Too important to let it slide down the page. Bump!
Hi Mel
I just read your story in the telegraph, congratulations on getting the message out there.
Jenny
Great story. My brother has been living up near you for years after going to Uni at Lismore. Nice area.
What I don't get is why Ovarian cancer month is a different month in different places. In the UK I think it is March, while in the US it is September. Makes it difficult to make things global. I also don't get why the ribbon is Silver for Ovarian cancer in Australia and not teal (unless that is just a Sydney thing).
My mum has become a little active in Sydney and has been asked to be on a consultation group to provide her thoughts as someone with a loved one with cancer. I asked her to pass on that one thing that needs changing in Australia is the fact that Aussie girls don't go to gynecologists for an annual exam and have to rely on GP's to refer them and it just takes too long (or as I have heard many times that GP's don't take you seriously and wont refer you). Many women first go to a gynecologist when they are looking for an obstetrician and then never go again after that. After growing up in Australia then spending a few years in the UK and now spending 2 years in the US, the US system of women going for a well women annual exam is much better. You can start a relationship with a gynecologist well before there is an issue and they are more likely to know the signs compared to a GP. Just my rant.......
I think your story is great and you are amazing for putting it out there to help with awareness. Well done! Your one brave and fantastic women.
I agree the international awareness month and date should be the same. I live on the Gold Coast, QLD. The ribbon colour is definately teal an Australia as well. I just went out yesterday to buy mine ready for the 24th (tomorrow). In Australia 1 woman dies every 11 hours from OVCA. Imagine the uproar here, if the statistics for car accident deaths was the same. My face book page is covered in teal and ovca awareness, just trying to get the message out there. I had my uterus removed in 2001, and even I didn't think at all about my ovaries last year when I started having problems, then after surgery getting diagnosed stage 1A. Please tell everyone................
My mum talked about seeing silver ribbons everywhere in sydney. I found this confusing but doing a internet search through google au for "Silver Ribbon Ovarian Cancer" shows over 9000 hits with emphasis on Silver Ribbon campaign by the Ovarian Cancer Research foundation (http://www.ocrf.com.au/cpa/htm/) so perhaps this is why she has seen silver. Do a general search and there is lots of teal. Very odd that OCRF wold go silver instead of teal.........
I was sitting in Drs surgery today and saw a brochure for ovarian cancer researh foundation, and saw the silver ribbon thing to. No wonder we can't get the word out properly in OZ, seems strange that they wouldn't stick to international colour when other Australian organisations use TEAL. I even bought teal ribbon at neopolian perdis (sp) concept store..........Tracy Grimshaw and Anna Bligh were wearing their teal ribbons yesterday.
YEs strange and frustrating but dont forget this thread is to share the GOOD things been happening the last month :) The ocrf in australia was actually established first and chose silver then the ovca australia came along and chose teal, now the orcf doesnt, cant change-not sure there reasoning but just passing on what they told me when i asked.
Now ladies we ALL need to sign this to make avastin free on the PBS it takes 2 seconds and we can save lives!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/PETITION-MAKE-AVASTIN-AVAILABLE-ON-THE-PBS-FOR-OVARIAN-CANCER-PATIENTS/323025641338?ref=ts/
