"I'm a shooting star baby, Aunty Kristy."
"You're a what?"
"A shooting star baby - sent by your Mum to be with my Mum."
"You're a what?"
"A shooting star baby - sent by your Mum to be with my Mum."
All my Mum ever wanted was to be a grandmother and she used to constantly ask me when I was going to breed. My response was always: "I refuse to be an incubator."
To which she would reply: "When you have children I hope you have a daughter exactly like you, so you will know how I have suffered." (Drama runs in the family and, yes, Miss Charisma is very me).
To which she would reply: "When you have children I hope you have a daughter exactly like you, so you will know how I have suffered." (Drama runs in the family and, yes, Miss Charisma is very me).
The timing was never right for my Mum, she missed her grandkids because she died from ovarian cancer in 2001. Ovarian cancer is a disease where some of the cells in one or both ovaries start to grow abnormally and develop into cancer.
As my brother said: "If Mum was here now, we would be b-list to the grandkids."
Before Mum was diagnosed, I knew nothing about ovarian cancer and I was employed at the time as a health journalist. Awareness has grown now thanks to organisations such as Ovarian Cancer Australia, the Silver Ribbon and its partners. If the disease is caught early, it is very treatable but most cases are caught late.
This means the disease is the most deadly gyneacological cancer.
Witchery is this week embarking upon White Shirt Campaign, which aims to raise funds for ovarian cancer research. They are selling a gorgeous selection of white shirts, plus divine silver jewellery. And the best bit is all profits go to the Silver Ribbon Campaign.
Normally I only recommend people wear Saturdays with SawHole t-shirts but with these - go forth and buy.
And courtesy of my friends at Ovarian Cancer Australia, here are the signs of ovarian cancer:
Unexplained abdominal or pelvic pain.
Increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating.
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly.
Needing to urinate often or urgently or a change in bowel habits.
If you have any of these symptoms, they are new for you and you have experienced them multiple times during a 4-week period, download the Symptom diary now. Please.
