When Shae Zieba was experiencing severe bloating and pain, it was initially thought the cause may be indigestion.
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The 38-year-old, of Aberglasslyn, kept seeking answers.
She was diagnosed with endometriosis and a 1 centimetre abnormality on her right ovary about a year ago.
By January, her condition had worsened dramatically and she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
She has since been through six failed chemotherapy rounds.
During abdominal surgery, her doctors discovered the cancer had grown to 13cm by 8cm by 9cm and wrapped around her bowel in three loops.
They didn't proceed as removing too much of her bowel would have caused more complications.
Doctors are doing one more round of chemotherapy to try to extend Shae's life.
They told her if her final treatment works, she has no more than 12 months to live as the chemotherapy was "more of a life extension than killing off the cancer".
"Her cancer is the most aggressive they have seen in the last 10 years," best friend Elyssa Kenny said.
Shae and her partner Harley Randle have two children, eight-year-old Mila and six-year-old Dexter.
"It is the hardest thing to see the person you love the most go from a vibrant, happy, funny person to becoming frail," Harley said.
The couple have used their personal leave and face the prospect of losing their home, which they bought two months before Shae's diagnosis.
Harley - a tyre fitter - and Shae - a court officer - need financial help.
Elyssa started a GoFundMe for the family, titled "Shae's Terminal Cancer", and urged the community to help.
It has raised more than $54,000, with a target of $100,000.
"Cancer is not only a physical and emotional burden, but a significant financial one as well," Elyssa said.
She said cancer was cruel and unpredictable, but Shae had great "spirit and courage".
Shae urged women not to ignore the signs of ovarian cancer.
"As women we can easily be dismissed when expressing concerns about our health, especially if our weight is involved," Shae said.
"Please push for further investigation if you have genuine concerns of not being heard. Don't be afraid to ask for another opinion."
Ovarian cancer is Australia's deadliest female cancer, with a five-year survival rate of 49 per cent.
Each year, about 1786 women in Australia are diagnosed with the disease and about 1050 women die from it.
In Hunter New England, 362 women were diagnosed with the disease from 2017 to 2021, with almost 200 dying over that period.
It is a difficult disease to detect.
An Ovarian Cancer Australia statement said there was "no early detection test and the signs and symptoms are often vague and mimic other conditions".
"It is very important you see your GP if you have any of the symptoms listed below that persist.
"There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer, so all women need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer."
The most common symptoms for ovarian cancer are: increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating; abdominal or pelvic (lower tummy) pain; feeling full after eating a small amount; and needing to urinate often or urgently.
Additional signs and symptoms are: changes in bowel habits; unexplained weight gain or loss; excessive fatigue; lower back pain; indigestion or nausea; bleeding after menopause or in between periods; pain during sex or bleeding after.
