My OVARIAN CANCER ISSUES

Been off the air for a while …….. just a few small things …………….. almost ‘carked it ’ (died) a couple of times - had a Pulmonary Embolism, ambulances, flashing lights, the impressive works (of course). Then ‘they’ discovered five tumours on my ovaries and I had to have three surgeries. Wasn’t simply tired after the bushfire relief efforts, and for those of you who thought my chocolate addiction was the cause of my weight gain… HA, HA!!! The utter exhaustion and the expanding body was caused by the tumours, so chocolate can again be consumed by me with gay abandon as nine kilograms has so far fallen away post surgery and hormonal balance restored.

Anyway, when doctors told me initially that I probably had less than a few months if I was lucky, even with Chemotherapy, I decided to allow television cameras to document the surgery and the diagnosis so that other women would heed the niggling warning signs and seek medical advice EARLY.

Ovarian cancer kills one woman every ten hours!

There is no screening test, and late diagnosis leads to an always fatal outcome. With chemo, most women only extend their lives by another five years maximum.

So, if you would like to see the inside of my guts in living colour, high definition broadcast, and learn more about this insidious disease, tune in this Sunday, 18th October on Channel Seven at 6.30pm. The interview and report will go to air on the new show called Sunday Night.

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/


I plan to work and assist the Women’s Cancer Foundation – Ovarian Cancer Institute, to raise awareness about the disease and also to fund raise to find an early detection test.

http://www.womenscancerfoundation.org/

So, those are the reasons my columns, tweets, Facebook, blogs and my personal correspondence has been non-existent. I’ve been on bed rest for ages, but have finally begun to get up and about although I am going at a snails pace compared to my usual speed.

It’s been a horrendous ride for our family and close friends, but I am extremely fortunate to now look up at the sky and plan a future. As well, all four of my kids were with me whilst I was ill, along with my husband, Bill, who has been holding down the fort and has even learned how to make school lunches and to braid Verity’s hair – all whilst maintaining his work commitments! As a family we are very blessed to come out the other side of this storm- and the one’s I love have been phenomenal. I can say that amazingly, I am cancer free, I am a statistical anomaly! So I am extremely grateful for that which I have.

Jacqueline.
www.twitter.com/pascarl
PS: Symptoms of Ovarian Tumours can be hard to pinpoint, but they include, a feeling of severe exhaustion, unexplained weight gain or loss, change in bowel habits, some back ache, abdominal bloating.