At just 21, Destinee Zischka was ‘happy and healthy’ – until everything began to unravel.
The young nursing student, from Queensland, had always considered herself ‘physically fit’, spending most of her time attending CrossFit classes, working as a social worker and ‘rarely experiencing health concerns’.
‘Between full-time work, the rising cost of living, and the difficulty accessing timely appointments, regular health check-ups were not a priority for me, as I had no reason to believe there was anything wrong,’ she told Daily Mail.
Her health took an unexpected turn when she began suffering from excruciating back pain, bloating, fatigue, vomiting and constant trips to the bathroom.
As her condition became progressively worse, she knew something was seriously wrong – but doctors dismissed her symptoms as food allergies and even an eating disorder.
‘I honestly began to feel like I was going crazy,’ she recalled.
After hours in the emergency room and nearly being sent home, Destinee was finally referred for an ultrasound – only to be repeatedly asked if she was pregnant.
‘I knew I was not pregnant. At this point, I began to question my own experience and felt as though I was “going crazy,” despite knowing that something was physically wrong. I felt gaslit by the repeated dismissal of my symptoms,’ she explained.
The ultrasound confirmed there was a large 7kg tumour growing in her abdomen, which was found to be ovarian cancer – a diagnosis she didn’t see coming.
At just 21, Destinee Zischka was ‘happy and healthy’ – until everything began to unravel
‘When I was diagnosed, I initially felt nothing. It honestly felt like I was having an out-of-body experience, as if it wasn’t really happening to me,’ Destinee said.
‘I didn’t cry or experience any strong emotions in that moment. The reality of what it truly meant to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer didn’t hit me for a long time.
‘I remember feeling really confused about why I had cancer and being convinced it might have been a misdiagnosis.’
About 12 months before her diagnosis, she noticed a tiny lump in her lower abdomen but assumed it was just a ‘full bladder’ due to her frequent urges to urinate.
‘I now understand that urinary frequency can be an early symptom of ovarian cancer,’ Destinee said.
Over the next year, she started experiencing a range of unexplained symptoms, including extreme fatigue and severe back pain.
‘At times, the back pain was so intense that I applied heat packs repeatedly in an attempt to gain relief. On some occasions, the pain was significant enough that I needed to manage it even while driving,’ she said.
‘I had progressive abdominal distension to the point where I appeared visibly pregnant.
‘I was also experiencing frequent vomiting, which initially occurred during exercise but gradually progressed after eating and eventually spontaneous episodes without an obvious trigger.’
Destinee said being diagnosed with ovarian cancer was ‘extremely debilitating’
Doctors found a large 7kg tumour growing in her stomach, which was found to be ovarian cancer, a diagnosis she didn’t see coming
She saw a GP to discuss her ongoing symptoms but was referred to a dietitian for a presumed eating disorder.
‘No blood tests were ordered, and no physical abdominal examination was performed. My symptoms were largely considered to be psychological in nature,’ she said.
Despite showing ‘persistent and worsening physical symptoms’, Destinee said she felt her concerns were not taken seriously.
When she was showing signs of bloating, she was told it was likely constipation.
As the abdominal pain progressively worsened, she admitted herself to the emergency room, where she was ordered to undergo an ultrasound.
‘There was a moment during the ultrasound when I thought to myself, “It’s probably just stomach fat, it’s just pure fat,” even though deep down I knew it wasn’t,’ she said.
‘Being repeatedly told that my very real symptoms were psychological left me feeling invalidated and extremely confused about my own body.’
Doctors found a large mass but she was told it was ‘likely a very large cyst’ that would only require a minor surgical procedure.
She was asked to return the next day for a CT scan to rule out anything else.
‘After the CT scan, a different doctor sat down with me and explained that there was a possibility the mass was cancerous due to its size and rapid growth,’ Destinee said.
‘She also apologised that it had been missed for so long. This was the first time I felt genuinely heard and validated in my experience.’
The nursing student had always considered herself ‘physically fit’, spending most of her time attending CrossFit classes, working as a social worker and ‘rarely experiencing health concerns’
While ovarian cancer is often considered an older woman’s disease, Destinee’s story proves otherwise. At just 21, while working as a disability support worker, she spent months suffering from symptoms that her doctor dismissed as food allergies or an eating disorder
She was sent home and told she would likely have surgery within six to eight weeks.
Less than 24 hours later, she began experiencing what she thought was severe anxiety that left her struggling to breathe at work.
‘Roughly two hours into my night shift, my condition worsened, and my breathing became progressively more difficult,’ she said.
When she was rushed to the emergency department, doctors discovered her tumour had ruptured, and the pressure from it was causing her lungs to collapse.
She was airlifted from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane the next day for emergency surgery to remove the mass.
During the procedure, she had her right ovary and fallopian tube removed, and was subsequently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
‘Unfortunately, due to the delay in diagnosis, my tumour had ruptured, which caused the cancer to spread throughout my abdomen rather than being confined to my ovaries,’ she said.
‘As a result, I needed six rounds of chemotherapy over four months to treat the cancer effectively.’
Destinee said being diagnosed with ovarian cancer was ‘extremely debilitating’.
‘I often felt like I had no control over my life,’ she said.
‘One of the hardest aspects was losing my hair. I struggled to recognise myself in the mirror, and that loss of identity was incredibly challenging.’
However, she said the biggest challenge was her mental health.
‘At times, it felt like a more life-threatening struggle than the cancer itself,’ she said.
Through Ovarian Cancer Australia’s rehabilitation program, Teal Nurse support and services including dietetics and physiotherapy, Destinee recovered from nerve damage, muscle loss and other side effects of treatment.
‘It was always great to talk to my Teal Nurse Katherine because she understood the complexity of what I was going through,’ she said.
After losing her hair, Destinee said she struggled to recognise herself in the mirror, and that ‘loss of identity was incredibly challenging’
Destinee’s story shines a light on Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Destinee is sharing her powerful story in the hope of saving lives during February, which is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
She is one of four brave women featured in the Black Pepper x Ovarian Cancer Australia campaign, which aims to raise awareness and funds to tackle Australia’s deadliest female cancer.
‘It’s incredibly empowering to be part of the Black Pepper x OCA campaign. I’m particularly grateful because it allows me to represent younger women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, showing that this disease affects people of all ages and does not discriminate,’ Destinee told Daily Mail.
‘I hope the campaign raises greater awareness about ovarian cancer and highlights the support that Ovarian Cancer Australia provides. I also hope it encourages early detection, empowers women to listen to their bodies, and inspires community support for research and programs that help patients.
‘I’m especially thankful for companies like Black Pepper that show continuous dedication to Ovarian Cancer Australia.
‘Whenever I walk past a Black Pepper store, I’m reminded how lucky we are to have companies that genuinely care and make a real difference in supporting women affected by ovarian cancer.’
It has been more than three years since she completed her treatment at age 22.
‘I am now cancer-free,’ the now 25-year-old said.
‘I am living a happy and healthy life. Thankfully, my doctors are very optimistic that the treatment was successful.
‘Naturally, it can make me a little nervous that, given my young age, the cancer could return, but overall, I feel very hopeful and optimistic about the future.’
Reflecting on her cancer, she said the only thing she wished she had could have done differently was to advocate more for herself.
‘If I could go back in time, I would find a GP who truly listens. I would follow up on appointments and insist that my concerns were properly investigated,’ she said.
‘Now that I am a nursing student, it has become clear to me that several of the medical practitioners I saw did not follow standard protocols for the issues I raised.
‘For someone without a healthcare background, it is incredibly difficult to know when you are not being treated correctly. Knowing this now, I would ensure I either advocate for myself or seek someone who could advocate on my behalf.
Now studying nursing full-time, Destinee is determined to show that ovarian cancer affects young people and to advocate for greater understanding among health professionals and the broader community
For anyone going through cancer, Destinee said: ‘You aren’t alone.
‘There is a lot of support available, and many charities and organisations are ready to help,’ she said.
‘For women facing ovarian cancer specifically, I would recommend connecting with Ovarian Cancer Australia, as they offer a range of programs and resources to support patients and their families.
‘To cope, I surrounded myself with other women with ovarian cancer. Reaching out and connecting with others can make a huge difference.’
Ovarian cancer is often considered an ‘older women’s disease’, but Destinee’s story proves otherwise.
‘I want people to realise that it can impact women of any age. This isn’t a one in a million thing, there are a lot of us and young women’s symptoms need to be taken seriously,’ she said.
‘We do exist. And I’m being very loud about it. I’m not going to be quiet until people start to listen.’
