CoppaFeel! founder Kris Hallenga explains some of the common ovarian cancer symptoms women should look out for
Kris discusses how a storyline in Neighbours got her thinking about ovarian cancer and what more can be done to raise awareness
I AM a massive Neighbours fan. My twin and I even themed our 30th birthdays around the Aussie soap, which celebrated the same milestone that year.
I was Charlene on her wedding day, gypsophila in my hair and everything.
We commit to the 25-minute episodes each weekday to step out of our world.
But recently, Neighbours got serious . . . and bloody sad. A cancer story featured one of our favourite characters – and she didn’t respond to treatment.
Sonya Rebecchi had stage-four ovarian cancer, undiagnosed for months because her symptoms were ignored or put down to other things.
Her wish was to be with her family, not die in hospital. She took her last breath on the beach watching her kids play in the sand. I told you it was sad.
I’ve not cried so hard at something on screen since I watched Homeward Bound when I was eight.
The storyline resonated so much with me and it was not an easy watch. But I was grateful for how well it was portrayed.
Ovarian cancer is a bit of a crap one to diagnose. There is no screening for it. Yet one in five women mistakenly believe a smear test detects ovarian cancer, according to a study by Target Ovarian Cancer.
It affects 25,000 women in the UK each year, survival rates are low, treatment options are limited and diagnosis often comes late. More than a quarter of women are diagnosed through an emergency presentation at A&E.
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March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, so I thought I would share the common symptoms to be aware of.
1. Bloating that doesn’t go away.
2. Difficulty eating and feeling full more quickly.
3. Abdominal or pelvic pain most days.
4. Bowel or urination habit changes.
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Although these are the main symptoms, there are other things to be aware of, such as vaginal bleeding, indigestion, weight loss, feeling unusually tired, pain during sex and pain or lumps in your pelvic area.
Having any one of these does not automatically mean ovarian cancer. But if something persists and you aren’t sure, do yourself a favour and visit your GP.
Sonya’s husband Toadie would have appreciated this knowledge.
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