‘Mum was my best friend’

29/03/2013 @ 03:36

For the past month, fundraising events have been held the length and breadth of the UK for Ovarian Cancer awareness month.

It’s a cancer that many of us know very little about but for one woman it has been very personal.

Louise Macken admits that she always thought cancer would never affect her or her family but that all changed dramatically in 2008, and she hopes that by sharing her story, it will help to create awareness and strengthen the fight.

Here she takes us through her own difficult experiences.

“My knowledge of Ovarian Cancer began in October 2008 when my mum, Rachel Fitzgerald (pictured), was diagnosed with an advanced case of the disease.

“Mum had been complaining of a swollen stomach and feeling full all the time for a couple of months. We all put it down to working too much, feeling stressed or changes after completing a course of HRT.

“Mum’s GP originally thought she had IBS. After undergoing the relevant tests at her GP she was sent for a CT scan which revealed a large ovarian tumour. Mum was unlucky and the disease was already Stage 4 and had spread to her liver. She battled hard and fought the disease in reasonably good health.

“Mum spent two weeks being cared for in Severn Hospice. She came home for two weeks and passed away peacefully at home on August 15, 2010. My mum was my best friend and I miss her every single day.

“To think that promoting the awareness of symptoms could prevent another woman going through what my mum went through or another daughter feeling the loss I feel daily, keeps me striving to help Ovarian Cancer Action.

But the disease was to strike the family again in November 2011 but thanks to an early diagnosis, Louise’s husband’s Aunt is now recovering.

“Her early diagnosis was, in part, due to her GP’s awareness of the symptoms,” said Louise. “All GPs in the UK were sent symptom information in April 2011 by the charity Ovarian Cancer Action.

“During mum’s illness my husband felt inspired to raise money for an Ovarian Cancer Charity. Mum and I decided on Ovarian Cancer Action as they are continually working towards finding a cure and raising awareness. Their focus is to improve the prognosis of all women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

“Their passion is to reach every woman and GP in the UK with key messages about ovarian cancer and its symptoms. This will contribute to ensuring that a greater proportion of women are diagnosed as early as possible giving women a greater chance of survival.

“Ovarian Cancer Action strives to ensure that women and healthcare professionals recognise the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer so that diagnosis is achieved at the earliest opportunity, because early diagnosis saves lives.”

Throughout March, staff and children at Footsteps Day Nursery (right) have been raising money and awareness through a number of events, including a ‘Harlem Shuffle’ by the After School Club - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5Flh9wcDdU.

For more information about the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer and the work of Ovarian Cancer Action, Louise recommends a visit to http://www.ovarian.org.uk to watch the video.

If you would like to donate to the fundraising activities in memory of Rachel Fitzgerald, visit http://www.justgiving.com/Louise-Macken

The four main symptoms of ovarian cancer are:

Persistent stomach pain

Persistent bloating or increased stomach size

Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

Needing to wee more frequently

Occasionally other symptoms may include:

Changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea or constipation)

Fatigue

Back pain

The key features of the symptoms of ovarian cancer are:

Their persistency – they don’t go away