Treatment & Support

At the end of 2008, I graduated from QUT and commenced my teaching career up in North Queensland in a town called Collinsville.  I loved every minute of it!  I was 22, I had moved out of home in Brisbane, was teaching a beautiful Year 4/5 class and everything in my life was falling into place.

It wasn't until the September school holidays that I noticed some changes in myself and my body.  I had put on a considerable amount of weight especially around my abdomen, was constantly tired and fatigued and was never hungry as I had a constant feeling of being full. I ignored these symptoms as at the time I had the flu and also thought these symptoms were all common of a beginning teacher living in a new place with new friends.  I did visit the doctor with the flu symptoms and received medication for them.

In the second week following the school holidays, I couldn't stand the pain anymore.  I made an appointment to see the doctor in town and he did a blood test and told me to come get the results in a week's time. That was on Friday afternoon.  By Saturday night, I felt worse. I had trouble breathing, my stomach was huge, I couldn’t keep anything down and I felt so uncomfortable. I went to the hospital in Collinsville and then was airlifted to Mackay Hospital in a Care Flight helicopter. Once there, I had many tests and scans and all the doctors and nurses were very quiet and unsure of what to do and what was causing me so much pain.  They decided that there were too many 'unknowns', so I was quickly flown via air ambulance to the Mater Hospital, Brisbane.

Once I landed I felt safe knowing that I would be in the best medical hands and had the support of all my family and friends back home.  Nothing could have prepared me for the events that unfolded in the next couple of days.  Doctors were fairly certain that I had an Immature Terratoma (a germ cell tumour) which had attached itself to one of my ovaries.
A number of tests were carried out – blood tests, CT/PET Scans, Ultra sounds but the doctors had to operate to find out. During the operation they found a 20cm Tumour on my right ovary and removed the tumour, the affected ovary and 4L of fluid. The pathology result came back as the doctors expected – I had ovarian cancer.  I was shocked. Everyone was shocked around me.  I couldn't believe that at age 22 I could get this type of cancer. 

I then had to have 12 weeks of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy had a huge effect on my body – I was told that my long, brown hair would fall out at the start of the second cycle and like clockwork, it did! It started falling out in clumps, so I decided to go to the Hairdressers with Mum and get it cut short all over (I didn’t get it shaved) Since I got it cut short all over, it stopped falling out – I don’t know why! Before I got it cut short all over, I went and bought a wig that I ended up wearing for 9 months.  No one actually knew it was a wig; even my closest of friends thought it was my real, previous hair! I have decided to keep my hair short now – I absolutely love it!

The hours spent having chemo went by very quickly as I had so many visitors whether it be mum or dad, my brother, good friends or extended family.  I don't know how I would've got through it all without their love and support. The hardest part though was being in an adult ward with EVERYONE around me being at least in their late 50's – late 80's.  This really got me down as I thought I didn't belong there – I was 22 and was meant to be enjoying life, not being stuck to an intravenous drip for weeks on end.   At the half way mark of treatment I went for a review with my oncologist – much to my delight and everyone's relief, things were looking 'bloody marvellous!' Knowing this made the next six weeks of treatment so much more bearable as I knew the treatment was working.

In February 2010, a month after my chemotherapy finished, I had to have another operation as there were still some lumps/bumps left in my abdomen – these proved not to be cancerous and just dead skin cells.  What a relief!  I also had to buy an entire new wardrobe of clothes. I had lost so much weight and had trouble wearing my clothes with my scar on my abdomen.  This was a great excuse to buy hundreds of dresses, shoes and new clothes! I loved it! – This gave me something to do which kept my mind busy!

It is exactly 2and a half years since I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  I absolutely LOVE my life! I am back living in Brisbane – am teaching a magnificent Year 2 class and have enormous support by everyone whether it be friends, family, colleagues, and of course my doctors. I go for regular blood tests and scans to make sure everything is looking clear – I enjoy going to these consultations as it provides me with confidence and knowledge that everything is alright. My cancer diagnosis has put everything into perspective – if I want to do something I do it.   In the last year I have been to Thailand, Paris and the Whitsundays! I cherish every day and make the most of every opportunity.

From my ovarian cancer experience, I have learnt that if something doesn't feel normal or quite right – it probably isn't – I urge people of any age to be aware of ovarian cancer symptoms and act upon them quickly.  As I have been told by my doctors - “Until there is a test, awareness is best.”  Ovarian cancer has previously been called a silent killer, but we now know that the symptoms are NOT silent.  They are there and must be acted upon.  I hope by telling and sharing my story, awareness will be raised particularly with young women.

Christine

My name is Christine and I’m 22, living in Perth, Western Australia. I also have been diagnosed with stage one ovarian cancer.

In January 2012,  I went to the doctor after two...

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Dorinda

Surviving and being a mum

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2005. I was 35 years old, nursing full time and a young mum with two daughters aged seven and five. I found...

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Elizabeth

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in June 2009 in my early 40s after my GP initially thought I had early menopause. I insisted it was something more and an ultrasound revealed a massive cyst...

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Carmel

In March 2010, my husband Mark and I set off on a trip to Italy, France and England to re-trace a trip of 30 years earlier. It was a prize in a raffle.  I felt very well when we left except...

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Julie

I was only 34 when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on Christmas Eve 1998. I had cancer stage 2c, and I understand there was a 65% chance I might die within 5 years. I’m still here...

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Sandra

I had an unusual experience as I was initially diagnosed (ultrasounds, CT, blood tests etc) with a benign teratoma. While it was very big – around the size of a 5 month foetus, it was...

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Soula

I was first touched by cancer when my mother was diagnosed with advanced Ovarian Cancer 20 years ago. The doctors hadn't given her much hope and chemotherapy treatment wasn't even encouraged...

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Liz

It all began with a constant niggling pain in my right groin area. In December 2006 I went to the local doctor who thought I had just pulled a muscle and gave me a referral for physiotherapist....

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Katherine

At the end of 2008, I graduated from QUT and commenced my teaching career up in North Queensland in a town called Collinsville.  I loved every minute of it!  I was 22, I had moved out...

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Sandra M

 

I was diagnosed with Stage 3a borderline ovarian cancer in September 2010. The cancer was in both ovaries, had spread to the omentum, and was non-invasive.  My specialist...

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Noreen

My name is Noreen and this is my story...

I was a registered nurse working full time. I was fit and healthy. I had regular health checks.

When patients under my care reported...

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Kay

My name is Kay and I am 47, living in Brisbane. I was diagnosed in May 2008 just a few days before my daughter’s 6th birthday.

I had had a bloated tummy on and off for several...

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Fay

My name is Fay and I am 72 years old.  I live in Hobart.

I have a husband, 2 adult daughters and 2 teenage grandsons.  My daughters and their partners and my grandsons all...

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Merran

My name is Merran and I am 59 years old, and live on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
 
I am happily married to my husband John, and have 3 adult children; a married...

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Tamara

My name is Tamara and I live in Brisbane. I was 27 years old when I was diagnosed with stage 1C ovarian cancer in July 2012.

In September 2011, I had been quite ill with viral...

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Janet

My name is Janet and I live in Melbourne.  I still don't know why I went to the doctor in January 2010, except to say that I thought I must be menopausal - not sleeping well, grumpy, and...

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