Opening up as part of Lena’s Lenny Letter e-newsletter series, Cobie Smulders, who recently appeared by Tom Cruise’s side in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, described what it was like to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 25 – and how the possibility of not having children felt “grossly unfair”.
“Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer or even known someone who has been diagnosed with cancer is aware of its total mental, physical, and emotional possession,” the now-34-year-old wrote.
“Hell, even if you haven’t been closely affected, I’m sure you can easily conceptualize the thundercloud of s–t that rains down on you.
“I found myself in the centre of such a storm in the spring of 2008, when I was 25.”
Cobie says of her diagnosis: “I was 25. Life was pretty simple. But suddenly it was all I could think about.”
It’s almost been 10 years since Cobie, pictured here with co-star Tom, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
She then went on to describe how she felt before she was diagnosed; Cobie described being “just so tired all the time” and felt a constant pressure on her abdomen that she couldn’t explain.
After visiting a gynaecologist, then an oncologist, Cobie went under the knife to have tumours removed from both of her ovaries.
Cobie said she was faced to ponder her fertility at an age where she didn’t feel ready.
Post-op, Cobie says she did exactly what the doctor told her to do: don’t smoke, don’t take drugs and “try to eat healthy”.
“I forced myself into a devastating break-up with cheese and carbohydrates (fortunately, we are now giving our relationship another chance, but we will never be what we once were),” she wrote.
“I started meditating. I was constantly in a yoga studio. I went to energy healers who evaporated black smoke from my lower body. OK … sure! … right?
“I went to crystal healers. Kinesiologists. Acupuncturists. Naturopaths. Therapists. Hormone therapists. Chiropractors. Dietitians. Ayurvedic practitioners …”
Cobie says: “You can do the research and find many different ways to help your body heal itself.”
Thankfully, for the actress, she survived and has gone on to give birth to two girls, Shaelyn, six, and another born in 2015, who a “very private” Cobie is yet to reveal the name of.
What hits home hard for the mum-of-two is that once upon a time, this is something she was afraid she would never be able to do.
“I wish that we as women spent as much time on the wellbeing of our insides as we do with our looks on the outside,” she reflects of her recovery.
“If you are going through something like this, I urge you to look at all your options. To ask questions. To learn as much as you can about your diagnosis. To breathe. To ask for help. To cry and to fight.”
Cobie and her husband Taran Killam of Saturday Night Live had their first child together when they were both 27.
“Very private” Cobie is not just concealing her new little girl’s name…
In Australia, it is estimated that around 1500 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year.
So, what are some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
The telltale signs can sometimes be hard to spot, especially at a young age, but these are a handful of the indicators that Better Health Victoria suggest you should be aware of:
Bloating or discomfort in the abdomen
A change of bowel habits
Pain, particularly when having sex
Vaginal bleeding that isn’t brought on through having sex
Indigestion
Swollen abdomen (as the cancer grows)
If the cancer is in an advanced stage, someone may experience a loss of appetite, tiredness, vomiting/nausea, breathlessness, more abdominal swelling and severe pain.
If you want to learn more about ovarian cancer, or want to investigate any symptoms you feel you may be experiencing, contact your local GP for more information.
WATCH as Celine Dion opens up about the tragic cancer diagnosis of her late husband René Angélil.
