Originally posted on Facebook: 3/21/2019
My ovarian cancer diagnosis.
I’m writing this not to make anybody paranoid or anything. I’m not an expert and I’m not done with my treatment but I feel the need to share my story now to spread some awareness. We are most of the time too busy with our lives that we don’t have time to listen to our body and oftentimes, whenever we’re not feeling good, we just ignore it until it’s too late. Well, we have different circumstances but if you are able to seek consultation with a doctor, it is always best to take advantage of that opportunity.
According to a CDC fact sheet, ”there is no simple and reliable way to test for ovarian cancer in women who do not have any signs or symptoms. The Pap test does not screen for ovarian cancer. The only cancer the Pap test screens for is cervical cancer.”
When I went to for my GYN checkup on Feb 13th, my only complaint was my menstrual period seems to be nonstop and I get spotting in between since the last week of December 2018. I don’t have any pelvic pain or weakness. The only thing bothering me is I’m already tired of wearing pads. I didn’t think of anything serious. My husband and I were thinking that maybe I just need some pills to stop the bleeding and that’s it.
Now that I have a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. I started reading about it and to my surprise, I’ve been actually experiencing some of the mostly vague symptoms for quite some time now like:
– Frequent need to urinate. Whenever I drink a glass of water or cup of coffee, I need to pee right away. Most of the time, I know it’s bad, I just hold it because it bothers me to go to the restroom often.
– Feeling full too quickly when eating. This one is occasionally.
– Belly is growing and hard like I’m pregnant. Well I sometimes get delayed menstrual period but always a negative pregnancy test and also I thought I am just really having a hard time to lose weight.
– Fatigue. I always feel tired and exhausted.
Most of the symptoms are vague as my doctor (Stephanie Blank MD, GYN Oncologist) said in her facebook live interview for ovarian cancer awareness. Never did I suspect that having these symptoms were for a certain type of cancer.
It all started with Pelvic mass as a diagnosis. Then was called a tumor that’s suspicious for malignancy. It was only after my surgery and a 2-week long wait for the biopsy report of an ”Indeterminate 17.7 x 12.5 x 15.4 cm complex mass in the left ovary” that it was diagnosed to be a stage 1a Ovarian cancer. Clear cell tumor to be specific, which is a subtype of Epithelial – the common type of ovarian cancer.
God is good. It was detected early and most of all the tumor was contained in a sac and it didn’t pop. Good news there is no spread, I also have fibroids in my uterus but negative for cancer as well as my right ovary, lymph nodes, and my abdominal fluids. I was just right on time.
My primary gynecologist said it must have started to grow around 2017 and 2018 because my CT scan for a microhematuria and my routine pelvic sonograms from previous years didn’t show any growth in the ovaries, other than the small fibroids in the uterus.
Today (March 21st 2019), I’m 27 days post op and yesterday was my first chemo treatment. It’s only 3 sessions every 3 weeks. It’s a standard chemo treatment for ovarian cancer after surgery. Only 3 sessions because it’s only stage 1a. Just to make sure there are no more cancer cells left out. To be honest, I’m more anxious about this than my surgery. I feel like surgery is quicker. Chemotherapy is more of like prolonging the agony. But God is good and I’m blessed with a second life. There is nothing I can do but to suck it up and instead of worrying, I will pray about everything.
Click the link to watch my doctor’s FB live video from 2 years ago discussing about Ovarian Cancer:
Check the following links to learn more about Ovarian Cancer:
Mount Sinai Oncology: Ovarian Cancer.
CDC: What do you need to know about Ovarian Cancer.
RUBY CARRION 
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