3 – That’s the Magic Number

3

That’s the Magic Number

Yes it is

It’s the magic number

                                                                                De La Soul, 1989  

Today – 17th July 2017 – is 3 years since my surgery for what was found to be a borderline ovarian tumour (BOT). The 27 staples above supported the healing of my 34cm incision resulting from a radical hysterectomy.

It’s also 3 years of remaining disease free.  

It’s been 3 years of learning and practicing a new, confusing and contested language associated with a poorly understood disease: borderline ovarian tumours, borderline ovarian cancer, non-invasive implants, stage 2 low-grade ovarian cancer, grade zero ovarian cancer, radical hysterectomy, CA125, TV-US, and the list goes on….

It’s been 3 years of navigating a new way of being and living: of medical appointments, of surgical menopause, of hormone replacement, of navigating questions and pressures relating to fertility, and – recently – of learning to manage temporal lobe epilepsy.

It’s been 3 years of experiencing my privilege: globally, many women do not have access to the quality healthcare that I have benefited from,  gynaecological cancers are most prevalent in lower-income countries and a leading cause of death.  Despite being preventable, cervical cancer is the leading cause of death from gynaecological cancer worldwide, with around 90% of cases occurring in low-income settings; ovarian cancer is in second place.

But it’s also been 3 years of feeling the magic: of family, friends, colleagues and healthcare providers; of support and understanding; and of patience and love.

3 IS the Magic Number.