Frocking up to fight back against ovarian cancer

“You know, as women we grow up learning to live with things, but to have pain and anything unusual is not normal.” 

When Shelley Carppe began to experience perimenopause symptoms two and a half years ago, she never thought it would turn into a cancer diagnosis.

Now the Nelson woman is using her journey to help raise funds for Frocktober, a fundraising and awareness campaign for ovarian cancer.

Carppe was 54 when she started experiencing symptoms that pointed to perimenopause.  

Her doctor agreed, and due to her health insurance, Carppe was asked if she wanted an ultrasound. 

“I feel like if I'd said I didn't have health insurance, she probably would have said, 'I was going to send you for an ultrasound, but it doesn't matter, I don't really think you need one'."

However, the life-changing ultrasound revealed what 306 women annually in New Zealand face. She was diagnosed with stage 3C ovarian cancer, which has now progressed to stage 4B.  

Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand chief executive and lived experience facilitation lead Liz Pennington said  “nearly half of those women are going to get their diagnosis, sitting somewhere in an emergency department".

“They're turning up there because they're either presenting really acutely unwell. Or it might be that they've presented multiple times, and haven't been able to access the support that they need.” 

She also noted how many women around New Zealand don't know the symptoms of ovarian cancer. 

“When you're going out to the public and you're saying 'have you heard about ovarian cancer', people are going to say 'yep'. But when it comes to saying to them, 'can you tell me what the symptoms are', most won't be able to tell you.” 

Carppe agreed, adding that it is especially important for woman to be aware of symptoms.  

“You know, as women we grow up learning to live with things, but to have pain and anything unusual is not normal.” 

Symptoms include abdominal bloating, needing to urinate more often than normal, eating less but feeling full after eating, and pain in your abdominal area. 

Ovarian cancer has a five-year survival rate of 43 per cent.

An effective screening program hasn't been discovered yet, but Pennington believed this could be solved through investment and research.  

“We know there's a screening program for bowel. There's a screening program for breast. There's a screening program for prostate. There is not a screening program for ovarian.” 

To raise money for research, the foundation is dusting off the frocks for the second time in preparation for Frocktober.  

Frocktober is a month of people doing activities in their best outfit to raise money and awareness for ovarian cancer research.  

Carppe has already started planning her fundraiser, which she said is filled to the brim with auctions, presentations, and a two-course lunch.  

“We need to raise more funds. There's so much research going on, and it feels like we're getting closer to a cure. We need to keep more women alive longer so that when they find the cure, which I'm sure they will, the women are alive to get the cure.” 

The fundraising creativity doesn't stop there.  

Esther Keown was diagnosed with stage one ovarian cancer this time last year, and after a road of recovery, she is ready to help fundraise by climbing Mount Karioi in Raglan 31 times in 31 different frocks. 

She is climbing in a frock along with her friend Ciaran, who lost his mother to ovarian cancer a few years ago.  

“We can't wait to get frocked up, get climbing and say frock you to ovarian cancer,” Keown said. 

Pennington said the bottom line was that “we can't be affording to lose our mums and sisters and daughters, and we are losing women across the age band".

Frocktober will be run throughout the entirety of October, and people can sign up to participate or donate via the foundation's website.