In February 2000, I was
diagnosed with Stage IC ovarian cancer. I was 28 years old
and had no family history of cancer of any kind. During
my routine annual exam, the nurse practitioner felt that
something was not right. An ultrasound revealed that I had
a cystic mass the size of an orange on my left ovary. They
scheduled a surgery to remove the cyst because of its size,
but the doctors were not concerned because of my age, family
history, and the fact that the CA-125 was on the low side
of normal. It was not until after surgery, during pathology,
that the doctors determined it was ovarian cancer.
After I was diagnosed, I thought back
and realized I had had symptoms, but disregarded them because
they were so vague. During my menstrual cycles each month,
I had shooting pains on my left side, which I had never
had before. I also started experiencing urinary frequency
in the middle of the night, and fatigue, which I thought
was due to planning my wedding, working too hard and not
exercising regularly.
I was lucky,
because my cancer was found early when it is the most curable.
Although I am profoundly grateful, I know this is not the
case for most women. I feel very strongly that the key to
fighting this disease is early detection. In order to raise
money for an ovarian cancer early detection test, my husband,
Aaron, and I have organized an annual golf tournament in
Napa, California.
