Transport Minister Lisa Raitt answers a question during Question Period in the House of Commons last week. She is taking a break from public duties after a solid growth was discovered on her overies.ADRIAN WYLD/The Canadian Press
Lisa Raitt acknowledges she's had dark moments since it was discovered she has a growth on her ovaries, but the Transport Minister says she is facing surgery on Tuesday with faith and optimism.
Ms. Raitt, who will step away from her public duties while she recovers from the operation to remove the "solid growth," says preliminary tests indicate the tumour is not cancerous. But, the minister says, the lump must be removed and analyzed before doctors can be certain.
Ms. Raitt, 46, said she will be recovering at home with family, including her two young sons, and doesn't know how much time she will be away. It depends on whether the growth is confirmed to be non-cancerous and how difficult it is to remove.
"All indicators are good," Ms. Raitt told Tom Clark, the host of Global TV's The West Block.
"But you never really know until you actually remove it and analyze it."
Ms. Raitt said she first sought treatment three years ago when she started to notice some "complaints with reproductive issues" and weight gain. Acquaintances advised her to brush it off as part of middle age, she said.
"Everyone always says, 'It's normal, that's what you go through when you're going through menopause' ….or perimenopause,' or whatever. But they were things that affected my everyday life," she said.
She went to her family doctor and three years of tests were required for a diagnosis and to schedule surgery.
"If you are being told, 'That's just normal, that's what you go through,' don't necessarily believe that. If you have some symptoms you are concerned about, you should really follow up on them," Ms. Raitt said.
Ms. Raitt, who became transport minister days after the deadly rail disaster at Lac-Mégantic, Que., announced a series of rail safety measures last week. The minister said she spoke out about her surgery to encourage women to pay attention to health issues that can creep up and be deadly if not treated. Ms. Raitt acknowledged she let about a year pass between tests during the course of her diagnosis.
"I shouldn't have done that. I should have been more diligent with my health and I should have followed the advice that I was given," she said.
The MP who was first elected in Halton, just west of Toronto, in 2008, said she has had some difficult moments as she's faced treatment. Ovarian cancer is one of the deadlier forms, she noted. She flew to St. John's for meetings just after receiving the diagnosis from her gynecologist in September.
"I felt very sorry for myself and I got very scared," she said. "And the worst thing you can do is go to the Internet and start Googling and trying to self-diagnose … because there's a lot of information out there that you don't need."
A short time later, she received blood-test results suggesting the growth is likely not cancer. "I could relax into it," she said.
Ms. Raitt said her greatest fear now is going under general anesthetic. "Nobody likes being not in control," she said.
Her 10-year-old son, Billy, is working on his card game to keep her company during recovery, the minister said.