A Cancer Survivor's Body Image
- Canadian model Ash Foo was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2019. She underwent chemotherapy and multiple surgeries that left her with a large scar.
- Foo went through a long period of struggling with her body image after treatment left so many physical changes to her body, but now she sees things differently. She is embracing her scar and is proud to share her cancer story with the world.
- When it comes to managing the side effects of ovarian cancer treatment, keeping your emotional health in check whether that means seeing a therapist, visiting support groups or simply learning to accept your situation is very important.
Foo, who has appeared in ads for Levi’s and Calvin Klein, was diagnosed with a malignant germ cell tumor of the ovary, dysgerminoma, in June 2019. Her first cancer surgery was "a laparotomy, where they split you down the middle and you can not do anything for a solid month." She then had chemotherapy, which failed to shrink a smaller tumor, followed by a second laparoscopic surgery.
Read More“I didn't feel comfortable with myself anymore,” she wrote in the caption. “When I looked in the mirror, I couldn't recognize who I saw. I had held on so tightly to my idea of what I was suppose to look like.”View this post on Instagram
The presence of her scar from surgery was especially hard to accept, but now she sees things differently.
“This body was left with dark marks that I imagined as various shapes and objects, like how you would with clouds in the sky. An intrusive scar that slithers down through me, creating the look of two half's to what was once a whole,” she wrote. “For a while I saw them as flaws, playing a mental game of ‘spot what doesn't belong.’ But now when I look back at old photos and memories from before this transition, I don't make out the girl in the frame.”
Foo’s scars have become a part of her identity the “intricate details” that give a zebra its stripes or a forest its trees.
“Becoming conscious of the form I am truly meant to reside in this moment of life, I've never felt more myself,” she shared. “And I wake up everyday appreciative and honoured to live beautifully as the young woman I show up as, to the world.”
Understanding Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is when the ovaries which produce the sex hormone, estrogen, as well as eggs become cancerous. Women have two ovaries, one on either side of the uterus.
The fallopian tube, which brings the egg from the ovary to the uterus for fertilization, is actually where many ovarian cancers begin. First, a few cancerous cells develop on the fallopian tubes, then these cells stick to the ovaries as the fallopian tubes brush over the ovary. From there, the cancerous cells grow to form a tumor.
Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, says the term ovarian cancer refers to a number of different tumors that reside in the ovary. She also says that ovarian cancer can be difficult to recognize as its symptoms may be subtle. Ash Foo, for example, initially had symptoms that mimicked menstrual discomfort. She said she was extremely bloated and looked like she was 2 or 3 months pregnant.
RELATED: Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Can Be Hard to Spot
"Ovarian cancer does not have any specific symptoms," Karlan said in an earlier interview with SurvivorNet. "It's often referred to as the cancer that whispers, in that it has symptoms that are really very vague…and nothing that may bring your attention directly to the ovaries."
Ovarian Cancer: The Cancer That Whispers
Dr. Karlan advises women to keep an eye out for a variety of possible symptoms.
"The symptoms include things like feeling full earlier than you usually would when your appetite is strong," she said. "Feeling bloated," is another symptom, she added. "Some changes in your bowel habits. Some pain in the pelvis. These are symptoms women may have every month. These are not very specific. But what we've found from multiple studies, it's this constellation of symptoms."
Body Image and Ovarian Cancer
Struggling with body image after treatment for cancer is, unfortunately, not unusual. Like in the case of Ash Foo, surgery that leaves a scar might be a necessary course of action. But it’s important to remember that many of the physical changes caused by treatment are only temporary. Even scars fade over time.
Marisa Gholson, a physicians assistant at Compass Oncology in Portland, Oregon, says many women even begin to embrace their scars.
"Some ladies will call them a badge of honor, that they have gone through that surgery," Gholson said. She also noted, however, that scars like many of the other side effects that come with ovarian cancer treatment will become significantly less prominent over time.
Body Image After Ovarian Cancer
Treatment for ovarian cancer may also include the removal of a woman's reproductive organs, which can also affect body image. When it comes to managing these side effects, keeping your emotional health in check whether that means seeing a therapist, visiting support groups or simply learning to accept your situation becomes a crucial part of the cancer journey.
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