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Lucy Trahair was young, healthy and living her best life when her world unexpectedly took an agonizing turn in September.
The young mother, from South Australia, began experiencing episodes of mild stomach pain, bloating, fatigue and subtle changes in her bowel habits earlier this year.
She described her symptoms as “vague.” She didn’t think much of them since they were few and far between.
But Lucy finally saw a GP after realizing something wasn’t quite right with her body when her abdominal cramps became unbearable.
Then, at just 25 years old, she received a devastating diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
“I was surprisingly calm and level-headed when the doctor first told me. It was probably a coping mechanism or shock, but I tried to take everything as it came and not let the fear get the better of me,” Lucy tells him. to FEMAIL.
“Of course, afterwards I had overwhelming feelings of ‘this is so unfair’ and worried about what my future would be like from now on.”
She never imagined anything was wrong, as she had done all the right things to stay on top of her health, including getting her first Pap test as soon as she turned 25.
Lucy Trahair was young, seemingly healthy, and living her best life when her world unexpectedly took an agonizing turn.
“I’m only 25, so I had my first one done this year, but it came out clean,” Lucy says.
“Unfortunately, Pap tests detect abnormalities of the cervix, not the ovaries, a common mistake, even among me.”
A Pap test does not detect ovarian cancer; It is only used to detect cervical cancer.
Before her shock diagnosis, Lucy led a seemingly normal life.
“I ate a relatively healthy diet and was actively going to the gym,” he says.
“I had literally just quit my job to be a stay-at-home mom to my two-year-old daughter and, ironically, “live my best life.”
What she didn’t know was that the cancer was “unknowingly growing” inside her body.
Over the course of three weeks, she felt tired and bloated and began experiencing stomach pain, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“I was on holiday in South Australia and I noticed something wasn’t quite right,” he recalls.
“At the time, the only thing that really prompted me to go to my GP was abdominal cramps.”
The mother (pictured with her two-year-old daughter) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
At first, she assumed her symptoms were related to endometriosis as they were similar to those of the disease, which affects one in nine women in Australia.
“Some of my friends have endometriosis and what I was describing sounded similar to their stories,” she says.
“I think when it comes to women’s health, particularly reproductive health, it’s easy to dismiss some things as symptoms of our menstrual cycle.”
Lucy was sent away for CT scans, ultrasounds, biopsies and blood tests.
“Nothing was very clear in those tests,” he explains.
A couple of days later, she received a phone call from her doctor informing her that there was an abnormal-looking cyst, so she was scheduled for surgery to remove it.
‘The doctors knew something was abnormal. But they still didn’t know if the tumors were cancerous or not,” he says.
After the procedure, Lucy was told she had stage three low-grade ovarian cancer at age 25.
Ovarian cancer can occur at any age, but in Australia it usually occurs in women who have gone through menopause, with an average age of diagnosis of 64 years.
According to Rare Cancers Australia, low-grade serous carcinomas are rare and the tumor cells appear mildly or moderately abnormal. This indicates a low-grade tumor, which are slow-growing and generally less aggressive cancers.
Early warning signs
His diagnosis came after he missed the early warning signs of cancer.
“In retrospect, I had some symptoms that I overlooked simply because they were so vague, like fatigue, bowel changes, painful periods and bloating,” she said.
Lucy underwent a complete hysterectomy and had her appendix removed due to the spread of cancer.
The 25-year-old girl in the hospital, with her partner, after being diagnosed with shock.
During surgery, Lucy underwent a complete hysterectomy, leaving her unable to conceive in the future.
“I won’t be able to have any more children,” she explains.
She also had her appendix and omentum (a thin tissue that lines the abdomen) removed during the same procedure because the cancer was spreading.
“I’m about to start chemotherapy to try to attack the last bits that they couldn’t remove during surgery,” he says.
“However, it is known that low-grade serous carcinoma does not react much to chemotherapy.”
One of her biggest challenges was recovering from surgery, especially while caring for her young daughter.
“Mom guilt takes the cake for the struggle, especially when I haven’t been able to lift her, drive her, or be 100 percent present for her,” she says.
“I’m very lucky that we have a town that supports us.”
As her condition is currently unknown, Lucy believes the best thing she can do now is stay positive.
‘This is just the beginning’
As her condition is currently unknown, Lucy believes the best thing she can do now is stay positive.
“Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of my journey,” he says.
“But I’m in a good place mentally and I take everything as it comes.”
She hopes her story can encourage everyone to get checked, no matter how mild the symptoms are.
“It is very important to monitor any abnormal changes in the body or health,” he says.
“Common warning signs of ovarian cancer are bowel changes, frequent urination, bloating, pelvic or back cramps, or even rapid satiety.”
By speaking out, she hopes to remind women to always listen to their bodies.
As she spoke, Lucy – who is currently fundraising for ovarian cancer research – hopes to remind women to always listen to their bodies.
“I think too often we endure pain because it has become so normalized for us. For example, severe menstrual pain,” she says.
‘It is important to remember that cancer has no borders. It may affect younger and/or healthier people.’
According to the Cancer Council, the only way to confirm the diagnosis of ovarian cancer is to remove a sample of tissue from the tumor or drain fluid from the abdomen or chest if fluid is present.
“At the moment, the only way to get a proper diagnosis is through surgery,” he says.
“I would like people to understand that ovarian cancer does not require an early detection test and that we really need to raise awareness about this cancer to get the funding needed for better prevention.”
You are not alone
For those going through cancer, Lucy says, “You are not alone.”
“Take each day as it comes because it can be overwhelming,” she explains.
‘Ask your healthcare professional as many questions as you like; no question is stupid. And most importantly, ask your loved ones for support.”
