‘I Could Feel It Growing’: Ovarian Cancer Survivor from Wisconsin Opens Up About Her Battle in the Hope of Encouraging Women to be Proactive

The Greenville, Wisconsin resident is shining example of positivity. Even when she was first faced with a cancer diagnosis, she didn't balk.

"Things happen for a reason. I don't know why this happened to me, but I didn't really think twice about it. It's just…let's get through it and figure it out," she told First Alert WBAY.com.

It was the summer of 2018 when Gobin first realized something was wrong. She noticed her body changing: "I started gaining a lot of weight, and my ankles were swelling, and my hands were swelling," she said. Soon, she said, she felt a mass growing in her stomachshe could actually feel it getting bigger every day.

Even so, Gobin wasn't overly alarmed. She knew she'd have to visit the doctor, but the task kept slipping through the cracks. She still wasn't scared when an ultrasound revealed a mass on her ovary.

"I had a cyst before on my ovary when I was pregnant with my youngest son. Cysts kind of run in the family, but they've never been cancerous, so I didn't think that it would be," she said. Her blood tests appeared normal, so she scheduled her surgery to remove the cyst.

Ovarian cancer is hard to detect early, but it may be preventable in some women. Learn which strategies might lower your risk for this cancer.

When she awakened after the operation, her doctor told her she had cancer. She was shocked, and so was her doctor. Gobin underwent surgery and six rounds of chemotherapy. But her fighting paid off, and at the end of her treatment, she was told she was cancer free. "I've been in remission two years and four months," she said.

Gobin hopes that sharing her personal story will encourage other women to keep a close eye on their bodies, and to be proactive in addressing any persistent symptoms they recognize.

Identifying Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer includes more than 30 different types of tumors, and many patients only experience alarming symptoms when the cancer is in its later stages. This has earned ovarian cancer the nickname, "the cancer that whispers." Women typically only experience subtle symptoms when ovarian cancer is in its earliest and most treatable stages.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Beth Karlan of UCLA Medical Center described the symptoms of ovarian cancer as "very vague and nothing that would bring your attention directly to the ovaries." Some of these symptoms include changes in bowel habits, bloating, feeling full unusually early and discomfort in the pelvic area.

Dr. Beth Karlan says genetic testing can empower you with important information about cancer.

There are multiple major risk factors for ovarian cancer that women should pay attention to. The disease is most common in women over 40, and more likely to occur in women who have gone through menopause. If you have a relative who has had ovarian, breast, or colorectal cancer you maybe at increased risk. Mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer. If you have not gone through genetic testing but you know your mother or father carries one of these mutations, there's a 50% chance you may have it as well. Being overweight is another risk factor, and it can cause complications for the treatment process if you are diagnosed. Women are also at higher risk if they had their first child after the age of 35 or were never pregnant.

Being Your Own Advocate

You know your body better than anybody else. When you think something is wrong, it is important to push your healthcare providers and seek additional opinions. Anecdotally, men seem to be inclined to dismiss symptoms that could help them detect cancer early and address it in its most curable stages. Women's concerns, on the other hand, are often brushed off by othersthis is sometimes even true of healthcare providers.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Steven Rosenberg, National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery, suggested that advocating for yourself and pushing for the best treatment you can get continues to be important even after a cancer diagnosis.

"If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care," he said. "Finding a doctor who is up on the latest information is important, and it's always important to get other opinions so that you can make the best decisions for yourself in consultation with your care providers."

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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