Jan
Jan says "My husband Bruce and I were active in the gym at least three times a week. In the early part of 2003, I was not feeling myself and I noticed my exercise routine was getting more difficult. In February 2003, I met a woman named Shelly, a registered nurse, at the gym. She and I hooked up together, lifting weights and doing abdominal exercises on the mats. She was still grieving over her sister, who had died of breast cancer six months earlier.I asked Shelly why I felt worse after a workout, especially in the abdominal area, where I was bloated. She asked me if I had backaches. I told her that yes, sometimes I did. She told me that my symptoms could be ovarian cancer and that I should see a doctor. Well, that hit me like a ton of bricks. I made an appointment with my primary physician.
My physician recommended blood work and a test called Ca-125 tumor marker for ovarian cancer. Within a week, he called and said the Ca-125 came back 1119. When I asked what was normal, he said 0 to 35. He said he would make an appointment for me to have an ultrasound."
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Tamika

When I finally did go for a check-up, I got the shock of my life. I had cervical cancer. I was devastated, and I asked myself how this was possible. I was too young and too strong for this.
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Geraldine

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Eileen

In August 2007, I began having heavy bleeding and I went to a nearby medical clinic. The doctors there found that I had something suspicious on my uterus. They referred me to a gynecologist who did a biopsy, which revealed I had cancer. I was then referred to a gynecologic oncologist, who did an additional biopsy on my cervix, which also showed the presence of cancer cells. To this day, the doctors say they are not sure which came first, the uterine cancer or the cervical cancer.
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Debbie

Before I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I rarely got sick. Then, a few years ago, I had some symptoms that were unusual for me—I felt bloated and gained weight for no reason I could explain. I also noticed other things that were unusual for me, like constipation, and I felt nauseous when I ate. My doctors told me I had hypothyroidism, put me on medication, and the symptoms went away temporarily. I'm still not sure if the hypothyroidism symptoms were related to what came next.
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Linda

The next visit was to my kidney doctor in March 2011. He looked at the ultrasound report, and strongly suggested I see about getting the ovarian cyst removed, just in case it was cancer.
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Toni

In late 2005, after going through menopause and not having a period for one year, I suddenly had a full flowing ‘period.’ I was 52 years old. Luckily, I already had a regular gynecologist appointment scheduled the first week in 2006.
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Dee

In the spring of 2013, I kept seeing a commercial for the Inside Knowledge campaign and kept thinking about it—‘I have those symptoms—spotting after menopause, a bloated feeling, having to go to the bathroom a lot, and this pressure/pain that was not like the cramps and pain I used to get with my period.’
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Jill

"Not knowing the signs of ovarian cancer, the day came for surgery and I went in thinking it would be easy with nothing to worry about since I have no family history of cancer.
When I wakened, the doctor visited and said I would be in pain but fine – he had to remove part of my left ovary but it would not impede me or my ability to have children because it was still functional." says Jill.
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Andreya

"I was misdiagnosed for a while. By the time we know what it was, “Alfred” (that’s what my friends and I named my tumor) had grown to an impressive 14.5 inches and weighed in at 10 lbs.
I was looking forward to finishing my Associates Degree to hanging out with my friends for the summer. Sometimes I look back on that summer and think, “Man that summer SUCKED!”…And then I think that was the moment my life changed." says Andreya.
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Renate

"Our family has been blind sided by all of this. There is no history of ovarian cancer in our family. I had experienced stomach aches and heavier menstrual symptoms. I had an ultra sound in March 2011 and there was no sign of anything. I have 3 daughters that are 17, 13 and 6. I want a test to be found in their lifetime to diagnose this disease early. My two daughters are doing their part to create awareness by participating in a legacy girls study at Princess Margaret Hospital." says Renate.
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Joy

"It was Christmas time and our travel plans were set. So my husband and I set off on our two-week vacation from our home outside of Minneapolis, Minn. to Connecticut.
Upon arriving, my sister saw my discomfort (perhaps with fresh eyes). She set up an appointment immediately with her doctor. He examined me and took some blood tests. The next evening he called recommending I have a CAT scan when I returned home, which I did" says Joy.
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