Name: Jasmine Kerr
Diagnosed: December 2019
Age: 26
Country: UK
I am: a friend, partner, daughter, sister, aunt and low-grade serous ovarian cancer fighter.
I’m an adventurous, outgoing and caring soul figuring her way through life. Before my diagnosis I’d been in Bristol for a year and a half living my best life. A real social, loud and fun life – a bit crazy at times but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I was working for a great company in a field based position and hope I can go back to it soon.
We are all told, “live your life to the fullest”; I am here to do just that.
I was diagnosed: first in 2011 at age 17 with Stage 3B high-grade borderline ovarian tumours. I underwent a pretty major surgery and was being monitored with 6 monthly MRIs until 2014 and feeling pretty good. But at the end of 2014 I began to experience stomach pains and a scan showed the tumour had returned to my vaginal wall. I had another surgery which confirmed it was still borderline.
I remained on annual MRIs but in July 2019 I began to experience worse stomach pains. Additionally every time I ate I would feel bloated and I noticed my bowels were not working as they should. I had an episode of heavy bleeding and took myself to A&E in Bristol.
The doctors gave me lots of scans and my new gynaecologist recommended surgery. They thought my bowel could be stuck from adhesions (scar tissue). I had surgery on the 10th of December 2019. It was then that they discovered significant deposits of low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. It was more disease than they expected and they could not remove it all.
I’ve just started on a hormone blocker called letrozole and my doctors will review things in 3 months.
My cancer diagnosis really has put a lot of things into perspective. I feel I am coping pretty well. I’m trying to keep focusing on all the positives and things that make me happy. My partner has a record label and I’m keeping busy helping with merchandise for his music events.
I’m concentrating on my health and getting better and still doing the things I love. I’m mega excited to be starting yoga and exercising and getting back to some sort of routine. I feel so strongly about learning. I’m trying to find out as much as I can about this disease, and I’m listening to other peoples stories to see how others are dealing with it and what they have tried for treatment options.
How your donations would impact me: For most women current medical treatment is not curative. Low-grade serous ovarian cancer research is a relatively new field. Treatments and therapies that work in other cancers could work in low-grade serous. But researchers need more funding to test potential therapies. Your donations will help them find new and better treatments.
What I would say to someone else going through this: It is a surreal feeling and whole whirlwind of emotions to stare death in the face. To go from planning your future which seemed so far away, to literally looking at life in a completely different light. In the midst of this I think it’s important to try and identify the positives in your life, what you are grateful for, and concentrate on things that give your life meaning.
“Some of us weren’t meant to be tamed.
We are the drops of wild water,
the women who run with wolves,
the wild flowers, the warriors, the witches & the weirdos.
The world needs our wild.”
– Brooke Hampton
Learn more about borderline ovarian tumours and low-grade serous carcinoma