Wow, never thought I would be one to write one of these posts. I never thought I would be writing a post about supporting a cause that is affecting a member of my family, currently.
My Story
This past April I drove to Florida to spend time with my mom and step-dad. The planned stay was one week; I stayed two. I would have stayed longer but DH and the kids were not doing so well without me. Okay, they were not getting along and I was getting tired of refereeing from a distance. The impromptu trip was sparked by a phone call from my parents telling me my mom has ovarian cancer.
Mom has never been one to go to the doctor. In fact, I almost never go unless I feel something amiss. We are a fairly healthy family, so this is not a big deal. Mom was feeling a bit short of breath and shrugged it off as a part of getting older. In December Mom had a bad reaction after taking some children’s cough medicine and the process of finding a doctor began. She kept saying she felt short of breath and could eat extremely small portions. Although she barely ate her belly was starting to protrude. The doctors wanted to give her medicine for acid reflux, obviously not the issue. She refused the medicine and did not go back. In January she visited another doctor and another. Finally, she found one willing to do some scans. While looking at her lungs the doctor noticed something just below them and asked her to come back in for a follow-up. What was revealed was a cyst the size of a watermelon.
My mom is 61 (as of April) and this was her first [ever] stay in a hospital, with the exception of giving birth to her two children. To say she was scared would be an understatement. As soon as they told me when I made arrangements to go to Florida. Mom spent 8 days in the cancer ward recovering; this was supposed to be 2-4 days. Dad stayed the first night and we took turns every night after. On the fourth night Mom started vomiting and Dad stayed the fifth and sixth nights. Everything settled down and by the time Mom came home she had regained her color and her smile.
Mom recently started chemotherapy and will be up this weekend to attend Megan’s high school graduation. Cancer has been found in her shoulder and near her lungs, but the doctor’s are hopeful it will be taken care of through chemo. We are hopeful, too. Mom’s cancer is still in an early stage. She is one of the lucky ones.
What is Ovarian Cancer?
Ovarian cancer has typically been known as the “silent killer”. Research has found, though, that the symptoms of ovarian cancer can mimic digestive or urinary disorders.
Recent studies have shown that women with ovarian cancer are more likely than are other women to consistently experience the following symptoms (Mayo Clinic, 2008):
- Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating
- Urinary urgency
- Pelvic discomfort or pain
Additional signs and symptoms that women with ovarian cancer may experience include:
- Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
- Unexplained changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
- Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
- Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full
- Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist
- Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
- A persistent lack of energy
- Low back pain
- Changes in menstruation
If you or someone you know has experienced swelling, bloating, pressure or pain in your abdomen or pelvis that lasts for more than a few weeks, then it may be time to see your doctor.
What can you do?
Kelly Ripa and Electrolux are making it easier than ever to donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). Buy a glass of virtual lemonade and support the OCRF. With every donation you are automatically entered to win an Electrolux French Door Refrigerator. For every Virtual Lemonade Stand opened Electrolux will donate $1 to the OCRF.
Visit my lemonade stand
Open your own lemonade stand
