Giving a voice to cancer sufferers

I know it sounds a bit silly to have cancer and not know, but I had no idea — MARIE REID

MARIE Reid was going to spend the rest of her afternoon in the garden but her annual check-up with her gynaecologist changed her plans.

Instead, on that winter’s day in 2017, Ms Reid started her fight with ovarian cancer, and she is currently going through her third chemotherapy treatment.

Because the symptoms for gynaecological cancer are diverse and underestimated, on average it takes at least three visits for a woman to be taken seriously when visiting a doctor.

However, for Ms Reid it only took one visit to her gynaecologist for a diagnosis.

“I had no idea, I didn’t know there was anything wrong,” Ms Reid said.

“I felt a bit bloated and had the little aches and pains that you just put down to life.

“I know it sounds a bit silly to have cancer and not know, but I had no idea.”

Ms Reid encourages all women to get checked regularly and to talk more about gynaecological cancer.

“It’s probably not going to help me to raise more awareness but hopefully it will help someone,” Ms Reid said.

“Women get a pap smear and think it covers everything but it doesn’t.

“If only they knew what they will have to go through if they aren’t getting checked, it’s not worth it.”

A program now being run in the US, UK, Canada and four Australian states provides survivors of gynaecological cancers and their carers the opportunity to educate medical students.

The program is called Survivors Teaching Students, and Ultimate Foundation of Hope, in partnership with the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group, is fundraising to have the program come to Tasmania.

The program costs $15,000 per year to run and the founder of Ultimate Foundation of Hope, Katrina Driessen, is hopeful of reaching the target.

“The program has been on the mainland since 2017 and it has had a lot of positive feedback and is helping raise awareness,” Ms Driessen said.

“Patients and carers share their stories to medical students and explain the symptoms they experienced.”

She said most of the education on gynaecological cancer was taught from a textbook.

Ms Driessen is hoping to provide a voice for those affected by gynaecological cancer.

“The foundation started three years ago,” Ms Driessen said. “Gynaecological cancer doesn’t have a voice, unlike the more renowned cancers like breast cancer.

“Compared to cancers with more awareness, the survival rate for ovarian cancer is very low at 47 per cent.

“Unfortunately the women don’t get to live very long so we want to stand up for them.”

This Friday night the Ultimate Foundation of Hope will be holding its last fundraising event for the year at the Mercedes Showroom, with the money raised going towards bringing the Survivors Teaching Students program to Tasmania.