After a lifetime crusading for environmental causes, Katoomba's Sue Morrison is now facing the fight of her life.
The 55-year-old mother of four was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a year ago and is now making it her mission to ensure other women "don't go through the same thing" by drawing attention to the warning signs.
Each year 1400 Australian women are diagnosed and 1000 women lose their battle with the disease. February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.
"It's not like Susan Renouf's [cancer] story [shown] on Australian Story last week which I thought was flippant. She didn't make it look difficult. It's not an easy disease to live with or die with."
Ms Morrison has had surgery to remove the large ovarian tumour (which was the size of a rockmelon) and 18 weekly sessions of chemotherapy to kill off the smaller tumours scattered throughout her abdomen, which were lying close to her liver and diaphragm.
"There's the overwhelming fatigue with the treatment and the brain fog, still even now [six months after the treatment]."
She and her doctor initially suspected gallstones because of upper abdominal pain but nothing showed up in a partial abdominal ultrasound in October 2013. Time then got away from her over the 2013-14 Christmas period with work and family commitments and she ignored the ongoing symptoms of lower pelvic pain and unusual fatigue. By the time she had the correct diagnosis after a full abdominal scan in February she was at the advanced stage.
"There's a spike in women being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in February because they've been putting it off. "
Ovarian cancer is a disease where some of the cells in one or both of the ovaries start to grow abnormally. It's most common in women over 50; genetics plays a part in 15 per cent of cases.
"For women with advanced ovarian cancer, the five-year survival rate is only about 30 per cent, compared to over 90 per cent for women diagnosed at an early stage," Ms Morrison said.
Symptoms include abdominal or pelvic pain, persistent abdominal bloating, the need to urinate frequently and feeling full after only eating a small amount.
"If you have new, persistent abdominal symptoms or persistent fatigue ... be aware it can spread quickly. It came out of the blue for me and I've pledged to get the word out about the most serious women's cancer."
Ms Morrison said she had been relying on a "wealth of family and friends", especially former partner, environmentalist Wyn Jones to help her through treatment.
"I think all the friends and the people who've supported me through it know I've worked hard in environmental campaigns and thought it was time to get something back."
Her environmental campaign successes include working in the 1980s and '90s to gain world heritage status for the Blue Mountains, working for climate change and more recently working with the Blue Mountains Conservation Society on the draft local environment plan.
"I feel like I've done what I came here to do with my environmental campaigns. It was hard to step back from it but I know my kids [triplets Kalang, Milo and Tallai] will pick up the baton."
Her 16-year-old sons recently returned from building a brick wall around a school in a flood-prone part of Cambodia.
She said a fundraiser "to celebrate my survival" will be held at the Paragon Cafe in Katoomba on Wednesday February 25 from 2.30pm. The "Afternoon Teal" will raise funds for Ovarian Cancer Australia and include Devonshire tea and a tour of the historic building.
She hopes other survivors attend to help start a local support groupt.
Chemmart pharmacies in Wentworth Falls and Winmalee are also selling teal nail polish packs for the cause this month. To RSVP for the event or to make a donation contact wollemisue@yahoo.com.au or call 0418 292 672.