DAY NINE Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - Finding Support

As with any side-venture, you will lose a few days here and there when you have a full time job and a holiday weekend! So here we are at Day #9 of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Over the last six years I have relied on a great online Ovarian Cancer community at Inspire.com. The group is sponsored by the National Ovarian Cancer Association but is generated by the many cancer survivors and family members of cancer survivors who are sharing stories of their experiences on the ovarian cancer journey.

The reason I write about this today is because it is important to find a place where you can ask questions, talk to others who have been through a similar experience and find support and hope when you seem to be at a dead end. You need a safe place where you can discuss health topics without there being an alternative motive. 

I have also found that I can offer insight to other women who have been newly diagnosed and feeling very lost in the quagmire of cancer information overload. Mom and I were there once too, especially when talking about all of the chemo drug options, and it makes me feel good knowing that I can offer insight and first hand information. 

DAY FIVE Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - Advice

Here we are, September 5, and some days I feel like I have a lot to write about, and some days I hear crickets in my head. But this is important - spreading awareness about Ovarian Cancer symptoms and getting people to act on the early warning signs - so here we go.

In my mom's words, I have heard her say many times that it doesn't matter if you do not have a family history of cancer. Our family did not. Now, we do.

Most of the questions I get from people who stumble across this blog is about "what would you and your mom do differently?"

Since we are well-versed in Ovarian Cancer, I can think of three main things:

• DON'T ignore your body. If something seems weird or slightly off, get it checked out. Point blank. By the time the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer become a little more "loud" - 9 times out of 10 it has already spread and is Stage III by the time diagnosed. 
• DON'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. Just because you eat healthy (like my mom), Jazzercize ever day (like my mom) and take every health precaution imaginable (my mom is a nurse enough said) do not think for a moment that you won't have cancer invade your body. Since our family did not have any prior history of Ovarian Cancer, I felt that there was nothing to worry about. That bothers me now more than anything. Don't take anything for granted. It can happen to any woman. 
• DON'T REST ON ONE OPINION. Do some research, talk to others about their experiences and get second or third or fourth opinions until you find a physician that you can be comfortable with and trust. No matter if they live across the country, you deserve to have the best care and you have to be your own health care advocate. I know that there are limitations and not everyone can fly up to Mayo Clinic or search the globe for care, but you still do due diligence and ask for help from organizations (American Cancer Society) and other local cancer advocacy organizations about the best path of care for you. 

DAY FOUR: Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month - HOPE

Overall, my mom has had a great run in her battle against Ovarian Cancer and has beaten a lot of odds in the survival rate. I think I can say with some certainty that her oncologist has called her a success story.

I can say that some of that success is attributed to the great care she has received from her oncologist and the staff and nurses at the Trinity Cancer Center in Moline. The University of Iowa Hospital surgeons also played a key role in removing her type of cancer as it was not a formed tumor. Mom's cancer spread through her abdomen and lymph nodes like a spiderweb with very fine threads. It was hard to remove but I know the surgeon was thorough and picked through her innards with a fine tooth comb. I could not have asked for better doctors and nurses to care for my mom.

The thing that has made the most difference are the people who have kept mom in their positive thoughts and prayers each and every day. I know that you can't scientifically quantify all of that but it has made all of the difference in the world and has given mom all the hope she needs to continue the fight. And she will always have to fight the cancer, but it is exhausting. Not only does cancer eat away at her body, so does the chemo. Even though she is on a "summer break" right now, mom will have to start another round at some point... that is just the way it is. But she has a lot of hope and the love and prayers of family and friends. Thank you for that!

DAY THREE Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: #TakeActionNotChances

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition has started a campaign in honor of September's Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month called #TakeActionNotChances. Overall the campaign is to encourage and promote earlier awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and get people to start an earlier conversation with doctors.

The vision of the NOCC’s new EARLIER Awareness Initiative has been created in partnership with a member of the NOCC community - a woman named Cathy - who has a story all to familiar about how ovarian cancer is finally diagnosed...TOO LATE! Read Cathy's story >> 

The sad part of the story is that Cathy did pass away after her stage 3 diagnosis - in a matter of months after diagnosis. If you go to the site link above please take the time to read Cathy's daughter's excerpt about the importance of being your own health advocate. Because the first time you have a symptom of ovarian cancer - it usually means it is too late.

We can make it a good story by advocating that EARLIER IS BETTER.

DAY TWO of September Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Day Two Message: Be happy when you get good news!

I forgot to mention that mom had a follow up with Dr. Porubcin last week and in my mind it was all good. Her CA125 count went down quite a bit (to the mid 50s) and everything else in her blood work looked on target.

She still needs to gain some weight and I don't know how I can make that happen without going out to her house every night and dragging her to Culver's. With that strategy both of us will be packing on the LB's!

Dr. Porubcin was a little skeptical of the CA 125 count so he ordered up a scan and had her re-do her blood work again. It will be a few days before we see what that CA 125 count will be.

For now I'm going to take the good news/outcome in stride and start thinking about an Arizona visit (time to see Aunt Ruth) in January. I think some traveling will do her some good!

September: Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month!

This is the sixth year that I have been painting my toenails teal each September in honor of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

It's a small gesture but it gets me to talk about the terrible disease that my mom has been dealing with since 2009 and my cousin Heather has been battling with this summer. It is a simple task for women everywhere to be aware of the sneaky symptoms and take charge of your health and ask questions when you feel something isn't right.

Every year I have the best of intentions to blog each day for the month about Ovarian Cancer, new findings, stories and preventative strategies to make sure the disease doesn't take another life too soon. It has changed my life and the lives of our family so much, I cringe every time I hear of a new diagnosis.

I get a bit of inspiration of things to write from the OCNA 30 Days of Teal Calendar. It's truly not a big deal to take a few minutes out of the day to listen to your body and take action on that nagging in the back of your mind that something is not right and you need to get it checked out. And then get a second opinion! http://www.ovariancancer.org/30days/

Family reunion & doctor follow up

Ransom Rat Pack
LtoR: Millard and Claire Brewick (cousins of Glenn),
Don Gillette and my grandpa, Glenn McCann.

Summertime is the time for family reunions. Last weekend mom and I (along w/ my hubs Tom) jumped in the car and headed to Ottawa for the McCann family reunion. There were quite a few chunks of families there - my mom's group (Glenn McCann family); cousins (Claire Brewick's family) and more cousins (the Welwoods) and then cousins Ron and Peggy (Peggy's mom is a McCann). Everyone is under the McCann umbrella somehow so that is the connection. 

I'm not even going to try and type out how who is related to whom. It get's weird when cousins - Claire and Glenn to the right - (Glenn is son of Earl McCann; Claire is son of one of Glenn's aunts not sure which one) marry a daughter and an aunt of another family (my grandma Dolores married Glenn and her aunt Maxine married Claire) so the McCann's are close to the Brewicks (blood relations and marriage). It seems like I always mis-identify someone. For the longest time I thought that some of grandma and grandpa McCann's farm neighbors were cousins - that is how close the families are in Ransom, IL. 

The only thing I DO KNOW is that my hubs' family is from Arkansas and that Tom and I are not cousins. 

DOCTOR VISIT UPDATE:

Mom had a routine blood-work checkup a couple of weeks ago, and it seems that her counts are up slightly again. Since she is having no other symptoms, Dr. Porubcin will make a note of it and check in again in a couple of weeks. Mom's feet are a bit red and crusty in spots (still a side effect from the Doxil) but I think that is about it - other than that she is feeling good.