away with laxatives. The second laughed at my stomach and said if I was a sheep he would stick a large needle in me and told me to consult the Fodmaps diet . I still seethe at the memory and haven't seen either of those doctors since. At no point was a CA125 or ultrasound suggested. I was diagnosed in A&E within a day and put on a ward for three nights.
All the best for your treatment ahead and well done being so brave in publishing your story.
Thank you so much for doing this... it takes a huge amount to open up and share such personal aspects of your life. I do truly believe though that articles such as yours can have life-changing effects... bit like dropping pebbles in a pond though, you never know how far the ripples will spread and who will benefit, but be sure that people will!!
You and your lovely family did a great thing.... very best wishes to you all Sxxxx
An excellent article, Jessica. You’re a brave lady for sharing your story, a superb way to promote awareness of OC’s symptoms to thousands of women. Back in 2008 when I was first diagnosed, I was not aware that the bloating, lack of appetite, feeling full quickly were signs of OC. It was consistent light menstrual bleeding which started some 18 months post menopause that drove me to see my GP. She was wonderful. I saw a Gynae within two days (on NHS) , had an ultrasound which showed nothing, CA125 which was within normal range but Gynae was convinced something was amiss so had CT scan which showed mass on my ovary. I guessed straight away that it was cancer as the nurse at the scan asked if I was in treatment or between treatment and looked very taken aback when I told him I was awaiting diagnosis. So early diagnosis, surgery and chemo gave me eight good years before it came back last year.
Thank you for sharing your story. It is really important that awareness is made. I know here in my little world, nearly no one is aware of it or it's symptoms, but doing what I can to shed light on it. Whats even scarier is regular doctors and nurses think once you have had the ovaries removed.. you can't get this cancer back. So we all have our work cut out for us.
Oh my word Jessica your family has been through so much ! Well done for raising much needed awareness, I am passionate about this too. If only I had of read or heard something it would definitely have made me think and possibly diagnosed before stage 4 xo
I feel the same, I discussed with my daughters today the reasons why I’m fundraising and raising awareness, its a woman’s priority to know the symptoms! As important as your smear test and checking for lumps! If not more as there is no screening method! Xx
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