Hearing the words ‘you have cancer’, is the equivalent of having the wind knocked out of you. I felt dirty and ashamed. I was embarrassed. I wanted to hide from the world. If I could say something to that girl, I would say document your story. People need to see. People need to know. This word does not define you, it’s only something that has happened to you. Some don’t understand why I stayed to fight when I could have easily walked away once it was through. I do what I do b

T E N * Y E A R S ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It did not run in my family. What I learned was sickening. I learned that even though I was going for a PaPSmear, I wasn’t being tested for ovarian cancer because a test simply doesn’t exist. The PaP only tests for cervical. My body was screaming at me that something was wrong and I listened. One doctor misdiagnosed me. I didn’t know what was wrong but I kept pushing and even changed doctors. I have learned that we m