Isabel Designs

I really didn’t know anything about ovarian cancer until my mother was diagnosed back in 1998. Her symptoms snuck up on her and by the time she realized there was a problem, she was already in stage three of the disease. Ovarian cancer is typically very difficult to diagnose, and can remain silent for quite some time before causing any symptoms. My sister and I are now quite vigilant about our ‘reproductive’ health, knowing that often this type of cancer is in the genes. Regular visits with our doctor now include additional screening – just in case.

There are a few things all women can do to reduce the risk. According to the Ovarian Cancer Research organization of Canada, taking the birth control pill for five years can reduce the risk by more than 50%. Another little pill we can take that will substantially reduce the risk is vitamin D. The American Journal of Public Health stated that, “The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, combined with the discovery of increased risks of certain types of cancer in those who are deficient, suggest that vitamin D deficiency may account for several thousand premature deaths from colon, breast, ovarian and other cancers annually.” (link to article)

I’ve been taking vitamin D for a few years now, initially as a way to combat depression, but now I take it for cancer prevention too. I think we all need to be extremely proactive about our health, and this is just one little thing – that may turn out to be a big thing – that I can do for me. 

Now what I’d like you to do for ‘you’, is visit the Ovarian Cancer Research website and familiarize yourself with the information available there. There is a feature on their site that allows you to set out a postcard to family and friends to help spread the word about education and prevention of this disease. The photo below is one of their postcards.