November 2016
I read with great interest an article this week on ovarian cancer. It was actress Cobie Smulders story of being diagnosed and having the disease at 25.
There were a few things I knew about the actress before reading the article. She is a great actress, having played a range of roles in both TV and film, and I also knew she had two daughters.
What I didn’t know was that Smulders (34) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 25.
Ovarian cancer it is often hard to diagnose. We know and see evidence of this within some of our communities within the HealthUnlocked platform.
“ When I’ve plucked up the courage to see a doctor about new symptoms which could be ovarian cancer, they have not run any tests, or mentioned it to me, or shown any concern”
“I went to my GP with all the typical symptoms of Ovarian Cancer and with a history of bilateral breast cancer at an early age and they still didn’t click!!”
One of the biggest difficulties in diagnosing ovarian cancer is that most of the symptoms can easily we put down to something else. Smulders confirms this and on speaking about her diagnosis says she just felt a bit off.
Smulders treatment was mainly surgical which helped preserve her fertility. She also made some lifestyle changes, which she feels made a difference to her recovery. Having a doctor and other clinicians to talk through these options and whether they are right for you is fundamental. However, so is being able to talk to someone like Smulders, someone who has been through it, or is going through it now.
We are delighted with the recent addition of a SHARE ovarian cancer online community to the HealthUnlocked platform that offers just this. It is a safe place for people with the disease to come together and share experiences. It has the potential to change people’s lives.
We’re currently raising awareness of this new online community so people know it is there – help us by sharing this article.
Visit the ovarian cancer online community.
You can read the full article on SELF