Me & my cancer : I was diagnosed...Ovarian cancer

 

(Dunwich Heath)

I don't know where to start....

I have been on this cancer journey since 2019 summer....I was diagnosed ovarian cancer clear cell stage 3b. It was like someone throw bombed at me. I guess, I was in denial for a few weeks, or more, just couldn't believe I got cancer. I didn't want to believe it.  I had a few good close friends had cancer previous year, I thought then, " next one might be me?" Later, one of my friends said; "these days cancer isn't death sentence, you'll be alright"... I really hang on to that.😊

In 2019 May, I went back to Japan for a few weeks, really enjoyed being with my family and friends. I had some yummy food, did lots of yoga, and met some new people.... Came back, after a few weeks, I started feeling unwell, coughing really badly which didn't go away. Then I started feeling fatigue, I wasn't even able to walk into town without having rest a couple of times, on top of that, I found really challenging to cycle...my quads didn't lift....Started feeling even worse, so I decided to make an appointment with GP and saw a lady doctor. She was lovely and listened what I was telling her. She gave me a week course of antibiotics thinking I had chest infection. 

After a week, it didn't go away, still really fatigued and felt it got worsened. I rung GP again, to see another doctor. He sent me to bloods at the West Suffolk hospital. In the meantime, he gave another course of antibiotics 3 times a day for a week. Then I went for bloods that day. 

Following day, he contacted me to see another doctor at the surgery in the evening, which I did. He explained over the phone, I was very very anaemic, and sounded very concerned. Anyway, I went to see another doctor in the evening. He saw me and I explained why I possibly anaemic. ( I had discharging for previous 6-7 month every day, a bit like 4th day period) He sent me another bloods and booked me CT scan in 3 weeks time. It was Thursday. 

(Spring in Southwold)

On Friday evening, when I came back from work ( teaching yoga class at the local yoga studio), I felt really unwell, wasn't able to move, and I couldn't breathe. I asked My partner, Marcus, to take me to A&E, we were there till about 3am. In the end, thanks to A&E doctor there who forwarded my CT scan to following day ( Saturday). We went back to the hospital at 9pm, had CT scan, whilst waiting for the result, I was given a bag of IV iron followed by IV fluid and felt a bit better. One of doctors informed me I had lots of blood clots in my both lungs which caused coughing.

I was admitted that day for monitoring, ended up staying there for a week. 

Following day, doctor booked me for another CT scan for abdomen area to see why I was discharging. The result came back quite quick, two gynaecologists came to see me and delivered news. I had ovarian cancer. 

I called my partner in the afternoon to speak to doctors for more detail, we were both shocked. I had feeling something wrong with my womb, but never thought it was ovarian cancer. 

After a week, I came out from the hospital, cancelled some yoga classes I was teaching. I was sad, but the same time felt relieved that I had diagnosis. I was called from the hospital for biopsy and consultation a few day later. The gynaecologists informed me I was referred to Addenbrooke's in Cambridge. Once referred, the process of getting treatments and seeing an oncologist were so fast. Thanks to NHS, for quick response and I was lucky to be here to receive treatments.  

This is how my journey with cancer started.....😊