Author, Jake Zablocki RN, BSN

May 8th is World Ovarian Cancer Day, dedicated to spreading awareness and advocating for advances in ovarian cancer testing and treatment. Dionne Bowens is the Executive Director of the Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MIOCA), as well as 28-year survivor of ovarian cancer. Bowens details her complicated journey from symptom onset to diagnosis, treatment, and becoming a survivor. Her story highlights the dire need for greater investments in ovarian cancer research, as well as a culture shift in the way our society approaches women’s health. 

“I was 18 years old when I was diagnosed,” says Bowens, but her earliest symptoms presented years earlier, when she was a sophomore in high school. “I was an athlete. I was asked the question quite a few times, if I was pregnant, because the swelling in my abdomen was the only sign.” Bowens believes that because abdominal bloating is seen as an “everyday women’s issue, it got ignored. And it kind of just fell off the radar.” 

It was not until after she graduated that her symptoms would finally be addressed, in the Emergency Room of her local hospital. “It wasn’t screening, it wasn’t routine. It was me going to the ER because I was having really bad chest pains.” She was finally diagnosed with cancer after surgery revealed a massive ovarian teratoma (a type of tumor). By this time, her ovary was filled with over 20 pounds of cancerous fluid. “Being that young, none of the oncologists were really equipped to handle my case, so I became a case study for the Mayo Clinic.”

Ms. Bowens’ treatment process was also fraught with confusion and difficulty.  “Being young, being athletic, my first experience with chemotherapy was horrible. They overdosed me on chemotherapy. I ended up being in the hospital for 7 months. My body caught infection. It was like everything that could go wrong really did go wrong. And being so young, I thought that was just everyone’s experience with cancer, right?” Despite this, Bowens made it through treatment, and 28 years later is a proud ovarian cancer survivor, and mother to 9-year-old daughter, Destiny. Her treatment left her with one ovary, which her doctors said was so damaged that she may never have children. “She’s my little miracle.”

Know the Symptoms. Be Your Own Advocate.

 While many cancers have early screening tests (mammograms for breast cancer detection, pap smears for cervical cancer, etc.), there is no early screening test for ovarian cancer. This is why it is so important to know the symptoms of ovarian cancer. “Until there is a test, awareness is best,” says Bowens. Four common signs of ovarian cancer are:

• Feeling bloated
• Feeling full quickly
• Pelvic and abdominal pain
• Urinary frequency or urgency

Other symptoms include fatigue, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, painful intercourse, menstrual irregularities, changes in weight, and shortness of breath.

Along with the lack of early detection testing, Ms. Bowens stresses the fact that women’s health issues are often not treated with the respect that they deserve as a barrier to early treatment. “The signs and symptoms often get ignored because they’re everyday issues that women go through…There’s such misconceptions about what it is, and how it’s detected, and what it looks like, and what to look for.” Bowens’ advice? Know the symptoms and advocate for yourself:

 “Trust your gut. Seek a second opinion. Advocate for yourself. Learn to advocate for  yourself. You are empowered by knowledge and understanding. You know your body. So if you’re telling someone, and your provider is not listening to you, you have a right to advocate for yourself, you have a right to go to another provider, you have a right to be heard. I think that’s very important. We’re living in a time not where we can’t just talk about equity. Equity has to show up.”

MIOCA and a Message of Hope

 The Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance’s mission is to save lives by promoting early detection and improved treatment outcomes. The organization also spreads awareness, provides support for survivors and families, and helps fund new research into ovarian cancer. To date, they have spent over $700,000 in support of ovarian cancer research, according to Ms. Bowens. MIOCA also provides support groups and leads ovarian cancer education initiatives throughout the state of Michigan. The group also hosts awareness events, the next of which is the Mothers’ Day Time to Teal Ann Arbor 5k and Fun Run on May 8th. There are a slew of upcoming events planned over the next several months, all of which will be held outside to maintain COVID 19 safety protocols. 

 Despite the significant barriers to early detection and treatment, Dionne Bowens remains optimistic about the future, and promising new research currently underway. She wants women to know that they can find support and empowerment through MIOCA, just as she did. “Through all this time, 28 years later, I’ve had all these experiences in a backpack and I’m just chugging along life by myself, dealing with it with very limited information or knowledge about the ‘why?’ Or the reality that every 23 minutes a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. That just didn’t resonate with me. You just don’t hear it as much…Now, to be able to do this work is so meaningful. And to find an organization that is committed solely to expanding awareness, increasing resources, and helping survivors and their families thrive. It’s like I’ve been able to find my life’s passion and what is important to me, and at the same time challenge myself professionally…And to be able to uplift and empower women to know the signs and symptoms is such a blessing.”

To learn more about MIOCA and ovarian cancer, please visit mioca.org.