My sister Renee was diagnosed at age 49 with ovarian cancer, stage 3 C.

Three months before she was diagnosed she told me she felt like she had the flu and was tired. She had taken the flu shot and was told her she should go to doctor. When she started having severe bloating in her abdomen she went to the doctor and a week later had surgery. The surgery was more involved than they thought because of the free floating cancer fluid in abdomen and diagnosed at stage 3 C.

Tell women that Pap test is not a detector of *ovarian cancer. Renee’s pap test three days before her surgery was normal.

Renee was on chemo for over five years and passed away Oct 1, 2010 at 53 years old. I had no idea of the symptoms of ovarian cancer until Renee was diagnosed. I try everyday to increase awareness of ovarian cancer and hope for an early detection test.

My picture is of Renee in yellow when we  walked in the first Walk to End Women’s Cancer in Nov 2009 in Washington DC. Miss Renee every day.

– Denise Lobodinski

* The pap test is an effective way of detecting cervical cancer.