Ovarian Cancer

As I look back, I see the hand of God in my life. I was never the type of girl who would get married young. I wanted to finish college, go to graduate school, have a career, THEN meet someone, marry, have kids. But... there was a different plan for me. I met the man of my dreams at 18. Yes, 18. He was 23. In a whirlwind, I was married, and young. It was all wonderful, but definitely different than I had planned. I got my bachelors degree, then I had my first baby at age 21. Second baby at age 24. Found out I had the gene mutation. Third baby at age 26. And I KNEW... that was it. Our family was complete. My husband knew, too. And let me tell you, I'm NOT a decisive person. Like, I have to spend a half hour reading everything on the menu at a restaurant before I can make a decision. And even then, I second guess myself. But not with this decision. I KNEW. We were done having children. No more. It felt peaceful. And right. And comfortable. And we never second guessed the decision.

This all seems to be God's way of getting me to a place where I can have my ovaries removed BEFORE they kill me. Imagine if I married later in life, and had kids later. Maybe it would have been too late. Or maybe, after discovering I have the gene mutation, I would have been confused as to how many children and when/if to have them. I have talked with SO MANY women who have the gene mutation that are struggling with these life altering decisions. All of that was not an issue for me. My doctors have said from the beginning that I should have my ovaries removed by age 35. And that deadline wasn't hard to meet :) I guess God knows what's best for me after all. 

Ovarian cancer is way scarier (to me and my husband) than breast cancer. The reason being is that it is SO difficult to detect. There aren't good screening tools/tests. Most women who are diagnosed don't find out till stage 3 or 4. And it's generally too late by then. Only 15% of women are diagnosed in stage 1.  SO, this is the cancer that I have focused (first) on preventing.