Protect Your Privates – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2024
Did you know that March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in the UK? This is an extremely important month flagged by a teal ribbon that helps support charities and shares key information on Ovarian Cancer. Ovarian Cancer can affect anyone with ovaries, however it is most common in people over 50 that have gone through the menopause. Early symptoms of ovarian cancer can be difficult to recognise as they can often be attributed to different causes. Common symptoms are persistent bloating, pain in the pelvic area and difficulties eating/appetite. If diagnosed in the early stages, 9 in 10 survive – proof that it is always better to discuss than left unsaid! GP anxiety is a very real and common feeling, so please remember you are allowed and even encouraged to take someone you trust to your appointment for support.
Things you can do in Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month to show support:
- Talk about ovarian cancer with anyone you can, start the conversation to get people more informed or learn something new
- Wear a Teal Ribbon Pin!
- Join Run 11 on https://targetovariancancer.org.uk/get-involved/ovarian-cancer-awareness-month and raise some money for the cause
- Share posts about Ovarian Cancer on social media
- Donate or fundraise - https://giving.targetovariancancer.org.uk/landing/
Whilst researching Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month for this article I came across the story of a woman named Amy. Amy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer two years after she first felt symptoms of the disease, Amy started going to the GP after she was having trouble falling pregnant and was in chronic pain, Amy felt as though she was let down by her GP many times, luckily Amy has since received treatment. Unfortunately, due to the strain the NHS faces daily, Amy’s story is not unique and due to no personal fault many people go unnoticed and unheard. MediTalent works within the private healthcare sector, and we are aware of the huge privilege that having access to private health care is, and whilst this is may not be fair, it is reality. What you may not be aware of, that I only learnt from working with Private Healthcare clients, is that many private companies offer treatment for NHS patients via GP referral. This means that an NHS patient can receive care on offer to private patients and legally you are entitled to ask your GP for these services.
Private companies do this to alleviate the NHS workload, and you can find the name of companies like this by asking your GP for referral options. The treatment is not always free, it may be subsided, this makes private healthcare more accessible for some. I mention this as private healthcare is renowned for the smaller patient to nurse/staff ratio, meaning you can move through the treatment system faster and potentially have access to different treatments with support from the NHS. This is called the NHS Choice Framework.
On a different note, MediTalent is continuously hiring for Mammographers/ Oncology Nurse/Breast Care Oncology Nurses/ Chemotherapy Nurses/ SACT qualified Nurses to join our clients in the fight against cancer. If you are passionate about cancer management and want to pursue this career path, please email your CV to info@meditalentgroup.com and we will put you forward to our clients. Whilst discussing these roles with our clients, there have been many discussions about how mentally challenging attending to cancer patients can be. Our clients have assured MediTalent that any AHP/nurses that join their hospitals, especially on a cancer/hospice department, will have constant and unlimited access to well being support to discuss any issues or just simply for a chat. Having a passion for something does not mean that it isn’t hard sometimes and both MediTalent and our clients know this. Just as we shouldn’t be scared to discuss ovarian cancer, we don’t want anyone to be scared to discuss their feelings either.
Lastly, we want to see everyone wearing their teal ribbons proudly! You can get a pin from various websites but if you want to support a charity directly, the link below is a great one: https://www.ovacome.org.uk/shop/teal-ovarian-cancer-enamel-pin
Author: Hanna Ruhee
Photo credit: https://targetovariancancer.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-02/Symptoms%20graphic%20-%20Facebook%20cover_0.jpg
https://stock.adobe.com/uk/images/teal-ribbon-awareness-to-support-ovarian-cancer-pcos-isolated-on-white-background-clipping-path-satin-silk-symbolic-concept-for-raising-concerns-help-and-campaign-on-people-living-with-illness/121690378