This terrible disease has a history of not being recognized until it’s very late and so I feel like it’s important to share with you a list of common symptoms.
Symptoms list (this list is nowhere near complete and some people don’t experience any symptoms at all):
- Pain in ovary area.Dull ache in reproductive area
- Lower back pain
- More intense cramps during period/More intense bleeding
- Tiredness
- Indigestion
- Nausea
- Pain during Intercourse
- Bloating – not uncommon for this cancer to quickly cause water retention in the stomach area. Looking pregnant from the water retention is a repeating story
- Trouble breathing deeply/shortness of breath
- Coughing from the pressure on diaphragm
- Acid reflux or unusual heart burn
- Feeling full very quickly
- Painful bowel movements. Constipation or alternately, sometimes diarrhea
- Left shoulder pain
- No symptoms at all…
Personally, I had constipation (painful bowel movements) and acid reflux slowly increasing over the year or so before my diagnosis. I attributed this to going through menopause, but in December of 2022, I started to have pain during intercourse as well as ongoing lower abdominal discomfort. I thought I had a UTI. So, I went in and peed in a cup. No UTI meant that I went in again and the doctor ordered a CT scan and we found a suspicious mass on and around my left ovary.
After my diagnosis in January, I continued to get more symptoms until I started chemo. The symptoms I just described continued, but add: feeling full very quickly, the water retention and coughing from the pressure on my diaphragm (resulting in paracentesis), and nausea. My voice wasn’t quite right and I couldn’t sing very well… And if you know me, I like to sing very well!
To say most of my symptoms could’ve been chalked up to menopause and or getting older and having more digestive issues is true and I would’ve probably ignored it, or just tried to eat better if it hadn’t be for the painful sex and UTI that wasn’t…
From an article with more really good information! How Common is ovarian cancer and who gets it:
Ovarian cancer makes up about 3% of all cancers among women and it is rare among women under 40. Ovarian cancer most frequently develops in women 55 to 64 years old and in women who began menstruating before age 12 or reached menopause after age 50. Higher risk also is associated with:
- Obesity
- No history of pregnancy
- Fertility treatment
- Family history of breast, thyroid, colorectal, endometrial or ovarian cancer
- Inherited gene mutations such as BRCA1 and BRCA2
- Smoking
- Taking estrogen without progesterone for 10 or more years
So, pay attention to your bodies, ladies and other ovary havers. If something doesn’t feel right, take notice. And if your doctor doesn’t take you seriously, press until you get some answers. Ovarian cancer is rare, so hopefully not many of you will be in my shoes in the future, but still you need to be your own advocate when it comes to your own health. Please, push your doctors. Get answers. Don’t just back off and say your health is probably just menopause, when you know something is really wrong.
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