Coping With The Physical Changes From Ovarian Cancer

How has your body changed from your ovarian cancer? How have you managed these changes?

I found that I have had a change in my bowels that took a bit of getting used to I had constipation all the time so I just take Coloxyl morning and night recommended by Dr as the years have gone by I find sometimes certain foods and fruits can give me diarrhea you just have to manage it yourself. I have regular colonoscopy checkups to see everything is alight just to be on top of all your checkups.

What effect has your ovarian cancer treatment had on you, both physically and mentally?

Well, I was 59 Stage 11B when I was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Mentally, I prepared myself for what was ahead of me and most importantly kept myself very positive this was just a hiccup in life and I was going to get through it I had 6 months of chemo weekly I never got really sick but would a few days after treatment get nauseous I made a point of getting up every morning have a shower put my makeup on ready for any visitors that would come you will have certain things creep into your mind at the beginning but you have to push them aside 

I'm 6 years down the track I'm still positive that I have not had a recurrence of those initial feelings I don't let creep in and we have got on with life. In 2019, we lost our house in floods my family was worried that after the chemo I wouldn't cope with what happened but I said to everyone I have been through worse this is nothing. So things change in your outlook they were only material things I'm still here. On the physical side of chemo, I was out of breath all the time once you finish treatment things do settle down and things will go back to normal as much as they can. My only words are don't be negative you have a fight and it's worth fighting for your life be happy and before you know it you will be through it in no time.

How did losing your hair affect your self-esteem? How did you accept this change?

I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to lose my hair so before I started treatment I organized all my wigs to match my current hairstyle then I got scarves to wear at home sleep hat, etc. It makes you feel normal with the wigs people didn't look at you differently or know you were going through cancer I guess we all have a way of how we cope with things but it certainly got me through on the lighter side got out the door quickly had no hair to worry about styling it every day took a bit of adjusting to getting hair back again was work.