Ovarian Cancer Awareness: A Survivor's Call to Action

Hey there precious sisters, it's September - Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. As someone who's been through the wringer with this disease, I want to give you all a friendly and a firm nudge: Sisters, please ensure you're up to date on your annual check-ups. That means pap smears, abdominal sonograms, and mammograms. And if ovarian cancer runs in your family, hear me, you need to know about BRCA markers.

So what's this BRCA test all about? BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that, when they're working right, help prevent cancer. But if you inherit a mutation in one of these genes, your risk of ovarian and breast cancer goes way up. The test is a simple blood draw that can tell you if you have one of these mutations. It's super important because if you know you're at higher risk, you and your doctor can make a plan to catch any cancer early or even prevent it altogether.

But BRCA isn't the only gene test. There are other genetic tests that can give you more info about your cancer risk. Some of these include:

1. Lynch syndrome testing

2. PALB2 testing

3. ATM gene testing

4. CHEK2 testing

Now, here's something crucial I learned the hard way: Don't assume you're in the clear just because your pap smear came back normal. I found this out when I ended up in the ER with severe abdominal pain just three weeks after a normal pap. Turns out, I had a complex mass that led to an exploratory surgery, where they found cancer in my fallopian tube.

Ladies, we need to tune in to our bodies. Are we really listening when our bodies whisper to us? Those menstrual cramps, that abdominal discomfort, the bloating you brush off as gas - they might be trying to tell you something. We're the CEOs of our bodies, right? So when we go to the doctor, we should be able to give them a full report.

Here are some questions I've learned to ask myself as the CEO of my body:

1. "What's going on with my leadership team?" (Pick a body part or system you're concerned about)

2. "What information is HR sending me?" (Another body part that's acting up)

3. "What rumors are floating around the office?" (Those vague symptoms you can't quite pin down)

Now, let's talk numbers. Ovarian cancer is no joke: Did you know?

- About 1 in 78 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in their lifetime.

- It's the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women.

- Only about 20% of ovarian cancers are caught in the early stages.

- The five-year survival rate for all types of ovarian cancer is 49%. But if it's caught early (stage I), the five-year survival rate jumps to 92%.

Ovarian cancer is often called the "silent killer" because its symptoms can be subtle and easily mistaken for other, less serious conditions(like the ones listed above). By the time it's diagnosed, it's often advanced. That's why it's so important to pay attention to those whispers from your body and to stay on top of your check-ups.

Remember, knowledge is power. The more we know about our bodies and our risks, the better equipped we are to stay healthy. So spread the word, get checked, and let's kick ovarian cancer to the curb!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​