Mara Kofoed was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December of 2021. Doctors didn't connect them to a tumor when they were dismissed. It took a visit to the ER to get answers. Kofoed told her story to TODAY.
I was shocked when I found out I had ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer was off the radar, even though my grandmother had it.
There needs to be more training for women on this. I was unable to rattle off the symptoms of ovarian cancer because we know about breast cancer. It is very difficult for people to put it all together. The doctor didn't put it together.
I began to feel a little pain during sex in the beginning of last year. It was the first thing. A different sensation around my urethra was one of the first symptoms. I thought it was a UTI, but it wasn't. I felt something on my bladder.
I was getting up in the night to pee for the first time, which was new to me. I was going to pee more often.
I didn't know why I had general fatigue. I also had problems with the stool.
I began to notice my waist was bigger. I am very thin and slim, so I noticed a thickness around my belly. I was skinny in other areas, so it looked like I had gained some weight, but only below the ribs.
I heard that it was a symptom of ovarian cancer, but it wasn't clear what it was. I didn't even think of cancer. I wasn't sure what to look for. The tumors are growing and there is fluid around them which causes the bloat.
Bloating is a way of describing it. It is thought of as gas from eating something. It needs a different language because people don't connect it to the ovarian cyst. It's an area of the body that grows into a belly.
A woman with ovarian cancer died at age 43.
I began to experience twinges and pinches in the ovary. I had episodes of ovarian pain where I leaned over and told my husband something was wrong.
I was able to get in with a gynecologist on November 30, 2021. I told him that my belly was large and that I was ready to get checked for ovarian cancer, but it wasn't like I went in there and said, "I'm ready to get checked for ovarian cancer" I didn't know what was wrong with me. I didn't know they were related.
He focused on one symptom, ignoring most of the others. He said that women stop wanting sex when they're older. He was focused on the pain during sex.
He wasn't worried about my belly size. He said that I didn't need a Scan. I left that appointment traumatised because of what he said to me. The document I received in the mail said the Pap test was clear and that I would see you in a year.
I went to an urgent care on a Friday night because I didn't think I'd make it through the weekend. I thought I would die because of the intense pressure on my organs caused by the bloated belly. It was one of the most frightening experiences I have had.
I told the nurse everything that was bothering me. She looked at my stomach. She knew this was not normal and told him to go to the emergency room.
Doctors at the ER said they found a mass after the scans. I need to see a doctor.
Stage 3C ovarian cancer was the diagnosis. The tumors were on one side and the other side. Two small tumors were found on the rectum and bladder. The doctor looked at me a week and a half ago.
I had a debulking surgery in December of 2011. The lining that held everything together was taken out.
I am doing great today. During my treatment, I took good care of myself.
I would have died if I waited a year for my next appointment. It wouldn't have lasted a year.
Women look at their thoughts a lot. Do you think this is strange? This isn't normal, it's not I don't know what this is.
The biggest message with this disease is that if there is a persistent symptom, that is very worrying.
The interview was edited to make it clear.
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