The City of Humboldt is recognizing a pair of causes during the course of September, as in addition to Big Brothers Big Sisters month, which can be found in the Aug. 30 edition of the Humboldt Journal, the city also declared the month of September Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month is observed across parts of the world during the month of September, and Sheila Moormann, who asked that the declaration be made in Humboldt, says she wanted to bring it to Humboldt because the cancer is affecting more women, and younger women as well.
Moormann is a long time survivor of ovarian cancer, and says she hopes having the awareness month in Humboldt will encourage women to wait less time before seeking a doctor.
“If they have any of the symptoms, go to a doctor and if that doctor doesn’t give them an answer go to another one until you find out what’s going on and don’t give up.”
Ovarian Cancer is a tough cancer to diagnose as there is no reliable screening test for the disease and there is also no vaccine to prevent it either.
There are a number of symptoms associated with Ovarian Cancer including abdomen pain, nausea, diarrhea, frequent urination, pain during intercourse, feeling full quickly, heart burn, back pain, weight gain, fatigue, and bloating, and Moormann notes the general rule of thumb is if the symptoms last three weeks on a consistent basis it is important to seek medical attention.
“If your doctor won’t do a test, an MRI or an Internal Examination find a doctor that will because time means everything. The sooner it’s done the better your chance of survival.”
Abdomen pain rings strongly, says Moormann because that was her greatest symptom before she found out she had Ovarian Cancer.
“The tumour I had grew so quickly that it pushed everything away and the pain, I remember the pain. You never forget that pain. And that was within days.”
One common misconception among a number of people is that a Pap Smear is an effective way to test for Ovarian Cancer.
“There is no test. So that’s why it’s important that you know your body and we have to keep putting pressure on the researchers,” says Moormann.
Moormann notes that researchers generally are putting in more time trying to come up with a cure once people contract the disease but are not putting enough time into finding a suitable test, which is something she would like to see changed.
With Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month just a few days old in Humboldt, Moormann says she has already received a lot of positive response from the community.
