Stage 3b survivor here after almost six years. Classic case of delayed diagnosis, as I was having irregular period problems and saw my gynecologist several times during the 8 months before diagnosis! By that time, I had a huge malignant tumor mass. My amazing surgeon had to remove my ovaries, uterus and cervix along with a lot of surrounding tissue. However, I remained "studded" with tumors on my bladder, colon and other areas, but thankfully they found nothing in my lower body lymph nodes (those that were sampled). Chemotheraphy sucks but it was worth it, because here I am after 6 years, alive and apparently healthy, and my advice is ... if you're reading this, you suspect or know you have cancer, or somehow related to someone who does. Go to your doctor! Get a complete physical and if you're in the prolonged "problems with period" stage, demand the CA 123 tumor marker test and an ultrasound! It might save your life. FYI, I am extremely grateful for the wonderful doctors I have, they saved me from certain death. I have no idea how many more years I have, the odds aren't good for long term, but I've beat them so far and I'm going to keep kicking it! Hope this helps someone.

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.

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 3-3-08. Two very large tumors removed (malignant). 6 months of chemo followed. Carbolatin and Taxol. I was not able to do more than one treatment of Cisplatin intraperitineal due to pain. Looking back I had one to two years of OC symptoms. Irregular and heavy periods with clotting. I was in nursing at the time. Other nurses at work said it was menopause. I was 47 years old. They said I was "shedding the lining of my uterus." Chronic back pain. Everyone in nursing had back pain. Changes in bowel habits came. My doctor said I was just constipated. At the very end I had horrible heartburn which never happened unless I was pregnant which I was not. I started buying Tums. I missed 14 days of work due to stomach pain and got fed up and went to a doc in the box (not my primary care doctor who I had been seeing). He felt the football size lump in my belly I had been letting others feel for quite some time, including my primary care doctor. He sent me for an ultra sound which led to surgery. My oncologist surgeon said I would wake up most likely with stitches from pelvis to sternum. I did not. I woke up with cesarean type scar low on pelvis. He said the tumors were not cancer. Relatives in town for my surgery went back home relieved. About 3 days later I got a call that pathology came back and I did have cancer. My surgeon apologized. Said I was grade 3 very aggressive but unstaged. I began chemo. I know a lot more now than I did then and I am carefully, cautiously yet very optimistically watching my health. My tumor marker numbers hover at 7. I have had a few cat scans that have been good. I have learned to live in the moment and love life! Keep hope alive sisters!

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.

I was normal for about a month before my surgery for ovarian cancer. I suddenly felt bloating in my abdomen and felt like something moving around. My GP mistook it for gas and treated me for Gastritis. I developed a sharp pain near my diaphragm. I went to a gynecologist who immediately advised an ultrasound. I surgery to remove my ovaries, omentum and uterus. Will soon be starting chemo.

I was diagnosed with stage 1 B, grade 3 (aggressive) epithelial ovarian cancer. The GYN felt a cyst on my ovary during routine annual exam last December. I was asymptomatic. He sent me for a vaginal ultrasound, which found three cysts on my ovaries but opined that they were most likely benign. My GYN recommended a hysterectomy and small cancers were found on each ovary, a surprise finding during the surgery. My uterus, both ovaries, both fallopian tubes and cervix were removed. They saw nothing else. I then had a CT scan after surgery which showed no residual malignancy. Two weeks later I had a cancer staging surgery and the pathologies from that were all negative. Now, they think I am cured. That routine exam saved my life.