February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. My name is Clodagh and I am just one of 400 women of all ages treated for gynaecological cancers at The Royal Hospital for Women each year.
Just before Christmas 2019, I had a pain my side that kept intensifying. I instinctively felt it was something more sinister. I went to my local GP on a Wednesday and was referred for a scan on Thursday morning. By Friday morning I learned that there was a 10 centimetre tumour on my right ovary. It all happened extremely fast.
After checking my blood, they told me it was ovarian cancer. I was just devastated. I was 34. That afternoon we met the gynaecological oncology team at The Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick. What a special team they are. My surgery was scheduled for January with Professor Proietto.
Ovarian Cancer is a disease that can affect all women, whatever their age, culture and lifestyle, and it is very difficult to detect. Unfortunately often by the time it is detected it has spread or grown.
While I’ve been having my treatment at The Royal, I have learnt that the gynaecology department need a new vital signs monitor. As a public hospital, the basic services are provided by Government, but The Royal relies on support from donors like you to ensure women and families receive the best possible care and treatment during their time here.
A donation towards a new monitor means a great deal to women like me undergoing chemotherapy.
There’s no way of sugar coating it - it was a difficult time. Unfortunately following another scan it was discovered that the cancer had spread outside of the ovary, which changed my diagnosis to High Grade Serous Stage 3C. I had to complete six rounds of chemotherapy over four and half months and also undergo another major operation in July.
The Royal is a national leader in the treatment of gynaecological cancer, opening Australia’s first speciality centre to treat those conditions more than 30 years ago. Each year, the unit treats 350 new invasive cancers; performs 330 major operations and undertakes more than 1000 cycles of chemotherapy.
A donation will help the staff provide the best possible care to these women when they need it most.
I am so grateful to my oncologist Professor Michael Friedlander who prepared the treatment schedule that has prolonged my life. I got to know the nurses all so well, as they work on both post-surgery wards and the chemotherapy room. Jenny Duggan is in charge of the chemotherapy and has been the most incredible support - she was so happy to help me with any issues, either big or small.
During this time I also saw the department’ psychologist, Angela Keating. I had never spoken to a psychologist before, but I realised that it’s important to look at the mental health side of things as well as the physical. Angela helped me to navigate what my new future would look like.
The staff at The Royal certainly showed extraordinary care during my treatment.
I am now half way through completing twelve months maintenance treatment, and have a cancer drug infusion every three weeks in the chemotherapy room. It is scheduled to finish in late August this year.
My story, thank goodness, is one of survival and hope, but unfortunately there are many others who are defeated by ovarian cancer, often after a long battle with chemotherapy, clinical trials and surgery.
With my sincere thanks for helping improve the health of women like me with ovarian cancer at The Royal.
MAKE A DONATION TO THE ROYAL'S GYNAECOLOGY ONCOLOGY WARD
