Because on Tuesdays, we wear Teal. And we talk about the symptoms of ovarian cancer because there is NO test. It’s up to us to know the symptoms and ask questions when things don’t feel right. Some of the symptoms include but are not limited to: 🔹Having to urinate frequently 🔹excessive bloating 🔹reoccurring abdominal pain 🔹decreases appetite #TealTuesday #OvarianCancerAwareness #TealDiva #TealHair #TealDIvaRetreat

It was like any other Tuesday.. after my last class, I was walking in the hallway with my best friend getting ready for cheerleading and gymnastics practice. Suddenly, everything was different. I felt a foreign excruciating pain in my stomach, I felt dizzy, and the next thing I knew, I came to in the bathroom and threw up. My best friend called my mom who rushed over to me, and drove me to my primary care physician. During the drive, I could not stop moving. Pain interrupted

My mother, Maria Valentina Martins, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in February, 2010. Her life’s journey ended too soon thereafter, on January 21, 2012. As is too often the case, she was not diagnosed with ovarian cancer until Stage III. For months prior to her diagnosis, my mother did not feel well. She complained of constant stomach distress on a daily basis. Just the year before, she had seen her Gastroenterologist and had many diagnostic tests performed. The resul

The Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation (SROCF) humbly began 16 years ago, on a living room floor, with the goal to give women a fighting chance against ovarian cancer. At the heart of the foundation is Sandy Rollman, a remarkable woman who passed away from complications due to ovarian cancer in 2000 at far too young an age. I was Sandy’s oncology nurse, and first came together with her sister, Adriana Way, to fight for Sandy when she couldn’t fight for herself any longer

Recently, a student at a local high school reached out to Teal Diva in hopes of working together for her Senior Project. The topic she chose explored Rare Cancer Research and Awareness. After reaching out, we spent time piecing together ideas that would embody her project topic. She volunteered at a few ovarian {k}ancer community events which allowed her to meet survivors of various gynecologic {k}ancers and family members impacted. But we were still trying to tie it all toge

For as long as I can remember my grandma, Mavrine, was a large part of my life. As a little girl, I loved her so much and knew even at that age she was my best friend. She was sweet, kind, loving, and never met a stranger. My daughter, Kendall, was 7 when grandma passed away but she still remembers her as if she were still here. I used to think about what life would be like without her; what our family would be like without her. I never imagined she would have to hear the

As a planner, cancer has definitely had an impact on how I plan my life. Cancer was never in the plan, but since it has become part of my story I now plan around it's inconvenience. Before cancer I always had my next vacation planned, which I worked around my job and of course my social calendar was always planned out several weeks ahead. However just because I have cancer doesn't mean I stopped living which is why I still have vacations planned, I still work when I feel w

Hello! My name is Janelle, a.k.a. The Sassy Survivor (at least I like to consider myself to be). The Sassy Survivor began as a mission to share my story to the world on how dealing with cancer really is. This story began with being diagnosed at the age of 27, with stage 2 ovarian cancer. Seeing me in such agony, my husband forced me to go see another doctor to figure out what the heck was going on with me. This visit, lead me to having a CT scan. Unfortunately, these result

I wanted to first say Thank You to Shannon Routh aka Teal Diva whom God put in my path for a reason. I’ve watched Teal Diva grow over the years and I couldn’t be more proud!!! Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share my story. Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer. It is the deadliest of all the “women’s” cancers. 1 in 72 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 2008 my sister Judy was the one. She was the oldest of 7, a wife of 20 plus years, mother of 2

On April 21, 2010 life seemed “normal”, until I found my mother laying on her living room floor, confused and hallucinating. We called 911 and took her to the emergency room. After four long hours of waiting and wondering, we got a diagnosis…a metastatic brain tumor. Everyone assumed it was a result of her breast cancer returning 8 years later. A few days following the surgery to remove the tumor the pathology came back. It was NOT breast cancer but was in fact ovarian cancer