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My name is Melissa. I am a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when I was 18. My husband I were not even married a year. He took it harder than me. I had a tumor on my right ovary the size of a grapefruit. My cancer was a rare form of ovarian cancer. I could see and feel my tumor. It caused a lot of problems from not being able to keep any food down or anything to drink down. Even after eating a spoonful of food, I would feel full or throw it up. I started to notice things weren't right because I wasn't developing like a normal teenager. My periods were messed up also.
From the time I was 12 years old I had very nasty cramps to the point I couldn't do anything but lie down. Even pain medication didn't ease the pain. It was also a month a part, or every other month or every two months or every two weeks. I was also not gaining any weight. Most girls breasts and hips were bigger than mine! So I knew something wasn't right. I told my parents that there was something wrong and that one side of my belly was bigger than the other. They didn't think anything of it and ignored it. I had met my husband when my sister got married back in April 1993.
I was 16 when we met. My sister and I are married to brothers. We got married a year later. One night I couldn't sleep very well, I felt dehydrated. So I woke my husband up in the middle of the night and we went to the er. They did a pregnancy test because I tolded them I have been sick a lot. Well that was negititive. So they sent me home thinking I had the stomach flu. And they said if it wasn't better to see my doctor in 3 days. 3 days went by and know change. We went to see the doctor and I told him everything that was going on. He did a pregnancy test also and a thing to test to see if they could hear another heart beating. I knew we weren't pregnant simply because my husband and I didn't have much of a sex life. So, I explained everything to the doctor that was going on to me. He even could feel my tumor upon doing an exaimination on me.
Where as no one else bothered. We went to the hospital a couple of days later and they had me drink that white milky suptance. I wasn't able to keep it down. So they had to give me an enimia. As soon as they were done with the cat scan. I went to use the bathroom and the nurses would check on me. After I changed I came out and I saw my tumor clear as a bell. I asked them "is that my tumor". They said your not suppose to see that. I told them I knew it was already there. A couple of days later I was sent to Toledo to a hospital there and I got a new doctor who saved my life.
They thought that I should of gone into the hosptial sooner because the tumor was sucking my calsuim from my bones and putting it my blood to the point that it was so high that my heart would of stopped beating. When we got to the hospital they had to give me iv fluids to get my calsuim down before they could do surgry. Once that happen I had surgry and they started chemo shortly there after. I had my right ovary removed and most of my left one removed. I had chemo from Septemeber of 1995- March 1996. My husband never left my side for a moment while I was in the hospital. I have been in remission for almost 8 years.
I see my oncologist once a year. I am due to see him March 3. I hope everything gose well. If so I will meet 8 years. Wish me luck. And I hope this helps others. My faith in God helped me through this and also my hubby and his family. Thank you Pizzy for letting me share my story. I am 27 now.
Take care and God bless Melissa Kritzell