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Spotlight: Recognize the Signs of Ovarian Cancer

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Recognize the Signs of Ovarian Cancer

Written by Cindy Mcdermott. Photography by Lauren Frisch Pusateri

 

Listening to your body has nothing to do with using your ears. It’s paying attention and reacting to the signals your body sends out when it’s happy, tired, sleepy or, most importantly, sick. These indications can give you and your health care provider critical feedback that something is not right.

Understanding and recognizing the warning signs of ovarian cancer are at the foundation of an incredible organization based in Kansas City called The Vicki Welsh Fund. It was named for a Kansas City woman who died of ovarian cancer in 2006. The organization’s passion is educating females on the signals of ovarian cancer, which are extremely covert and many times ignored.

 

“Pay attention and find support.”

For 49-year-old Angie Ruth, an accounting assistant at Burns and McDonnell, her experience with ovarian cancer came in March 2004 after she was misdiagnosed by her gynecologist. For months her doctor insisted it was a cyst on her ovary, but then the Grain Valley, Missouri, woman discovered she had ovarian cancer. The delay gave the cancer time to progress to Stage III, which has a five-year survival rate of only 34 percent.

“My gynecologist prescribed different meds to get the suspected cyst to go away, but it got bigger and bigger. Finally my doctor decided to remove it, and it was biopsied. Instead of a cyst, it was a granulosa cell tumor on my ovary,” recalled Angie. “I was immediately referred to Dr. Verda J. Hicks, a specialist in gynecologic oncology, and I had a full hysterectomy. Because the tumor had ruptured and spread throughout my abdominal cavity, she suggested chemo. I had chemo throughout 2004 and wound up in the hospital several times because the antibodies attacked my platelets. It was a long, difficult journey.”

Angie finally received the all clear that she had beaten ovarian cancer in 2005. While she has high praises for Dr. Hicks and her team, she emphasizes that trusting what your body is telling you is key to success. “You must listen to your body because you’re the best one to know that something isn’t right. I was misdiagnosed with having a cyst when it was a tumor. Then I waited so long for a biopsy,” she noted. “If your doctor isn’t meeting your needs, then find another one. Listen to your own body. Once you’re diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it’s an emotional roller coaster. It’s important to have friends and family who are supportive.”

 

Recognize the Four Primary Symptoms

Many times women ignore the symptoms of ovarian cancer because they’re so ordinary. Bloating, abdominal pressure or discomfort; pelvic or abdominal pain; difficulty eating or feeling full too quickly; and urinary urgency or frequency in the absence of an infection are the major symptoms.

LaVonna Findley, pharmacy consultant at Cerner, looks back on her battle with ovarian cancer and recalls having all four symptoms when she was diagnosed in 2007. The 49-year-old Blue Springs, Missouri, woman was already undergoing treatment for uterine cancer when a lab test came back with concerning results.

“I was in the early stages of uterine cancer and receiving an experimental protocol of treatment. After six months the biopsy and lab work came back positive, but my doctor was concerned about the markers in my blood. We discovered I had ovarian cancer,” recalled LaVonna. “I had all the symptoms of ovarian cancer, but I didn’t think anything of it and didn’t bring them up to my doctor. For me, if I had not had the uterine cancer, it would have been too late to discover the ovarian cancer. I’m lucky to have found it when my doctor did. People don’t understand how quickly it can progress.”

 

Sharing Support and Information

After their personal experiences with ovarian cancer, LaVonna and Angie volunteered for The Vicki Welsh Fund in various capacities. Now, both women are serving on the board of the organization, working hard to fight ovarian cancer through awareness, education, research and support.

“I really want to make more people aware of ovarian cancer. People don’t want to talk about having cancer, especially female cancer. But when you get people to discuss it, you’ll find someone who’s had ovarian cancer or knows someone who’s had it and they need to talk about it,” remarked LaVonna. “Ovarian cancer doesn’t discriminate and it affects the entire family, not just one member. The Vicki Welsh Fund is there to support everyone, not just the person experiencing ovarian cancer.”

“The Vicki Welsh Fund is just so close to my heart because I know what these ladies are going through with ovarian cancer,” stated Angie. “It’s so important to listen to your body. When something is not right, the time to jump on it is now, not later. The Vicki Welsh Fund does so much with research into this deadly disease. Maybe one day there will be a better test for ovarian cancer because right now it’s really up to a woman listening to her body.” HLM

 

To learn more about The Vicki Welsh Fund and ovarian cancer or to donate, visit vickiwelshfund.org.