I celebrated my 35th birthday on the 7th July 2014; I spent a fabulous weekend on the coast with my family. On the 8th July I went to see my GP due to ongoing discomfort that I thought was to do with digestion and the like. But it had got worse over the weekend and I’d been waking in the night. However, I’m a little bit of a worrier and I’d had a think about my symptoms: whilst assuming my GP would diagnose IBS (which I was very concerned about), I had got myself in a tizz about ovarian cancer. I can’t really tell you why. But I’m an entirely-unqualified-hobby-medical-scientist-with-an-undergrad-degree-in-genetics (in my day job I’m a social scientist, of sorts…..) – something that normally results in unnecessary concern, or harmless intrigue into the experiences of others. Anyway, true to form, I asked my GP (as she prescribed some blood tests to explore wheat allergies) if she’d add in the CA125 test. She looked puzzled but when I explained that I’d allowed myself to worry, she agreed. She clearly indicated that she wouldn’t have thought to include the test as for my age, ovarian cancer shouldn’t be a problem… but she did. So off I popped for my blood tests.
The results were available 3 days later as promised. I’d planned to ring the GP surgery – just to check that the results were in…. thinking mostly about wheat allergies and IBS (and how to get over my love of all-things-wheat)… somehow, simply sharing that I’d been worried about my ovaries and my GP reassuring me me was sufficient (or so I thought). The old adage rings true: talk about your feelings, don’t sit on your worries. However, my GP beat me to the phone. She called and explained that I was a bit anaemic but that, more worryingly, my CA125 levels were elevated: 2,257 (30 and below considered normal). She was surprised. So was I. I shouldn’t have elevated CA125 levels! I thought that earlier in the week, my oh-so-lovely GP had solved all of that! Hmm. It was now Friday afternoon. She requested an urgent ultrasound and my local NHS trust called a few hours later to indicate that the request was approved and that I had an appointment for 2pm on Monday (today). It’s a double-edged sword; as a public health advocate I was very pleased that the appointment was made so fast. As a patient, however, I was pretty freaked out. Were my ovaries and I really that urgent? Apparently so.
I set up a profile on the Macmillan website and joined the ovarian cancer group. I posted. I’ve never joined an online discussion or chat room before. But I had an insatiable thirst for information. Several women posted very helpful, kind and supportive messages indicating what I could expect next. I also called the Macmillan helpline and spoke to a wonderful nurse who patiently responded to my plethora of questions (did I mention that I’m an active questioner, of any- and everything?!).
Had the scans today – the abdominal and intra-vaginal. My Mum came with me. I couldn’t work out if I wanted to go alone or not. I knew from the Macmillian site and my chat that the sonographer would likely indicate if there was a problem. Did I want to hear on my own? Or with my Mum? If I was lying with my legs a-kimbo, how would I be able to write down what she had to say in my book? So Mum came with me. The sonographer was fantastic. Very clear, very straightforward and very patient (she answered all my questions…). She identified a 10cm solid/cystic, very vascular lump on my left ovary. My.Left.Ovary. My right ovary fared better but was still found to be home to a well-defined cyst.
A panicked email and phone call with a dear, dear friend (who happens to be a fabulous breast cancer surgeon) across continents led to her recommending (via another fabulous gynae-oncology expert) a gynaecological-oncology guru in London, who I have made an appointment with on Wednesday this week.
What’s next? I guess I will find out on Weds. Likely the consultant will request a CT scan and then, I guess, surgery. Chemo? No idea: I think if it has been caught early enough, then perhaps not. But I don’t think anyone knows until they have a peek inside. I know that some say you can’t be sure it’s cancer blah blah. But, the blood test + the scan are a good indicator. I’m not being overly worried. I’m simply trying to get mind and body to a place where they’re able to deal with this and embrace whatever treatment is needed, and get onto healing. Whatever form that may take.
It’s bizarre. A week into my 36th year and this year is already so differnt. I had a strange feeling that something wasn’t right…. in my body….but then told myself I was likely worrying unnecessarily. I’m a Cancerian (funny; when I was little, I thought that meant you DID get cancer): a loony lunar lady; I mostly put much of my over-thinking down to that. Thank you to my GP; she treated her patient, not just the symptoms.
We do know our bodies best; we should never forget this.
jozi-ovari 
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