Day 2 - 2nd Annual Ovarian Cancer Awareness Yoga Challenge

Day 2 of the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Yoga Challenge (9-11-2017)

Day 2 –  Presented by Anna @yogasloth (she’s a host & a sponsor). The pose is #Marjariasana or #SeatedCatCow

Sitting in #EasyPose with your hands on your knees or in front of you, take a deep breath in and open up your chest, pushing it forward and the shoulders back.  Then as you breathe out, round the shoulders and bring the chest in. If you have approval from your doctor, you may also do these poses from a table top or kneeling position.

This pose helps to increase circulation to the upper body, strengthens the spine, GI tract & female reproductive system. It can help with menstrual cramps, pain in the lower back and sciatica.

My outfit is from @pawpawyogawear (Grey Tank Top & Grey Pigeon Pants); my #bootyshawl is from @bootyshawl and my gorgeous and wonderful yoga mat is from @gurugrid  

Please make sure to honor your body and only do what is comfortable for you. The info provided is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you are under a doctor’s care please check with them first before doing any pose.

See @nicole_rn for Day 3’s (Tuesday, 9/12) pose and refer to my page for information about the poses, ovarian cancer awareness, and if you don’t know who is posting for the day, come look at my page.

#AWARENESS – Signs & Symptoms

I would like to share a little bit of my story as it relates to my Momma. She had  bloating, pelvic pain, bleeding, back pain, nausea, unable to eat more than a tablespoon of food, constantly feeling full, urgent and constant need to urinate, and terrible fatigue. She had these symptoms for at least eight months, if not more. I was always on the phone with her internist (she had heart disease and diabetes; so this was her primary care physician). He dismissed things that I told him, relating it to her heart disease, diabetes, aging, stress, depression, new medications, etc. It was a frustrating battle. I begged her to please get a second opinion; she refused because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Her mentality was that he was the doctor and he knew best.

March 2007 (she was diagnosed and passed in July) she and I were talking on the phone and she told me some problems she was having. Concerned, I said that it sounded like congestive heart failure (CHF) and she needed to call her doctor immediately. She said she would discuss it with him when she had her next visit. The next day, she had a podiatrist appointment and I cannot tell you how happy I was to hear that the podiatrist immediately looked at her and her legs and said it looks like CHF, she was taken by ambulance to the hospital and admitted for about a week. During this time, I pleaded with her internist that there was something really wrong, more than the CHF. Again, it was dismissed. I told my Momma that I was going to get her an appointment with another doctor, she was adamant that I better not do that. [Ten years later, this still breaks my heart that I wasn’t able to help her and more so, that she was so afraid of upsetting her internist.]

In May 2007, she had her annual gynecological examination and I went with her. I explained to her doctor about her symptoms, so she ordered an ultrasound (without the transvaginal probe…without!). The doctor said that there was some thickening of her uterine lining and would schedule a D&C (dilation and curettage) which would help with her vaginal bleeding. The doctor’s schedule was very full and would have to wait until she returned from vacation at the end of July, so it was scheduled for August.

July 2007, I continued to put calls into her internist about my Momma’s health, she was losing weight rapidly and barely eating. She was dying right in front of us. I was able to get the internist to refer her to a urologist because of the bladder issues. I drove her there and had to use a wheelchair to transport her from the car to the office; she was so frail and weak. I know that he took one look at her and realized something was seriously wrong. He did an ultrasound in his office that revealed “something” and called to confer with a gynecological oncologist. This appointment took place on Friday, 7/13; they scheduled her for a CT scan that Monday, 7/16; Wednesday 7/18 around 2 PM in the afternoon her gynecologist called (I happen to be at the house and put the call on speaker phone in my Momma’s bedroom) and said she had a tumor a little smaller than a football and it was ovarian cancer. The world stopped. I was standing in front of my Momma as she sat on the edge of the bed…she just put her head down and sunk into me. It was such a horrible and helpless feeling. I told the doctor that she was extremely weak, not eating, and in tremendous pain…and that I was bringing her to the hospital immediately. We actually had to call 911 to get her transported out of the house (there was no way we could navigate her down 10 concrete steps).

I stayed with her from that Wednesday until Friday, 7/20, evening so I could go home and shower while my other sisters stayed with her. I was back with her at the hospital Saturday afternoon and by midnight the nurse told me her organs were starting to shut down. We didn’t have a DNR in place!  My Momma was unable to speak, but could still blink her eyes…I asked her three different times if she was sure she did not want to be revived in case something happened; all three times she agreed to have a DNR. [We were always a family so on top of medical issues, this still stuns me that we didn’t have one in place.] . A physician came and signed the papers with me near 1 AM. At 5 AM Sunday morning (7/22), the nurse said that I should call my sisters to the hospital; they were there by 5:25 AM and she passed away with her three girls by her side at 5:55 AM July 22,2007. There was such a heaviness and darkness to the room that hour before she passed…after she took her last breath, there was an incredible sense of calm, peace, and light. It may sound very strange and trust me, watching her for all that time was the worst event I have ever been through…but as sad as it was to watch her die, there was a sense of pure love and light in that room.

So…I’ve shared snippets of this story many times over the last ten years since she’s passed and the one thing that I want everyone to know: You know your body better than anyone else. IF you feel like something is not right, listen to your instincts and get a second opinion (or third!), keep a journal of your symptoms and write everything down so you can have a conversation with your doctor that will help both of you.  My co-host, Heather from @gurugrid, said, “It is ok to bother or insult [in reference to my Momma’s reasoning] them. Our lives are more important.” YES! Each and every one of us are important. I live with the fact that I didn’t do more…we must be our own best patient advocate. On the last day of the challenge, I will discuss more about advocating for your health/care and discussing an Advance Directive.

From the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) website; #signs and #symptoms include:

What are the Signs & Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect, especially, in the early stages. This is partly due to the fact that the ovaries, two small, almond-shaped organs on either side of the uterus, are deep within the abdominal cavity. The following are often identified by women as some of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer:

 

·                     Bloating

·                     Pelvic or abdominal pain

·                     Trouble eating or feeling full quickly

·                     Feeling the need to urinate urgently or often

Other symptoms of ovarian cancer can include:

·                     Fatigue

·                     Upset stomach or heartburn

·                     Back pain

·                     Pain during sex

·                     Constipation or menstrual changes

If symptoms are new and persist for more than two weeks, it is recommended that a woman see her doctor, and a gynecologic oncologist before surgery if cancer is suspected.

Persistence of Symptoms

When the symptoms are persistent, when they do not resolve with normal interventions (like diet change, exercise, laxatives, rest) it is imperative for a woman to see her doctor. Persistence of symptoms is key. Because these signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer have been described as vague or silent, only approximately 19 percent of ovarian cancer is diagnosed in the early stages. Symptoms typically occur in advanced stages when tumor growth creates pressure on the bladder and rectum, and fluid begins to form.

(See link below for more information from NOCC):

http://www.ovarian.org/about-ovarian-cancer/what-are-the-signs-a-symptoms

From the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance www.ovariancancer.org