When Chloe Spitalnic suffered from repeated stomach pains for five days, she attributed it to a food intolerance.
But little did she know that this “vague” and “minor” symptom was a warning sign of something far worse.
At just 22, Chloe, from Melbourne, was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer and had three tumors growing on her ovary.
“I immediately feared for my life,” Chloe, now 25, told FEMAIL.
“I was lying on my bed at home when the doctor called me and told me the news. I couldn’t stop crying and I was completely freaked out.’
Chloe Spitalnic was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer “out of the blue” at the age of 22. She described the ordeal as “traumatic”
Before the diagnosis in August 2020, Victoria was in a strict Covid lockdown and Chloe has just started her master’s degree.
Back then she was “fit and healthy” and enjoyed going out with friends. She also suffers from lactose and fructose intolerance, which is why she initially rejected the stomach pain.
“The pain came and went from time to time. I didn’t think it was anything serious and thought maybe it was just my stomach. “I complained to my family about it,” Chloe remembers.
“But then it became quite a sharp pain, and it even hurt to breathe or move.” “My mother and sister urged me to see a doctor.”
Due to Covid, she had a telehealth appointment followed by an in-person appointment. Unfortunately, her doctor was on maternity leave, so she saw another doctor.
At the clinic, the doctor examined her stomach and recommended she have an ultrasound the next morning, which Chloe did and thought “nothing about it.”
That afternoon, August 12, she received a call from the doctor to discuss her ultrasound results.
“When she called she asked if anyone was with me and my dad was in the next room, but I still didn’t think it was anything important,” Chloe said.
“I remember lying in bed with my phone on speaker. She told me I had three large cysts on my ovary that they believed were cancerous.
“I immediately started sobbing. I went to my father and handed him the phone to talk to the doctor. She told him and he hung up in disbelief. “He thought it was nonsense and wanted a second opinion.”
The three cysts turned out to be cancerous tumors and the diagnosis was made after surgery.
What is ovarian cancer and what are the symptoms?
Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor in one or both ovaries.
The ovaries essentially consist of three types of cells: epithelial cells, stromal cells and germ cells. Each of these cells can develop into a different type of tumor.
The average age of women when they are diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 64 years. The diagnosis is mainly made in women over 50 years of age; However, cases are also diagnosed in younger women.
There are often no obvious signs of ovarian cancer, but symptoms may include:
Flatulence Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly frequent or urgent urination Back, stomach or pelvic pain constipation or diarrhea Menstrual irregularities Fatigue/exhaustion Indigestion Pain during sexual intercourse unexplained weight loss or gain
Pap smears cannot detect ovarian cancer and there is no routine test
Instead of waiting for an appointment with a gynecologist – which could take weeks – the doctor told Chloe to go to the emergency room for further tests.
Chloe then spent a grueling 15 hours from 10am on Thursday to 1am on Friday in the emergency room being examined by doctors.
During this time, further blood tests were carried out, an ultrasound scan was carried out and a gynecologist was consulted.
“It was a whirlwind. I just wanted to collapse and hide. The doctors were so quick and didn’t tell me everything that was happening. I have put all my trust in the healthcare system.
“Nobody made it clear to me what was going on, I just sat there crying and my mother had to hand over a backpack full of things. “I was fasting, my phone was broken, it was a terrible time.”
Chloe described being in the emergency room for an extended period of time as “traumatic” and “begged” them to let her go.
The following Monday, carrying a backpack and saying goodbye to her loved ones, she went to the same hospital where she was born to undergo an “invasive” operation.
“They couldn’t figure out what I had until after the surgery, which is crazy,” she said. The surgery itself was “invasive,” requiring an incision from the belly button to the bikini line (pictured during chemotherapy treatment).
Since ovarian cancer is significantly underfunded overall, the tumor tissue must be examined under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.
That’s exactly what happened to Chloe, who didn’t receive an official diagnosis until after surgery.
“They couldn’t figure out what I had until after the surgery, which is crazy,” she said.
The surgery itself was “invasive,” requiring an incision from the belly button to the bikini line.
With no family or friends by her side, Chloe found out when she woke up in hospital that she had stage three ovarian cancer.
“My surgeon came into my hospital room, stood 1.5m away from me and wore a mask while my family spoke on loudspeaker to deliver the result.” “It’s still so traumatic,” she said.
“At that moment I started to worry about my hair. “I have long hair, I love my hair and you only hear negative experiences about chemotherapy – it’s all scary and bleak,” she said.
One thing that gave her hope of saving her hair was the cold cap – a device worn that reduces hair loss caused by certain types of chemotherapy.
She was very afraid of losing her hair, but one thing that gave her hope of saving her hair was the cold cap – a device worn that reduces hair loss caused by certain types of chemotherapy
It took her ten weeks to recover from the surgery and, with the help of a physiotherapist, she learned to walk again. She then began treatment, which lasted for ten weeks
It took her ten weeks to recover from the operation and she had to learn to walk again with the help of a physiotherapist.
She then began treatment, which lasted for ten weeks.
“It was tiring and I was still studying a subject at the time,” she said.
“I started cold-capping in the first session and didn’t mind it. It worked pretty well, but my hair became a little thinner.’
As for side effects, she was put into medically induced menopause to preserve her fertility and didn’t feel too sick, but admitted she has since “put the trauma of the treatment out of her mind.”
On New Year’s Eve 2020, she underwent a final small keyhole operation to check whether the chemotherapy had killed the cancer cells.
On New Year’s Eve 2020, she underwent a final small keyhole operation to check whether the chemotherapy had killed the cancer cells. Today, Chloe takes a pill every day to prevent the cancer from coming back
Now Chloe takes a tablet every day to prevent the cancer from coming back and has had check-ups every three months.
However, she still lives in fear that the cancer could come back.
“It is very stressful and discouraging to be told that there is a high chance that my cancer will come back,” she said.
“I fear that it will come back without my knowledge as there are no symptoms of ovarian cancer.” But I don’t want this one moment in my life to define me. It’s part of my journey, not who I am.”
Now Chloe has made it her mission to spread her story far and wide to educate others about the seriousness of ovarian cancer and how more research should be done.
“Doctors don’t seem to care about the cause, they just look to the future and how to eliminate it,” she claims.
“Instead, more should be done and talked about more often about women’s health.”
“If you think something is wrong or doesn’t feel right, ask your doctor because you know your body best.”
In 2022, a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer is estimated to be 1 in 84 (or 1.2 percent).
While ovarian cancer can occur in adults at any age, it is most common in women ages 85 and older.
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