{"id":242148,"date":"2025-12-20T03:55:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T03:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/242148\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T03:55:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T03:55:33","slug":"how-i-knew-i-had-ovarian-cancer-survivors-and-caregiver-discuss-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/242148\/","title":{"rendered":"‘How I knew I had ovarian cancer\u2019: Survivors and caregiver discuss symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bloating<\/a>, diarrhea and abdominal pain<\/a> are three of the most common symptoms of ovarian cancer<\/a>. They\u2019re also some of the easiest to overlook. Perhaps it\u2019s because they can also be signs of so many other conditions, including indigestion<\/a>, a stomach virus, and even the cramps that can accompany a normal\u00a0menstrual cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI attributed my bloating to a strong course of antibiotics<\/a> I\u2019d just finished,\u201d says Angela Hernandez<\/a>, who was 32 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer<\/a>.\u00a0 \u201cMy gynecologist thought the same thing \u2014 until she discovered a hard spot when she pressed down on my belly during a well-woman exam.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

Some women experience such severe bloating that it distorts their appearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a small person, so it was pretty easy to notice,\u201d\u00a0says\u00a0Carla Peoples<\/a>, who was diagnosed\u00a0with\u00a0stage III<\/a>\u00a0ovarian cancer\u00a0at age\u00a065.\u00a0\u201cMy\u00a0bloating started in December. By the time I was diagnosed the following July, I felt like I was 10 months pregnant. There was also a weird hardening in my abdomen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSusan\u2019s\u00a0stomach suddenly inflated\u00a0within\u00a0two weeks of returning from a trip to India,\u201d recalls\u00a0Mac Dunwoody<\/a>, whose late wife was treated here for\u00a0stage IV\u00a0ovarian cancer. \u201cShe went from having a flat belly to looking like she was seven months pregnant. And Susan was in\u00a0incredible\u00a0shape. She exercised\u00a0almost every\u00a0day.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

A new memory jogger for ovarian cancer symptoms<\/b><\/p>\n

To learn more about ovarian cancer symptoms, as well as when to see a doctor, we consulted Jolyn Sharpe Taylor, M.D.<\/a>, a surgeon who specializes in gynecologic cancers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBloating, diarrhea and abdominal pain are three of the most common ovarian cancer symptoms,\u201d Taylor explains. \u201cFeeling full quickly and exhaustion are the other two. That\u2019s why some doctors use the acronym \u2018BEACH\u2019 as a memory device for ovarian cancer symptoms. BEACH stands for:<\/p>\n