For the want of a cure

     What a powerful word, "cured". What it must be like to say, "I am cured". Pretty heady stuff.  I met a woman today who truly is cured of ovarian cancer. Her cancer was caught early before it had spread. She had it removed and was cured. No chemo, no radiation, just cured. I want to be that, cured. I want to be able to say those words. "I am cured." I want to say those words so badly. I want to say those words more than I ever wanted anything. More than I ever wanted anything in my whole life. So badly that when I feel the fear that I may never say those words, I break down.

     Why are some cured and not others? Early detection and treatment makes a huge difference in survival. Why are some cases detected early? Awareness of signs and symptoms. Both you AND your healthcare provider need to be aware of the signs and symptoms. Bear with me as I repeat the signs and symptoms again.
    
     * Bloating
     * Pelvic or abdominal pain
     * Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
     * Urinary urgency or frequency.
     *See your gynecologist if you have these symptoms almost daily for more than 1-2 weeks.

     I look back and can see all my missed signs. I can hear my physician telling me about premature menopause. We both just shrugged. Why did I just shrug? Why didn't I know that those things I was experiencing were symptoms of ovarian cancer? I'm a frigging healthcare provider myself! (Hmm...I think I might be experiencing some anger today.) All this talk opens up the question of "what if"? For me, thinking about what might have been is fruitless. I need to look forward. I can only go forward with my treatments. I can only hope that someone reads about the symptoms and gets early treatment so that she can say "I am cured". I can mouth the words and set them free in the breeze, where she can catch them and give voice to them. I told you it was a powerful word, that word, "cured".

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• Spreading the Word About Ovarian Cancer (everydayhealth.com)