I had ovarian cancer eight years ago and had a hysterectomy, appendectomy, and omentumectomy, followed by chemotherapy. My initial symptoms were very strange, firstly with altered taste and smell. I was uanable to eat because everything tasted so vile and altered. I lost 8 stone and slowly deteriorated over several weeks. I ended up practically bedridden by weakness. Many tests for stomach bugs were all futile. I eventually got so weak I told my GP I thought I was dying. He palpated my abdomen and found a large mass. Within two weeks, I was in the hospital and feeling much better. The cancer was encapsulated in a very large football-size cyst, which was removed successfully. Six months of chemo followed, with regular nonevasive check-ups. It is all just a memory now. Published: September 10 ::

I am 33 and was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My symptoms were: sharp painful sides, weight gain, and what I thought was a urine infection. I felt as if I needed to pee a lot but then always felt as if I hadn't gone. In my later stages, my symptoms were: kidney infections, back aches, and 4.5 pounds of weight gain by the time my operation had taken place. Inside my left ovary was a small, grade 1 tumor. After they removed it, I had six months of chemo and a 90% chance of survival. The odds are good that this will not come back. I can still go on to have children. Published: September 10 ::

I was warming up for a work-out at the gym. Prior to doing sit-ups I do a move called "organs in place" which keeps women from developing a "muscle bulge" low in abdominal area and helps develop a flatter stomach. When I pressed on the inside of my hip bone and pushed down and toward belly button I felt a weird sharp pain. This was February 2007. Had an pelvic ultrasound two days later and surgery to remove ovary 10 days later, full hysterectomy and "cancer surgery". Published: November 16 ::

I felt stomach pain and lower back pain. I would take Peptol Bismol and it would alleviate the stomach pain but the pain would always seem to resurface again. At the time I was so busy I couldn't have time to run to the doctor so I kept on taking the Peptol bismol. Usually the Peptol bismol would always help me out. Not this time. I went to my doctor and told him what I was feeling. He sent me for a battery of tests. The doctor told me I had a mass on the right side of my ovary. I had already gone through menopause and was 52 years old. I went to the gynecologist. He sent me to a cancer specialist where who gave me a hysterectomy, they took out my appendex and I had an oopherectomy. After, the doctor told me I had stage 2 ovarian cancer. I went through chemotherapy. I lost my hair and everything and I'm lucky to be alive today. I'm a cancer survivor. It's been 3 years for me. Published: October 28 ::