Survivors Teaching Students Regional Coordinators share their key messages for people on World Ovarian Cancer Day.
Gill Stannard (Digital & Allied Health Regional Coordinator):
“Your symptoms are really important. Even at a time where you feel that your doctor may be busy, you really do deserve to be heard and to be treated. Listen to your body. We all know when something isn’t quite right with our bodies. Be persistent until you get a clear and definitive answer.”
Jane Power (Melbourne Regional Coordinator):
“This day is an opportunity for us to emphasise and remind women of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, and to go to your GP and have any checked out. Don’t ignore those symptoms. Women need to be aware of what the signs and symptoms of other gynaecological cancers are, particularly ovarian cancer, as this is the most deadly out of all the gynaecological cancers.”
Ann Prunty (Western NSW Regional Coordinator)
“Sadly I have heard of many, many women that have had all the common symptoms of ovarian cancer – bloating, feeling full, etc. – random things that we’re very quick to put down to ‘well, that’s just because I’m a woman’. If you have any doubt that something is not right, then persist, persist, persist. I was probably one of the fittest people you’d meet for my age, and I didn’t have a clue – and my cancer was stage III – it was well on the way. You must, absolutely must, persist!”
Lesley McQuire (Hunter/New England Regional Coordinator):
“I would like to see the Sydney Opera House lit up in teal for World Ovarian Cancer Day. If we had the opportunity to spread awareness, then we have the opportunity to save lives. STS gives us the chance to reach the students, but unless we can put it out there and make it more visual to the population, the awareness doesn’t grow.”
Amanda Warrington (Sydney Regional Coordinator):
“If you’re feeling funny down there, or if anything feels different or unusual at all, then I just say ‘go to the doctor’. You have to take control of your health and your healing. Make sure that you have a good doctor that listens to you is on your side.”
Alisha Thompson (North QLD Regional Coordinator)
“Listen to your bodies if something doesn’t feel right, and see a doctor. Pursue it. Personally, my diagnosis was delayed because I was ‘too busy’ to see the doctor. You’re never too busy to listen to your body.”
Thank you to all Regional Coordinators for sharing their messages for World Ovarian Cancer Day.
We are continuing to recruit interested volunteers. To enquire or listen into an STS presentation, please contact: Elise Ackland finance@anzgog.org.au or visit the STS webpage through this link.
