Page 182 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2021

HEALTHY LIVING
TURN THE TOWNS
story by Luke Height photo courtesy of Lisa Hubbard
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS:
• Bloating
• Pelvic or abdominal pain • Vague but persistent
gastrointestinal upsets such as
gas, nausea, or indigestion
• Difficulty eating OR feeling
full quickly
• Urinary symptoms (urgency or
frequency)
• Unexplained changes in bowel
habits
• Unexplained weight gain/loss • Ongoing unusual fatigue
• Back pain
• Menstrual changes
• Pain during intimacy
Teal is just a color, right? For many, the color teal represents much more than what meets the eye. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to spread awareness for ovarian cancer using teal ribbons. Local community member Lisa Hubbard has been leading the charge in South Mississippi and creating more opportunities for people to be exposed
to valuable information and support the cause.
For Hubbard, this is not just a service to the community, it’s personal. She is a stage IIIC ovarian cancer survivor. She says, “As an ovarian cancer survivor, I understand the importance of raising awareness of this misunderstood disease. All too often it is called “the silent killer,” while in reality it is whispering subtle signs that something is wrong. Most do not know the symptoms and are misdiagnosed.”
Knowing the symptoms is a big part
of being able to get ahead of this ugly disease. “Unfortunately 90 percent of the women I’ve spoken with over the past 15
years have had no idea that their yearly Pap exam was not checking or testing for ovarian cancer,” Hubbard said. “They didn’t know that the Pap is only testing for the Human Papilloma Virus that causes cervical cancer. There is no screening test for ovarian cancer at this time. Learning the symptoms and requesting the proper tests is key to surviving. We now know that ovarian cancer affects women and girls of all ages.”
To grow support in the community, Hubbard has been curating events to bring people together. She says, “The Mississippi Gulf Coast has also been signed up as part of Turn the Towns Teal, a national campaign to raise awareness
by placing teal ribbons throughout communities.”
Taking on such a dangerous disease is no small task, but Hubbard has faith. “My prayer for any person seeing this is to take an interest, learn the symptoms, and seek medical testing for any symptoms lasting two weeks or longer.”
182 | September 2021
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Turn the Towns Teal
www.turnthetownsteal.org
Lisa Hubbard