What I Wish I Had Known About Ovarian Cancer
This story is written in the first person, but it is not the story of one woman alone. It is a composite drawn from the voices of many Smart Patients members who have shared what they wish they had known about ovarian cancer. Their collective wisdom offers guidance, honesty, and hope for anyone beginning this journey.
When I first heard the words “ovarian cancer,” I felt the room spin. My doctor spoke about chemotherapy, genetic testing, and something called “maintenance therapy.” I nodded; but the truth is, I didn’t understand any of it. I wish I had known then how much I would need to ask, and ask again, until things made sense.
I wish I had known that surgery wouldn’t just remove the cancer, but also throw me into sudden menopause, changing my body and my relationships overnight. I wish I had known that intimacy, already difficult under the weight of fatigue, would be further challenged by dryness and discomfort—topics my care team barely mentioned.
I wish I had known more about genetic testing. Only later did I understand how much my BRCA or HRD status could shape the benefit of new drugs like PARP inhibitors. For women with certain mutations, these pills can add nearly a year before recurrence. For others, they may add just a few months—or nothing at all. That knowledge could have helped me weigh side effects, cost, and quality of life with clearer eyes.
I wish I had known how expensive cancer could be. The bills arrived even when I thought insurance had me covered. Some months, the price of a single medication was more than my mortgage. No one warned me that financial stress would be its own kind of side effect.
Most of all, I wish I had known the power of community. In the quiet of the night, when fear pressed in, I found other women online who understood without my having to explain. They shared not only medical advice, but practical tips—like which scarves made me feel beautiful when my hair fell out, or how prunes and avocado could keep chemo constipation at bay.
I cannot change the past. But if you are just beginning this journey, I want you to know this: You are not alone. Ask questions until you get answers you understand. Advocate for your needs, whether medical, emotional, or financial. And find your people—the ones who will sit with you in the hardest moments and remind you that you are still here, still living, still you.
If you are facing ovarian cancer, you don’t have to go through it alone. In the Smart Patients Ovarian Cancer community, patients and caregivers share experiences, ask questions, and support one another in a private, compassionate space. Sometimes the most important thing to know is that there are others walking the same road, ready to walk beside you.
We build community by bringing patients and caregivers together, and our partners make that community stronger — by creating trusted resources, connecting experts with patients, funding research, and championing advocacy. Together, we make a greater impact than any of us could alone.