Ep. 212 - An Ovarian Cancer Journey of Self Advocacy with NP Tammy O'Rourke

About this episode

Dr. Tammy O'Rourke shares her personal journey of navigating ovarian cancer and the importance of self-advocacy in women's health.

In this profoundly moving and eye-opening episode, Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes back Dr. Tammy O'Rourke, a Nurse Practitioner with a PhD and a leading voice in hormone health. While their last conversation focused on advocating for patients, this time, Dr. O'Rourke shares a harrowing personal health journey that began with symptoms easily dismissed as menopausal—bloating, fatigue, and reflux. What followed was a terrifying navigation of a healthcare system that seemed designed to fail her, despite her own expertise. Dr. O'Rourke details the delays, the dismissals, and the bureaucratic barriers that turned a treatable condition into a stage 3C ovarian cancer diagnosis. Listeners will hear how her intuition, combined with the unwavering advocacy of her husband, led her to seek care in the United States for a specialized CRS HIPEC surgery—a life-saving procedure not readily accessible in Canada. This episode is a powerful testament to the importance of self-advocacy, highlighting the specific risks for women with a history of endometriosis and fibroids. Dr. O'Rourke emphasizes the critical need for women to never give up control of their hormone health, to trust their gut, and to…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Fiona Lovely

Guest: Dr. Tammy O'Rourke

Topics covered

• ovarian cancer
• self-advocacy
• healthcare system
• hormone health
• women's health
• endometriosis
• fibroids

Keywords

• ovarian cancer
• self-advocacy
• healthcare navigation
• hormone health
• endometriosis
• fibroids
• patient advocacy
• cancer diagnosis
• CRS HIPEC surgery

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Canada, United States, CRS HIPEC, hormone health, endometriosis, fibroids

More episodes of Not Your Mother's Menopause with Dr. Fiona Lovely

• Ep. 217 - Nourishing Menopause with Andrea Donsky · May 5, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Ep. 216 - Fatigue, Focus, Inflammation and Mineral Depletion with Caroline Alan · April 28, 2026 · 1h 18m
• Ep. 215 -The Truth About Midlife Weight Gain (Hint: It's Not Your Fault) · April 21, 2026 · 23 min
• EP. 214 - The Meno Besties Roundtable: when to test hormones, the nervous system, desire at midlife and more! · April 14, 2026 · 1h 38m
• EP. 213 - The Gut-Brain Connection Nobody Told You About with Tina Anderson · April 7, 2026 · 58 min
• EP. 211 - Menopausal Skin Concerns and Rescue with Debbi Barber · March 24, 2026 · 54 min