When I was in the third grade, my grandmother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The three and a half years following her diagnosis were full of really good days and many really bad ones. The really good ones consisted of her not feeling too sick from her chemotherapy, so we could go out and enjoy our time together. The really bad ones consisted of watching her have to put gloves on because the nerves in her hands made them too cold, coming home to her being sick, and at the very end watching her forget who I was as she went into hospice.

When I was in the sixth grade, she died. She was my best friend.

I was angry at the world for a really long time during her sickness and following her death. I didn't understand how such an injustice could fall upon a person who was made up of such greatness and love. What I've come to learn recently as that holding onto any type of anger isn't healthy, especially regarding things that you can't even control. So instead I've chosen to put my energy towards spreading awareness.

The good news is that over the last 20 years, the rate at which women have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer has slowly dropped, according to the American Cancer Society. A women's chance of getting the disease is 1 in 75 and once they have it, the chance of death is 1 out of 100. Ovarian cancer typically only shows up in older women (63 or older).

Testing for ovarian cancer is not easy, and they have not yet found a viable screening option, like they have for breast cancer. So the best course of action is to get regular women's health exams and if you have a genetic factor that plays a role, get transvaginal ultrasounds done every 6 months or so.

Symptoms of early stages of ovarian cancer do not really exist, but symptoms do arise due to things that are caused by the cancer, such as bloating, pelvis pressure and abdominal pain, difficulty eating, and/or urinary symptoms. If diagnosed possible treatment options include, surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 22,440 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and about 14,080 women will die from ovarian cancer this year. To help aid in research please donate to any organization that helps fund research, such as American Cancer Society and Kaleidoscope of Hope.

Being angry is all well and good, but it's what you do with that anger that can change the world. As October begins we pass the torch over to Breast Cancer Awareness and the fight to end it.