COURAGEOUS Andrea Oliver is fighting ovarian cancer and will join thousands in the Ovarian Walk/Run for Cancer 2018, to “make sure women are aware of the symptoms.”
The Teddington mother of two said she “just assumed that symptoms of cancer would be loud and clear” before being diagnosed in December 2016.
According to Target Ovarian Cancer , eleven women die every day from ovarian cancer, yet only 1% per cent of women in England can name a key symptom of the disease.
Andrea, 55, – pictured above with her daughter Katie – said her brush with ovarian cancer began in October 2016 when she started using the toilet frequently and her sudden bloating making her look “8 and a half months pregnant.” She was diagnosed two months later.
She said: ‘Before I was diagnosed I just assumed that symptoms of cancer would be loud and clear. I want to make sure that women are aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and the importance of making time to listen to their bodies and notice anything that is different for them because lives can be saved by early diagnosis.
‘We can spread the word together by signing up for the Ovarian Cancer Walk.’
Target Ovarian Cancer’s Director of Development Susan Booth has been campaigning for 10 years however still worries that “awareness is alarmingly low across the UK and it’s time to take over and save lives”.
The four key symptoms of ovarian cancer are frequent (more than 12 times a month) and persistent:
- Increased abdominal size/persistent bloating
- Difficulty eating/feeling full
- Pelvic or abdominal pain
- Needing to wee more urgently or more often
On October 13, families and friends including Andrea will take to the streets around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to raise awareness on the Ovarian Cancer Walk/Run and encourage support for the 25,000+ women directly affected.
To register and find out more, visit targetovariancancer.org.uk/Walk or search ‘Target Ovarian Cancer Walk’.
