May: Women’s
Healthcare Month
A
Stealth Attack
By Joanie Shawhan
Do you
know the symptoms of one of the most insidious diseases assaulting women today?
I thought I did. But despite my background in oncology nursing, I had missed a
cardinal symptom of ovarian cancer—nausea. Over the course of several months, I
had experienced a few episodes of queasiness, mistaking it for the flu.
Fleeting thoughts of ovarian cancer even crept into my mind, but I brushed them
away. This nausea is just too infrequent,
I rationalized.
During
the blackness of night, a late warning sign emerged. I rolled over on a firm
grapefruit-sized mass in my abdomen. When I pressed on the growth, stabbing
pain clutched my abdomen and sucked my breath away. I hope this is just a uterine fibroid.
My
doctor agreed that a fibroid was the most probable diagnosis, but we needed to
schedule an ultrasound. In the darkened room, the ultrasound technician shot me
a glance. I knew something was wrong. After the scan, I tucked the films under
my arm and strode into my doctor’s office. She examined the images, then spun
around and faced me. Her verdict? Ovarian cancer—the size of a cantaloupe.
While she rattled off the tests and surgery that still needed to be scheduled,
I sat numb. Words spilled over her lips, but the syllables sounded foreign and
distant. Is she talking to me?
After
surgery, I endured the ravages of chemotherapy: baldness, crushing chest pain,
nausea and brain fog. Fatigue siphoned my strength and left me winded.
My
sister said, “We have to make this fun,” and she sent me my first installment
of hats. Fun? Hats—yes. Chemotherapy—no.
But
after a while, my hair grew back with perfect summer highlights. A spring
returned to my step and the fog lifted off my mind. The anxiety that gripped my
chest prior to each follow-up appointment has dissolved into what I now dub “a
social visit.”
I won
my race against cancer.
|
May is Women’s Health Care month:
Do you know the symptoms of
ovarian cancer?
If
you experience any of these symptoms, consult your doctor.
The
life you save? Your own.
|
Joanie Shawhan
Bio:
Joanie Shawhan is an ovarian cancer
survivor and a registered nurse. She writes encouraging articles for women
undergoing chemotherapy and is available for speaking engagements. Publishing
credits include Coping
with Cancer magazine and God Still
Meets Needs. When not writing or
attending book club, Joanie enjoys designing jewelry, knitting, and playing
guitar. Website: http://joanieshawhan.com/.
This article content is provided free of charge by the author
through
Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. You are welcome to place
this article on your site or in your publication as long as: 1) it’s used in its
entirety, 2) the full bio is also used, and 3) you previously request
permission through KCWC at kathy@kathycarltonwillis.com.
All other standard
copyrights apply.
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