"I SURVIVED OVARIAN CANCER THANKS TO BODY+SOUL"

Rosalie Andrew, 67, was living with ovarian cancer but didn’t know it, until a body+soul article prompted her to investigate what she thought was a tummy condition. As told to Beverley Hadgraft

“Late last year, I went on a cruise and returned home not feeling my best. I suffered bouts of diarrhea and my appetite disappeared. I then went to see my GP who ran tests and diagnosed a bug. I was prescribed three lots of antibiotics. I thought that should get rid of it and got on with booking a trip to New Zealand to see my family. 

On April 13, the day before I was due to leave, I bought the Sunday newspaper. It was a lovely afternoon so I sat outside my home in Elwood, Victoria, with my two rescue dogs, enjoying the sunshine and the fact that I had time to read it from cover to cover. When I got to body+soul, I read the whole edition, including a story on ovarian cancer. That wasn’t a problem I’d ever really thought about before. The only encounter I’d had with cancer was the lung cancer that had taken my husband. I presumed that my regular Pap smears would have picked up any signs if I had the disease. 

However, as I read the list of symptoms, I frowned. I had that one... and that one. In fact, I could tick off half of them: abdominal pain or pressure; feelings of abdominal fullness, gas, nausea and indigestion; persistent changes in bowel and bladder patterns; and lower backaches and cramps.

“Oh, don’t be a pessimist,” I scolded myself. “You’re making mountains out of molehills.” 

But as I read the list again, I couldn’t help feeling concerned. Again, I tried to dismiss my worries, telling myself that I was probably just getting upset at the thought of leaving the dogs. However, I decided to monitor the symptoms while I was away. 

A growing sense of concern

I hadn’t been in New Zealand for long before I realised I was suffering another symptom on the list: sudden abdominal swelling. It started while I was driving to a fete with my sister and every little bump we went over I could feel it. In fact it was so bad, we had to stop at my brother’s on the way home to ask him for a hot water bottle to put on my tummy to try to ease the pain. 

As the days passed, the pain and swelling became worse. By the evening, it was so excruciating I had to undo my bra because it was hurting my stomach so much. “This is ridiculous,” I said. I couldn’t wait to get home to see my GP.

The flight home wasn’t fun. I’d booked a window seat but by now the diarrhea was so bad I had to ask to be moved. 

I went to see my GP as soon as I could, taking the body+soul article along with me. 

She immediately scheduled an appointment for an ultrasound and another for a gastroenterologist consultation, because she still thought it could be the stomach bug that was causing these problems.

I had the external and internal ultrasound on April 28. It hurt like hell. A few days later, I went to see the gastroenterologist. He had my ultrasound results in front of him. “You need to see a gynaecologist immediately,” he told me and picked up the phone.

I was in front of Professor Tom Jobling that afternoon, being told that I had a tumour on my ovary and needed surgery. I was so shocked, I didn’t even ask any questions. Everything after that was a blur. 

Surgery and chemotherapy

I had the operation on May 8. Afterwards I was told I had stage-two ovarian cancer and that my ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus and some of the fatty tissue of the stomach had been removed. I’d also need a six-month course of chemotherapy.

My GP was shocked when I told her but I certainly didn’t blame her. I had all the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and she’d been thrown by the diarrhea and positive bug test.

But I do wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t read that article. I think I’d have simply finished my antibiotics or just kept blaming it on something that I’d eaten for dinner When I discussed it with others, I realised I wasn’t the only one who thought that a Pap smear could detect ovarian cancer. In fact, it’s very hard to detect and one of my friends, after hearing my story, asked her doctor for an ultrasound as well, which was good to hear. 

Although my chemo doesn’t finish until November, I’ve already been told that I’m in remission. They said I still have to finish it, though, and that’s fine by me. I want to make sure we’ve got everything under control and I’m coping with it well. I’m still taking my dogs for a walk twice a day. 

I haven’t framed the article in body+soul – not yet anyway – but I’ve kept it. It probably saved my life, after all. I still look at it regularly and think, gee I’m so blessed that I had time to read it properly that day.”