Brave mum Erin Barrett, 35, is battling ovarian cancer. Recently she shared a searingly honest Facebook post detailing her symptoms in the hope other women who read it can recognise them and be diagnosed early.
In September Erin gave birth to baby daughter Edie, and at the same time her left ovary, fallopian tube and a 6lb tumour were removed. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with the disease.
“They call ovarian cancer the silent killer,” she wrote in the post. “This is because the symptoms are so subtle that it is often caught too late. Currently, the odds of getting ovarian cancer are 1 in 58 (compared to 1 in 7 for breast cancer).
“I want the next ten women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer to be diagnosed early. This means I need your help in telling 580 women about the symptoms.
“This is where you come in. Take 15 seconds – that’s all it takes – to tell two or three women in your life about the symptoms. This could be your wife, your mother, your sister, your daughter – any woman you care about.”
She then detailed her symptoms, encouraging women not to hesitate visiting their doctor if they experience some or all:
• Persistent stomach pain
• Persistent bloating
• Finding it difficult to eat or feeling full quickly
• Needing to pee more often
• Back pain
• Changes to bowel habits (constipation or diarrhoea)
• Feeling tired all the time
“If any or all of these are present, especially in women 40+, please PLEASE go see your doctor,” she added. “You’re not wasting anyone’s time, you’re being smart and ensuring you’ll be around for the long haul for the people you love.”
I’ve debated long and hard about posting anything here about my health. This feels like a very personal journey, yet, at...
Posted by Erin Barrett on Tuesday, 22 December 2015
The post has since been shared hundreds of thousands of times.
“My favourite messages are from the countless women who have now booked a doctor’s appointment to address concerns over the symptoms,” an overwhelmed Erin said in response.
