All Things Teal--It Whispers

Visit Styled to a T to join the Month of all Things Teal!

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and I'll be hosting some fabulous women here on the blog as they share their stories and experiences with ovarian cancer. These women have been drawn together by a special friend of mine, Tabbatha Collier (definitely a Keeper!), who launched A Month of all Things Teal, a fun and compelling ovarian cancer awareness campaign, on her Facebook page Styled to a T.

This is the first personal story to share. Thanks, Amy, for letting me share your story.

It Whispers, So Listen

By Amy Delsing Reeves

The medical world used to think ovarian cancer had no symptoms; they called it a silent killer.

It has no screening test. You usually can’t feel any lumps, like you might with breast cancer. A pap smear only tells you about cervical cancer, not ovarian cancer. In fact, a surgeon has to open you up before she knows if you have it for sure. That’s why it’s essential to listen to your body’s whispers and to trust your instincts.

Amy Delsing Reeves,
pictured with her mother Karen (wearing Teal!)
 and grandmother.

My mom, Karen, exhibited most of the classic symptoms of ovarian cancer: bloating, abdominal pain, urinary changes and a very swollen stomach. But somehow she looked past it and chalked it up to getting older. She was one tough cookie – a rancher’s daughter, the youngest of seven kids, and a farmer’s wife – and she was incredibly smart, too. But she didn’t know to listen to the whispers of ovarian cancer; she didn’t even listen to the shouts.

I don’t know if early detection would have saved my mom’s life, but I hope her story might be able to save yours. With awareness and education, you can become your own advocate, not relying solely on doctors to make a diagnosis.

Even with years of medical training and practice, your doctor does not know your body better than you do. You’re the expert on yourself, what’s normal and what’s a little off. If you find yourself having any of the sneaky symptoms of ovarian cancer for a couple weeks in a row, make an appointment with your gynecologist. Your primary care doctor might know about ovarian cancer, but he might not think about it in your case. If you find it hard to talk to your doctor, bring along a checklist like this one from Dr. Oz or the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition form letter and conversation starter.

Ovarian cancer awareness isn’t just for women. Men play an essential role in the healthcare of their wives, mothers and sisters.

My dad was the one who made Mom finally go to the doctor the first time. He said she looked like she was 6 months pregnant, but her primary care physician diagnosed her with acid reflux. Dad also encouraged her to go back when the prescribed heartburn medicine didn’t help. Most importantly, he said “no” to the local doctor who wanted Mom to wait a few days and get an appointment for a gallbladder scan the next week.

I’m not sure exactly how it transpired, but things went from “let’s wait and see” to Mom and Dad immediately driving to see a specialist three hours away. A gynecological oncologist was waiting for them and decided she needed to perform surgery the very next day, a Saturday. It took 7 hours to remove most of the cancer, but they couldn’t get it all. She was diagnosed with stage IIIC ovarian cancer. And the local doctor had completely missed it.

I’m an optimistic person most of the time, but I’d already had too many run-ins with cancer to play Pollyanna when I learned my mom’s diagnosis. My grandpa died when I was in high school, my mother-in-law died a few years after I married, and I’d grown up going to funerals for friends and family…all because of cancer.

My brothers and I all knew my dad would get cancer eventually. His dad (my grandpa) and all but one of my grandpa’s siblings died from cancer. They had every type in the book, so we wouldn’t have been surprised to hear he had a tumor. It’s just what happens to Delsings.

But Mom? Mom’s ovarian cancer was a shock. On her side of the family, I didn’t know of any relatives who had had cancer. (I later met Mom’s cousin who was an ovarian cancer survivor.) I had a strong family history of cancer, but it didn’t have anything to do with Mom. We weren’t looking for it at all.

Like my mom’s, most ovarian cancer is not diagnosed at an early stage, and most ovarian cancer patients die. It’s as simple as that. Yet, when it is discovered early, the chances of survival are 85-90%.

I can’t stop cancer, but I can educate. I want every one of you to be able to recite the early warning signs of ovarian cancer and feel confident taking action when something isn’t quite right.

About the Author: 

Amy at the Whisper Walk beside the tribute to her mother.

Amy Delsing Reeves will always be a Nebraskan, even though she lives in Kansas City for now. Her mother, Karen, died at age 56 from ovarian cancer, igniting Amy’s desire to learn and teach all she can about the disease. Amy has recently undergone genetic counseling and testing and does not have any of the BRCA mutations known to increase ovarian or breast cancer risk. But, that won’t stop her from talking teal, the color of ovarian cancer awareness, whenever she can.

If this has made you curious to learn more about ovarian cancer, here’s a great fact sheet with all the basics.