Transcript

#79 The Silent Killer… Overcoming Ovarian Cancer

[00:00:00] Welcome back to episode of the Hormone Hub Podcast, where we talk all things perimenopause, menopause, and have the conversations no one else is having. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode. 

Kylie: Hello. Hello ladies and welcome back to the Hormone Hub Podcast. I’m your host, Kylie Pinal, and today we have a very special guest with a really important message. So I would like to welcome Alvina Nadeem to the podcast. Welcome, Alvina. Nice to have you on the show. 

Alvina: Thank you so much, Kylie. I’m so happy to be here.

Kylie: So Alvina is joining us. So we were just talking about the weather and where we live, where she lives. She’s in Montreal, in Canada. And of course I’m on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. So yeah, two very different weather experiences going [00:01:00] on. Alvina, when you sort of connected, and your story and what you’ve been through and what you are currently going through, sort of I was drawn to you immediately.

And I’m so glad that. That you’re here to sort of share your story. And I’m, I really want everyone to sort of listen and pay attention because I think this is super important and it applies to all of us. So, Alvina would you like to sort of share where you’re at and, why we’re, why we’re chatting today?

Alvina: Yeah, absolutely. So I am here because I am currently going through, chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. And it’s really funny every time I say this, but I consider myself lucky in the sense that I was diagnosed early, the cancer was detected early, and I’ve been given an excellent prognosis, which is often not the case with ovarian cancer.[00:02:00] 

Kylie: Yeah, a hundred percent. You know, and we were sort of talking earlier before we hit record, you know, it’s known as the silent killer. So tell us a bit like, how did your diagnosis, ’cause obviously early diagnosis is key with ovarian cancer, so how did your diagnosis come about now, just for everyone listening, Al vina is 36 years old, so you know.

Possibly a bit younger than a lot of our listeners, but, you know, still, a main incredible story. So, 

Alvina: Yes. And, and the thing is, it’s a very good point that you mentioned that too, because it’s not something you think of. Ever, because the average age of ovarian cancer is not in the thirties.

It’s later. It’s usually post-menopausal women. So, you know, like I feel like I am here talking to young women, but older women as well to anyone. Just if you have ovaries, I’m talking to you. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. 

Kylie: I was [00:03:00] gonna say, so how did you, how did all of this, you know, start for you.

Alvina: Yeah, so actually I would say in February is when I started to experience more, I would say obvious symptoms, the things that led me to get checked basically. So in February of this year, I started to lose weight drastically, like. 10, 15 pounds. And it was unintentional. It wasn’t something I was trying to do.

I just didn’t have an appetite. And at first I myself thought like, oh, maybe I’m stressed out at work. Maybe I’m depressed. Like maybe it’s anxiety, maybe it’s this and that’s why I’m not hungry. So I was kind of like trying to fill in the gaps mentally myself of why am I not hungry? I don’t understand. And I think it’s.

It’s something that sometimes we often hear like, oh, women, we have hormones. Like it affects our, you know, mental wellbeing and stuff. So often a lot of things are attributed to like the psychosomatic relationship between like, okay, your body and your brain. So it must be depression, it [00:04:00] must be anxiety.

And so you keep going there, but sometimes it’s not, sometimes it’s something physical happening. So it was the weight loss. It was, just feeling fatigued and tired ’cause I wasn’t eating much. And then I started to have like very specific symptoms like having a period start 10 days in advance.

Which was really strange for me. It was a red flag because I was very regular. And so I was like, that’s really strange. You know, it’s on a day or two, it’s 10 days. And it didn’t look right. It was not the right coloring. It looked like spotting. It looked like old, you know menses coming out or something.

And it’s, you know, just wanna mention here, it’s one of those topics that like, sometimes it’s a bit taboo to talk about our reproductive system, but that’s why I just wanna talk so much and like, it’s, feels like T M I. But I think it’s important. We need to talk about this, you know, 

Kylie: It’s Hormone Hub podcast.

We talk about all of the things and there is this, yes. Anything such thing as too much [00:05:00] information because I think, yeah, the more we talk about it, 

Alvina: the more where you normalize it, right? 

Kylie: It’s, it becomes a normal conversation. And also too, women can kind of recognize like, oh yeah, actually that’s because I think we get used to our own normal.

Yeah. But because it’s our own normal, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay. You know? Like there could be because we’re so normal. 

Alvina: Yeah, exactly. Maybe we’ve been ignoring a problem for so long that’s become our normal and it shouldn’t. So, yeah, so that was the initial kind of something is going on. And then, I started to have pelvic cramps, like pain.

It again felt like menstrual cramps, but I was not someone that used to have menstrual cramps. So I was like, why am I getting this, this, this was like this, the last time I had, this was 20 years ago when I started having periods, you know? So I, I just felt like something was wrong and I, I decided to go and get checked.[00:06:00] 

Right. And the funny thing is, when I go, when I went to get checked, I didn’t go in thinking anything. I just went in thinking like, oh, I haven’t been eating. Maybe I caused a hormonal imbalance and therefore I have a period early or something. So I was thinking it was me who stressed out at work or something like that.

Yes. And then, they ran some blood tests to see, you know, could it be pregnancy, could it be this or that. They did like their first line of tests, basically blood tests and everything. And, they did do a pelvic exam, but because I was in my period, it’s not easy to do. So they still did it, but it wasn’t like very conclusive.

And they just told me to, you know, monitor my symptoms and come back if they persist or get worse. Yeah. And within a week I had to go back. I was in so much pain, just like being in a car. Just a regular bumps of a car ride. Were just, Like, so painful for [00:07:00] me. Oh, wow. So I went back and I, I went like, let’s I, something is wrong.

My period ended and it’s still hurting as if I still have my period or I’m still having cramps. It’s not normal. Yeah. And something new also started to happen at that point, and now that I know how big it was, it makes sense when I would be lying down in bed, when I would turn, I felt like, like my internal organs were being pulled and shoved and tossed aside, I would literally hold my stomach and turn Yeah. To not feel that that pain and that, like, that feeling of being like, I dunno how to describe it. It was just really strange. It was like really felt like someone was tugging on, on, on my internal organs. Yeah. And I was probably bloated, but I didn’t pay attention to that.

I thought like, whatever, you know, it happens during your cycle. I didn’t really look at it as a symptom, but now when I look back, I was bloated. Yeah. So very typical of, you know, the ovarian cancer [00:08:00] symptoms you read about. But again, bloating, menstrual cramps, like they don’t sound very specific. Right. It could be anything.

It could be gas, it could be your period. It could be, yeah. Yeah. So that’s why it’s so elusive. 

Kylie: Yeah. Amazing. And then like, at what point did you realize that, you know, hang on a second, this could be something more serious. 

Alvina: So at that second appointment, the doctor that was there, she decided to do an internal, like gynecological exam with her hand and everything.

And she said to me, she asked me like, has anyone ever told you that they are having a hard time finding your cervix? Has any other doctor ever told you that? And I was like, no. That’s so weird, I think, isn’t it there, you know, we’re they, I was like, what? What kind of question is that? She’s like, yeah, it’s not aligned.

Having a hard time. She had to use three speculums to see it. And she immediately was like, yeah, something is off. ‘Cause like your uterus [00:09:00] is not aligning with like your vaginal canal. It’s, it’s strange. Yeah. So, and so she decided to palpate with her hand and she said, oh, it feels a bit swollen, but it looks physically like healthy.

It’s a nice color. It, it feels swollen as if you were pregnant, but we know that you’re not. ‘Cause we did some tests. Yeah. So she said, go in for a ultrasound because maybe you have fibroids or something like that that’s irritating your uterus and the lining and stuff, and so maybe it’s inflamed. Yes.

So that’s really the moment where everything else kind of just unraveled quickly. I had my ultrasound. Within a week of that appointment, they found a mass on my left ovary. At that time it was eight to nine centimeters. And then, The, the radiologist was like, I, I can’t really see much in the ultrasound.

We just see it’s a mask, but we can’t see if it’s a cyst. It’s an ultrasound. We need to investigate further. I’m gonna ask your doctor to do an M R I [00:10:00] request an M R I, within another few days I had an M R I and the next day is when I got that, you know, that horrible call that no one wants to get?

Yeah. Hey, doctor wants to see you. Can you come accompanied? So that’s really, it was, I think all of this happened within a span of two, three weeks max. 

Kylie: Amazing. And you know how great that your medical team moved so quickly on that too, because (Alvina) Absolutely. How many women, you know, and I speak to sort of hundreds of women every year and it’s, I went to the doctor and yeah, he said, wait, let’s just wait and see.

Or, you know, it’s just a normal getting older or oh, you know, every, yeah, we ran your bloods. Everything’s normal, you know, so it’s, yeah. It’s really, and I think the fact that you went back to that doctor, I mean, okay, give it, granted you were in a lot of pain, so you know, but just, you knew within yourself that something was, (Alvina) something is wrong.

Right? Yeah. For everyone [00:11:00] listening, you know, that’s a really big thing. No one knows your body better than you do. So if you are, if you have a change in your cycle, if you have a change in bleeding, if you have a change in like pain level, anything like that, get it checked, so.

Mm-hmm. Push for it too. And, and, it sort of seems crazy that we actually have to even say that, but you know mm-hmm. Definitely pushing for, yeah, pushing for more in, investigation because Alvina hadn’t have done that. You know, who knows where we’d be right now, so, 

Alvina: Yeah. And I, I think like, On, on one hand, like it’s true that it feels very kind of upsetting to say, okay, why do I even have to do that?

But I’ve started to look at it, at at it from a different lens, and I’ve started to say, Hey, you know what? I’m grateful that I live in an era where because of the unlimited amount of information that I’ve access to now through the internet, I can inform myself and go in as [00:12:00] an informed, you know? Yeah.

Partner in my relationship with my doctor. Whereas, you know, back in the day your doctor said A, you said, okay, a, I’ll do A, B, C, as you said, but now you can challenge them. You can ask them. I think we need to use that to our advantage more and say, Hey, I need to advocate for my wellbeing and I’m a partner in this relationship with my doctor, it’s a partnership for my wellbeing, 

Kylie: you know? Yeah. Hundred percent. Hundred percent. So true. Rather than us just sort of sitting there and Oh, well, he’s the doctor, so everything. Yeah, exactly. So, yeah. 

Alvina: And I just wanna say one thing to what you said, and it honestly gave me like, it gives me chills every time because of this journey.

I’ve met so many other women, young, different ages. Yep. Who you know, are impacted by ovarian cancer and they did not have the same story as me. Yeah. They, there are some women who ended up waiting like a year before they even got like a proper diagnosis because they weren’t being listened to, oh, go back.

It’s your [00:13:00] hormones. It’s nothing. You know, giving all sort, giving all sorts of pills to, to address the symptoms, but not actually looking for why, you know, where the symptoms coming from in the first place. And when I hear that, I realize that I’m again lucky in the sense that it was detected early.

Because of the steps that were taken by the people who took them. Like, I literally owe my life to that one doctor that said, Hey, let’s go do an ultrasound because I don’t like that you’re, you know, it looks inflamed slightly. Yeah. You know. Exactly. 

Kylie: Exactly. And that’s it. You know, like you hear all sorts of awful things, you know, like women being, sent home with antidepressants.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s just crazy. It’s sort of like, oh, yeah, but yes, ladies advocate, push, you know, if something’s not right, keep asking, you know, get answers. Don’t just sit on this stuff because, you know, it might be that it’s a fibroid. It might be, you know, something completely, and I think when [00:14:00] we’re going through perimenopause and menopause, and, we’ll, we’ll get to yours in a sec, but you know.

Mm-hmm. That changes in our cycle. So what’s normal, what’s not? But again, you know, listen to that instinct, listen to your body, and if something is more painful than it should be, if something is not quite right, always ask. Yeah. Yeah. Be, be an advocate for your own health, for sure. Okay, so what happens?

So we had the M R I, we had the phone call. What happened next? 

Alvina: So after that, it was pretty quick in the sense, you know, I had that call at the end of March and then beginning of April I was meeting my gynecological oncologist. And, the plan was, we need to get this mass out of you asap. And then at that point, you know, they’re not saying it’s cancer.

They’re saying it looks like cancer because there was no biopsy done at that time. And so, the, the plan was, okay, we’re gonna do the surgery and during surgery we are [00:15:00] going to do a small, like in-op biopsy to see if these are cancer cells. So while I was on the operating table, that’s what they did. They checked for yes or no.

Is it cancer? And then when I came to, that’s when they confirmed it to me. So I was in the hospital all by myself and my callers came to see me and she held my hand and she said, Hey, how are you doing? How was recovery? And I was like, so lay it on me. And she’s like, I’m so sorry. I thought it would be borderline, but there are cancer cells in there.

We don’t know exactly which type of cancer cells because there’s a few kinds, that could be possible with ovarian cancer. And she, she said like, we’re gonna wait on the. Biopsy results, which can take a while. But also she, you know, she wanted me to focus on getting better from the surgery. It was an open abdominal surgery, so it’s like a, you know, pretty big scar, like a 10 to maybe 10 to 15 meter opening.

Right. So it was a massive surgery. 

Kylie: Oh yeah. So not like a little lepro [00:16:00] laparotomy or anything like that?

Alvina: No, no, no. Exactly. So she was saying that, you know, right now I want you to focus on getting your health back physically. But she did say that from the looks of it, it looked like stage one because it was really contained within that huge mass, even though it was big.

But it’s like we caught it just in time, like, you know, it was on the point of bursting. Yeah. And actually it did burst during surgery. Yeah. Wow. So, but before they actually try to remove it, they do a wash. In that wash, they take all that wash and they, they biopsy it. So now I know, you know, x weeks after that, that the wash was clean, everything was clean, the nodes were clean, it was truly just within that ovary.

So it was really like a miraculous stage one, diagnosis. Yeah.

 I would love to invite you to our Nourish and Thrive one day retreat in the beautiful Noosa coming up on Saturday, the 7th of October. This [00:17:00] menopause gut health and pelvic wellness retreat is hosted by myself and also by the beautiful Alex Main. Join us for this transformative one day event, which will give you all of the practical insights into navigating this perimenopause menopause transition. So you’ll walk away confidently knowing how to nourish your body, optimize your pelvic floor, and core function. Hope to see you there.

Kylie: Yeah. Wow. Gosh. So, so then was the, so sorry. They removed the tumor in that surgery? 

Alvina: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. 

Kylie: Okay. Alright, then what happened? 

Alvina: So actually, okay, so this I think needs to be talked about. Like if anyone is going through something similar, please ask your gynecologist, your oncologist, if it’s possible, because I’ve learned that not all surgeons or hospitals have the capacity to do the that in-op analysis because that changes the [00:18:00] game from having two surgeries or just one like I did.

Yes. Right. So, What we were able to do was before surgery, my doctor, my oncologist sat down with me and she said, here is, you know, like the logic diagram of if it’s cancer, here’s what we’re gonna do. If it’s not cancer, here’s what we’re gonna do. Because the goal was to ensure that after surgery, I’m living my best possible life, whatever the scenario may be, right?

So if it’s not cancer, yep. We wanted to only remove, or I should say the opposite. We remove everything except the right ovary and keep the right ovary intact so that hormonally I could still kind of live a somewhat normal life as, as, as a young, you know, woman. So, but if it was cancer, it was like, no, we gotta remove everything, tubes, uterus, all of it.

So, and ovaries as well. So that was something that I appreciated having that feeling of being involved in that decision making process. So when I came out, it wasn’t like, [00:19:00] sorry, like we had to do this. We had no choice. It was like, no, we already discussed about this. I knew this would happen if this was the case.

Yep. So again, you know, going back to building that partnership with, with your doctor is super important and, and honestly it’s empowering because I felt like I knew what was gonna happen. 

Kylie: Yeah, yeah. You are part of that process, whereas, that’s certainly not always the case. So, that’s a really good point.

You know, know, ask the questions, if they’re not sharing the information with you, ask the questions, well, what’s involved, what happens? What are the different scenarios? Yeah. So, you know, because I think a, a big part of fear is not knowing Exactly. So, no, it, it just takes, I mean, it doesn’t take the, the fear away, but it just sort of like, okay, worst case it’s gonna be this best case, it’s gonna be this, you know, or it might be something middle.

But yeah, it’s 

Alvina: Not everybody who sometimes wants to, but if you do want to know, know that you can ask the questions because, oncologists, they sometimes. [00:20:00] Can be the opposite where they’re we, where they overshare and the patient’s not ready and they’re like, I did not need to know all of this information.

Like this is too much for me. Yeah. You know, and but whereas if you are willing to know more and are able to handle it or have someone with you at least that could handle it for you, because there’s different ways of managing and if you have someone with you in the appointments, they can be the asker of questions.

Yeah. So there’s so many ways, but it’s, I think it’s important and like you said, like the more we ask, the more we can kind of be part of this. Yeah. The, the, the decision making and feel involved. 

Kylie: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Alright, so having your ovaries, tubes, uterus removed, that would pretty much, spell instant menopause in my books.

Alvina: Yes, yes, absolutely. So, it was pretty instant. Yeah, it was pretty instant. Yeah. It was, I think about 48 hours after I started to experience like hot flashes and all kinds [00:21:00] of stuff, and, and I, I noticed that, like we were saying earlier, I don’t, I don’t know if we said it during the call or before, but how I realized it was like related to like my stress level of spiking.

So, whereas, you know, before in a normal setting, like when you get a bit nervous or you get those butterfly feelings, for me it was just pop flashes instead. So yeah. You know, and, and every little thing could be going up the stairs, a little bit of physical stress, hot flash. It could be, getting a call from someone that I haven’t spoken to in a while and getting excited, hot flash, and you know, and then at night it was just, it’s just like by default every night. Hot flashes. 

Kylie: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, that’s the thing. Did they explain that to you? That, how that was gonna roll out?

Alvina: So that’s something I have to admit. Love my oncology team and everyone, everyone, but. They were just so focused on the cancer part and the chemo part. Yes. That they [00:22:00] didn’t really put that much, attention to that.

And I was the one who had to bring it up and say, Hey, what do we do about that? And that’s kind of when they told me that we can’t really do much, except, you know, manage each symptom on its own for now while, while I’m on in treatment. Because ovarian cancers are so hormonal. Yes. They can’t really give me any kind of hormone therapy and things like that.

So it was very much like, drink more water, increase your protein intake and your calcium intake, like try to manage each symptom on its own and if you get lots of leg cramps, you know, take magnesium. But it was very, like each symptom needs to be managed alone. For example, I was thinking maybe I could take some melatonin. ‘Cause I started to have insomnia and I still do have it. Yeah. As part of the menopause experience. (Kylie) That’s right. Yeah. And so I was like, okay, can I take melatonin? She was like, well, not really, because there are [00:23:00] some studies showing that I could interfere with chemo. So, you know, we’re gonna take Ativan, which is usually, I think, used to treat anxiety, but it does help and knock me out.

But, you know, it’s, it’s something that you can grow a dependence to. So I’m very like cautious and I don’t wanna use it every night. Yeah. So I use it as like a reset for myself. Like, you know, if I’m having many multiple nights in a row where I’m really having a hard time, like, okay, I’ll reset my system with this today and hope that tomorrow I don’t need it.

 (Kylie) Yeah. Yeah. But it’s been mostly like that.

Kylie: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that’s it, and I think that’s a, a very common experience that I hear like women who’ve breast cancer treatment or you know mm-hmm. You know, gone into that surgical or that chemical menopause and yeah, and they’re not told, oh, by the way, yeah, you’re going into instant menopause, which means, you know, all of these, these things.

Mm-hmm. And that’s where 

Alvina: I, or like, it’s like they say it, like for example, my doctor did say menopause, you know? But yeah, I didn’t really [00:24:00] understand what that meant. (Kylie) What does for me, yeah. For my life. Exactly. Like what should I expect? Yeah, yeah. You know, 

Kylie: that’s the thing. And it has sort of like rolling impacts and it, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be, horrible forever, but it just means that there’s an adjustment there because your hormones effectively have just been ripped out from a like literally ripped out of your body.

Yeah, yeah. So, so it’s, in a, it is, it’s managing, rather than managing the hot flushes, which come with that drop in estrogen, it’s sort of like, okay, how do we maintain your body temperature. How do we, like that internal thermostat. But also, like blood sugar becomes an issue, bone density becomes an issue kind, vascular health.

So it’s sort of, there’s long-term implications there as well for you, down the track. But in the meantime, you’ve still got enough going on. So what sort of treatment, are you undergoing at the moment?

Alvina: So right now, I. Because of the [00:25:00] stage one diagnosis, they’re doing a six rounds of chemotherapy, carboplatin and Taxol basically, which is the go-to for, epithelial ovarian cancer cases.

And, after that I spoke actually to my oncologist last week and I said, look, we’re more than midway. I’ve had my fourth treatment. I’m ready to hear like, is there something coming after? And do I need to do any maintenance type of chemo or something else. And she said, well, no, actually with you, you know, after these six rounds, that should be it then, then it’s a five-year follow-up every, you know, six, every three months.

At first I go in for a checkup and then every six months to make sure that I am cancer free. And then at the five-year mark, I think that’s when they officially declare you like cancer free. You don’t need to be followed up so intensely and so, closely.

Kylie: Amazing, amazing. And just to, you know, show the pure, I guess, commitment of this woman.

[00:26:00] And, I have fourth treatment this morning, so it’s, and I think to, to actually come on as a podcast guest the day you have chemo treatment. I was like, oh, I was not expecting that. So, I do. So very much appreciate you coming on the podcast today of all days, but you know, four down, two to go, so, you know.

 (Alvina) Yes. Which is amazing. So where has this sort of taken your life? Because, you are now a very, you know, you wouldn’t have seen this 12 months ago, six months ago, no, eight months ago. 

Alvina: Yeah. So I think, I mean, right now, okay. First of all, I have to say that I, I really appreciate. I’m so grateful for like, where and when this is happening to me in my life.

I have two kids and that’s all I wanted. Yeah. You know, in the sense that I wasn’t expecting or wanting a third child. So like my family was complete. I’m in a good place in my life. I live in [00:27:00] Canada, so you know, healthcare, I don’t have to worry about the chemo bill coming in or anything like that. Yeah.

And I am, I’m on sick leave so I can truly take this time to focus on myself and, and at the same time kind of explore like, okay, like. what, what do I wanna do with this? You know, of course, like anyone else, I started off asking, why is this happening to me? Like, why? Yeah, but why s don’t have answers.

And so I decided like, you know, I’m not gonna ask why. I’m gonna say, what do I wanna do with this moment? How do I wanna define this defining moment in my life? What do I wanna, what do I wanna do with this thing that is happening? And I think the best way to describe it is the feeling I’ve been getting is like, you know, there’s a, there’s a fire around and all of the houses are burning down, and I’m one of the few houses that was like damaged but still standing. And so I of course am focused on like repairing the house, but when I step out I’m like, oh my gosh. Like I’m one of the few standing and, now I feel [00:28:00] this duty to say, Hey, I need to use the fact that I’m still standing to raise awareness and share more.

And like, let’s talk about this. You know, it’s not taboo to talk about our private parts and like, you know, you know, use these, these moments to help raise awareness really, and, bring attention to this.

Kylie: Yeah. Look, and you know, if one woman listening to this podcast today, you know, takes herself off to be checked, like that’s, you know, yeah.

Alvina: I’ve accomplished my mission, you know, yes, exactly. 

Kylie: Oh gosh. Wow. What a story. And I’m so glad that, your prognosis is looking fantastic and, and I really do wanna follow you and sort of see where you take this, because I think you’ve got such a beautiful, way that you’ve framed it and it’s such a beautiful attitude, and I love that, why(s) don’t have answers because mm-hmm.

We can beat ourselves up all day asking why, but it’s sort of like, now you, you’ve got a beautiful platform to bring [00:29:00] awareness to ovarian cancer. Mm-hmm. And, and spread your message that way. So. Amazing. So, anything else, any final words that you would love to share with the audience?

Alvina: Yeah, so I think something that I don’t talk often about, and I think this is a great place to do it, is something that was kind of lingering, in those first initial months of February, March was I had this, I describe it as this feeling of doom. Like I really felt this sense of something is wrong.

And again, remember I was saying, I kept associating it to maybe, am I, is it depression? Am I depressed? And I was having these really dark thoughts and just, it was just really gloomy and stuff. And I was like, And it was that voice that really made me go check what’s wrong. Yep. And whether it was intuition or my body, you know, trying to talk to me in a way to say like, something is wrong, Al vina, go get checked.

And it really made me feel, so, just it made me reconnect with my body. I find this whole experience has been about reconnecting [00:30:00] with my body and learning the language it speaks to listen to it better because, I find that as a society, we have completely disconnected ourselves with our bodies.

We’re very much in our, in our, in our heads, like intellectually, right? Like we’re all about getting the job and getting the degrees and getting educated and intellectually push through. 

 (Kylie) Do more. Yeah. 

Right. But we’ve lost like, That connection with our inner like being, but physically too, like with our internal organs, like we don’t know what goes on in there.

We have to go literally to a doctor, tell us what’s wrong with us, right? Because we don’t have that communication channel, established or maybe understood. And, and you know, the more we’re learning about the gut and everything, we’re realizing like it’s like the second brain of our body and I’m like, Hey, we need to be paying attention to our gut because with ovarian cancer, a lot, a lot of the symptoms do come from your gut.

You get stomach aches, you get like, you know, like diarrhea, constipation, all that stuff. But it’s like your gut sending you these signals. Absolutely. [00:31:00] So, so all of this to say that like we. Just my message is really like, listen to that inner voice. If something is telling you there’s something wrong, listen to it and maybe it is wrong.

Maybe it’s, it’s okay. You maybe just spent, you know, a day at the doctor’s office, but that’s okay. Your life is worth it. Oh 

Kylie: hundred percent. And I think, you know, what you’ve been through sort of puts all of that into perspective as well. 

Alvina: Oh yes, absolutely. 

Kylie: Yeah. So, yeah, and I’ve sort of said, to clients before, listen to your body exactly what you just sort of said.

Absolutely. And listen to the little whispers before they start screaming at you. 

Alvina: Yes, exactly. Yeah. That’s so right.

Kylie: Just don’t go away on their own. So, yeah. So thank you, Elvina. That was, I think this is one of the, the highlight episodes for me of the show that we’ve recorded because Oh, wow. And our viewers don’t get to see your beautiful face like Alvina’s sitting there.

She had chemotherapy treatment this morning. She’s beaming, [00:32:00] you know, she’s got this beautiful smile and a very sort of serene, calming nature about you. So, which is, which is lovely. I’ve just really enjoyed having you and I’ve really enjoyed our conversation, so thank you so much. Thank you. 

Alvina: Thank you for having me. It was so much fun

Kylie: and my pleasure. So yeah, everyone, ladies, listen to your body. Go and get checked. Do it for, Alvina and do it for all the women who didn’t listen as well. So, there’s a, there’s a flip side to that story, so, you know. Be Alvina. You know, and listen to your body. If something’s not right, get it checked.

Alright, Alvina thank you so much. Thanks for listening, everyone, and we will see you in the next episode.

Thank you for taking the time to listen today. You can head on over to the show notes at kyliepinwill.com/podcast where you’ll find all the links. Now, before we go, it would mean the world to me if you’d head on over to your favorite podcast [00:33:00] channel, subscribe and leave a review. Don’t forget to share it with your friends.

Then stay tuned for next week’s episode and I can’t wait to see you then.