Walk keeping hope alive

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This article was published 26/08/2017 (2975 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Charlotte Cook-Dowsett knows she is meant to be a mother.

For many couples having trouble conceiving a child, the road to determining why can be a frustrating and painful.

For Cook-Dowsett, consultation with a fertility specialist, several tests and eventual surgery delivered a definitive answer — but it was not good news. At the age of 34, the south Winnipeg resident faced a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

The specialist did a laparoscopy to explore and assess Cook-Dowsett’s ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus, and he found a six-inch endometrioid cyst on her right ovary. Cook-Dowsett had surgery, but was assured the likelihood of this particular type of cyst being cancerous was rare. As it turned out, it was.

After finishing six rounds of chemotherapy in April, the 35-year-old feels incredibly lucky to now be on the road to recovery.

“I am fully aware of how fortunate I am to have found the cancer so early,” Cook-Dowsett said.

“I have lost many physical, mental and emotional parts of myself, but I have also gained an inner strength I had no idea resided inside of me, a love for life I had never experienced before, and an appreciation for good health and the incredible people in my life.”

As she continues on her road to recovery, Cook-Dowsett is now helping raise awareness and funds for the cause in the spotlight of the upcoming Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope, which will be held on Sun., Sept 10 at Rainbow Stage in Kildonan Park.

And if the Osborne Village resident has one piece of advice to pass on to other women in light of her own experiences, it’s to be aware of warning signs and symptoms.

“It’s so important to know your body, as no one knows you as well as you do,” Cook-Dowsett said.

“In hindsight, there were some signs. I’d had painful periods my whole life, but things developed to the point where I had other symptoms such as painful ovulation and frequent urination. In fact, there were times when I’d sit in the bathtub crying with pain, which became the new normal.”

Royalwood resident Christine Bell, a key volunteer and organizer of the upcoming walk, said it’s important to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, not least because the survival rate isn’t as good as other cancers.

“I think there’s a lack of awareness about ovarian cancer,” Bell, 54, said.

“This event helps raise awareness, and the exposure might make people more prone to research it.”

Prior to learning about a co-worker’s wife who was battling ovarian cancer, Bell said she didn’t know much about the disease.

“We need to be aware of things happening in our bodies, and if something doesn’t feel right, awareness is always important. The earlier doctors can find out, the better,” Bell said.

“The walk itself is an uplifting, positive morning, and some teams even dress up for the occasion,” she added, noting the walk is for all ages and abilities.

While Cook-Dowsett continues to feel fatigue and the side effects of the chemotherapy, she remains uplifted by the hope she will one day become a mother. Once she has had more time to heal, she is looking forward to the next fertility steps, which will include implanting the embryo.

“I still have so much life to live, and I’m very optimistic about the future,” she said.

“So many others in my position have not been so lucky, so I appreciate the time I have. The embryo I was lucky enough to create is what gave me the strength to keep going. I have the embryo in storage waiting for me — I have to wait until April for it — and that’s keeping me positive for the future. I know I am meant to be a mother.”

She is also grateful to Winnipeg’s medical community for the support she received.

“I had a fabulous surgeon and oncologist, and I received incredible care from the people at CancerCare Manitoba. I was so lucky to be treated so well,” Cook-Dowsett said.

Go online at ovariancancerwalkofhope.ca for more information, to donate or to sign up.

Registration and hat pickup will start at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 10, but Bell said there will also be a pre-registration event on Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m at Canada Inns Polo Park to help mitigate the lineups on the day of the walk.  

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com