September is Ovarian Awareness Month, and this is my plea to every woman to make herself aware of the symptoms. Ovarian cancer is called the silent killer because the early symptoms are so subtle they can be attributed to other common issues. Because of that, women often go undiagnosed until it has advanced to a point that prognosis is grim. There is no lump to find, no screener to routinely give, no clear way to diagnose except surgery. ⬇️
Last Thursday I couldn‘t get to work as the trains were down. It‘s never happened in my 20 years at my current job. I made it a treat myself day. First stop was the local Little Free Library. I also visited St Paul‘s Thrift Shop Stockton and Starter Stories, the yummy sourdough bakery there where I spent $60 on treats! My tummy was sore the next day after dieting for so long for my showgirl performance. It was a shame it was windy and rainy.
And finally, the NBA longlist for fiction has arrived! I have to say, I‘m fascinated by this list. Though I‘m a bit annoyed that fully half aren‘t out yet (and 3 won‘t be out until November), I‘m delighted that some of the “expected” books (like Audition) aren‘t here. I like the surprise and the continued NBA habit of including small press books (there are 2). I haven‘t read a single one of these and can‘t wait to dig in!
More Friday after work op shop purchases. Grand total= $54. I saw Myf speak at the Byron Writer‘s Festival and have been waiting for the op shop gods to deliver her to my hands. The festival was rained out after one day this year so thankfully I decided not to go and devoted my time to preparing for my showcase this weekend. Still quite a bit of preparation to do so I have taken this week off on long service leave to get ready to do my 6 dances.
Where I read a book that makes me feel seen, and I'm not sure if I like it. Thank you Katherine Brabon for writing Body Friend.
https://www.suzs-space.com/body-friend-by-katherine-brabon/
The [British Monarch] birthday honours list is always questionable but this is pretty insulting to the people who actually deserved recognition.
(This is a headline from a satirical article but he was a genuinely terrible PM who left the county & lied about it during some of the worst bushfires in recent times. He‘s one of the architects of Robo Debt, he secretly appointed himself into multiple ministries & that‘s just the tip of the iceberg)
The June prompt for #BookedinTime is Australian colonies 1800s. I have chosen Kate Grenville's exploration of what it means to her to be descended from colonisers.
@Cuilin @dabbe
pickLarrimah might not delight the true crime purists who need to see a bad guy locked up for life, but it will enthrall anyone with an interest in the outback, tall tales, and/or the search for answers. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/larrimah-caroline-graham-kylie-stevenson/
My hubs went up north for Easter weekend hunting. He very proudly surprised me by bringing these home for me. He doesn‘t read, but they‘re his taste if he would. I, however, don‘t want to read a single one and feel terrible about it. But come on man, you couldn‘t just go for the easy win with some romance? 😂
![[tagged book]](https://image.librarything.com/pics/litsy_webpics/icon_taggedBook@3x.png){kind=icon}
Then in August, the digestive problems got worse, and the pain became more persistent. Finally, I got concerned enough to make an appointment. I met with my family doctor, who I hadn't seen in years. ⬇️ 2mo
He said "maybe...but maybe not." Then after asking a lot of questions and ordering blood tests (which ultimately would show nothing), he made me promise that as soon as I left I would make an appointment with my obgyn because - in his words - "gynecological problems can often mask themselves as gastro issues."
That statement may have saved my life. ⬇️ 2mo
By the time I saw my obgyn, my symptoms included loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss. Luckily, my obgyn recognized the red flags, and she ordered the right tests. We found out I had a 13 centimeter tumor on my right ovary and a CA 125 of over 700. Now, we were off to the races. Countless tests, procedures, and appointments later, I was having major surgery and hearing the words "it's cancer." ⬇️ 2mo
I could have given the cancer time to spread.
L 2mo
I will continue to share my story in the hope someone listens and gets checked in time. I will pray for the day researchers develop a screener and this disease becomes less deadly. #MakeTheAppointment #KnowTheSymptoms
2mo