08/05/2025
Health Promotion Practitioner Andie Murphy never imagined her own life would become a beacon for women’s health awareness.
“I was a very healthy person—there was no reason for me to be sick,” she reflects.
That all changed in March 2024. At the time, Andie was working full-time at Peninsula Health, studying, and running a small business coaching women in mental health and wellbeing. “I’ve always been independent, the kind of person who just gets on with life—the do-er! I never asked for help.”
She had been experiencing persistent abdominal and back pain, loss of appetite, bloating, and frequent urination—symptoms initially investigated as fibromyalgia and menopause-related changes. But before she could return for further testing, she suffered a sudden lung collapse.
In the Emergency Department, doctors discovered a pleural effusion—a buildup of fluid in her lungs. Given her childhood history of bronchitis and pneumonia, Andie wasn’t overly concerned. But once the fluid was drained and tested, the diagnosis was life-altering: Stage Four High-grade Serous Adenocarcinoma Ovarian Cancer.
“I was attending a follow-up appointment at the outpatient lung clinic at Peninsula Health, completely confused,” Andie recalls. “I said, ‘I’m here for my lungs—how are you getting ovarian cancer from this?’ The doctor replied, ‘It’s part of Stage Four Ovarian Cancer.’”
Scans revealed tumors in her ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, lungs, and omentum. Treatment began immediately. She underwent six months of aggressive chemotherapy and major surgery. Despite the enduring severe side effects, her initial treatment showed promise. For a time, doctors believed the cancer was gone, and her lung tumors were declared dormant.
But in January this year, two new tumors appeared near where her ovaries had been. (Read rest of story in comments)