Katie’s Story: What To Know About Ovarian Cancer

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In honor of tomorrow’s Virtual Runway for Hope online fashion show, I’m honored to introduce you to my amazing friend Katie Kardell and share her story to educate women on the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. To learn more about Be The Difference Foundation and tomorrow’s Runway for Hope event, keep reading.

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MEET KATIE

When I first met Katie, I knew we were destined to be friends. Aside from the fact we grew up a few hours apart and both graduated from SMU (though our years didn’t overlap), our husbands are best friends – and I’m so grateful to call her one of my best friends! Katie is the type of girl that radiates positivity, kindness, and love. She’s the friend that can brighten any day, and her level of thoughtfulness is truly admirable!

What inspires me the most about Katie is her strength and compassion. While most juniors at SMU were fretting about exams or what to wear to the next formal, Katie was fighting a battle with ovarian cancer. Rather than letting this get her down, she has made it her mission to educate other women and spread awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer.

I was so excited when Katie asked me to team up with her for the Virtual Runway for Hope online fashion show hosted by Be The Difference Foundation to style outfits together for the show. I hope you all will tune in tomorrow for the runway reveal to celebrate Katie, alongside a group of other amazing ovarian cancer survivors! The event is free to attend but donations are accepted. Click here to learn more and reserve tickets for the virtual event.

I’m so honored Katie is sharing her story with everyone today, so keep scrolling to learn more about her journey.

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KATIE’S STORY

As a junior in college, the furthest thing from my mind was cancer, and it definitely wasn’t something that I thought would become a part of my story.  

I’ll never forget the span of time when I knew something was off with my body. It was the summer going into my junior year at SMU, and I had been having off and on trouble urinating and was very bloated. I assumed that the bloating was due to my college diet, and that maybe my other symptoms were coming from a pesky UTI? I definitely did not assume the two were related, and kept thinking that whatever was going on would eventually go away on its own. 

That was until one Friday night when things really took a turn for the worse, and I couldn’t use the bathroom at all. There was a weird sensation of pressure in my abdomen, and the bloating was at an all-time worst. I knew that I couldn’t put this off any longer. So, I got up early the next morning thinking I would run up to the nearby urgent care, get checked out, and would be back in time to tailgate on The Boulevard with my friends. It is safe to say that my day did not go as planned!

Urgent care immediately sent me to the emergency room, where they found a mass in my abdomen. They also gave me a catheter, which was a new experience for me (and one I don’t wish on anyone!). It started to sink in in those moments that this was more serious than I had expected, but cancer was still far from my mind. 

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I was fortunate to have dear family friends at the ER with me that day who stayed with me until my mom could fly in from my hometown, Tallahassee, FL. They really became a true part of this “journey” that we didn’t know we were on, yet. The next few days became a bit of a blur, as my mom and I navigated through doctor appointments trying to figure out what in the world was going on with me. 

We first met with Dr. Hyslop at UTSW for a standard gynecology appointment (the ER had told us that this was the best course of action, as the mass looked like it was near an ovary or fallopian tube). I remember him being so gentle and kind – he must have recognized that my mom and I were scared to death! He quickly referred us to Dr. Richardson at UTSW, a gynecological oncologist. When we heard the word “oncologist” both of our faces dropped, but he assured us that because of my young age it probably wasn’t cancer. But, that Dr. Richardson was the best person to take on my case. 

The next day, my dad flew in to Dallas to be with my mom and I. Quickly after he arrived, we met with Dr. Debra Richardson. It didn’t take her long to examine me and determine that the mass in my abdomen was about the size of a basketball, and that it needed to come out quickly. She thought at the time that the worst case would maybe have been a germ cell cancer, but kept us calm assuring us that my young age and clear health history worked in my favor. 

Believe it or not, the following day I was in surgery to remove my tumor. As I said, those few days really were a blur! My surgery lasted about 4 hours. I don’t remember much, but I do remember waking up afterwards with the strangest spasms in my abdomen. My parents never left my side, and made our hospital room as fun as it could be. We watched football, ate frozen yogurt, and practiced walking down the hallways. We were so grateful for the kind nurses, friends and family who prayed for us and constantly checked in, and for my SMU friends who brought a lot of excitement to our hospital floor. 

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It wasn’t until my two week post-op appointment where we saw Dr. Richardson again for the final diagnosis. I remember her asking, “Do you want the bad news or the good news first?” I asked for the bad news, and she told me I had Stage 1 ovarian cancer. The good news? They were able to remove my tumor intact, so I didn’t have to have chemo or radiation. The lymph nodes and portion of my fallopian tube that she also removed were clear, which meant the cancer hadn’t spread. 

In that moment, I almost felt a sigh of relief – at least now we knew what it was, how we were going to handle it, and, most importantly, that I was going to be ok. The hardest part was seeing how upset my parents were. It was the news they had feared the most, and there was nothing they could do to fix it. I was also worried about my two younger sisters, and if this would be something they would have to deal with in their lives. (Fortunately, it isn’t! Through genetic testing we found out that they should be totally fine, which was a giant relief). 

For the next few weeks, my parents and I lived in a hotel room together as I healed and got life back on track. To be honest, those few weeks are some of my most favorite weeks of my life. I think we were all kind of in a “twilight zone,” but it was time we got to spend together that in normal circumstances we wouldn’t have gotten. Once I was cleared to go back to class, they would drop me off and pick me up. Most college kids probably would have been embarrassed to have their parents drive them around campus, but I thought it was the coolest thing. We had been through so much together, and truly cherished every moment we had.

From that point on, I saw Dr. Richardson every few months for checkups. I eventually graduated to checkups once every six months, and then once every year. Once we hit five years, I was free! 

Looking back on my story, I realize how blessed I am, and that the majority of women and girls aren’t as fortunate as I am. Because of that, I am very open with my story in hopes that girls and women will become more aware of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. Since I was sick, Robin Roberts’ quote “Make your mess your message” has stuck with me. This experience is one that changed mine and my family’s life forever, but that doesn’t have to be in a negative way or sad way. 

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There is no test for ovarian cancer, so you really have to be in tune with your body to recognize it. Today I wanted to share a few tips to help spread awareness of ovarian cancer and help other women. A few things that I think are helpful to know are:

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SYMPTOMS OF OVARIAN CANCER

• Bloating
• Feeling full quickly
• Having trouble urinating or urinating frequently
• Abdominal pain

If symptoms persist daily for two weeks, you should talk to your doctor

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FACTS ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER 

• There is no test for ovarian cancer, so ensure that your gynecologist gives you a pelvic exam when you go for your yearly check-up
• In women ages 35-74, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths
• Only about 20% of ovarian cases are found early

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VIRTUAL RUNWAY FOR HOPE

Be sure to tune in tomorrow to celebrate Katie as she makes her debut on the Virtual Runway For Hope. The event will pair four fashion influencers with four ovarian cancer survivors as they share their inspiring stories, while modeling their favorite fashion trends! The Virtual Runway For Hope is an online fashion show hosted by Be The Difference Foundation benefiting Mary Crowley Cancer Research

Click here to learn more and reserve tickets for the virtual event to hear Katie share more about her story, discover our favorite fashion trends, and cheer her on as she makes her runway debut! The event is free to attend, but donations are accepted.

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BE THE DIFFERENCE FOUNDATION

Founded By Survivors For Survivors: Be the Difference Foundation was formed in 2012 by four ovarian cancer survivors, Helen Gardner, Jill Bach, Julie Shrell and Lynn Lentscher, who share the same passion to Be the Difference in the fight against ovarian cancer. These women experienced first-hand the little hope given for survival when they were diagnosed.  Several organizations focus on early detection efforts, but very few organizations provide hope to women in the fight.  Be The Difference Foundation was started to give survivors hope.  Hope for better treatment options; hope for longer remissions and ultimately hope for a cure.  Just 5 years after diagnosis, Co-founder Helen Gardner lost her battle in August 2014.  Be The Difference Foundation is working tirelessly to realize Helen’s dream to make a difference in the fight against ovarian cancer.

If you have any questions for Katie, let us know in the comments below!

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