April 2011
Hi Sunshine, I had 1B2 CC and am 33. Am happy to share my experiences with you. I was diagnosed in July last year and finished treatment in October last year.
My treatment was Chemo (cisplatin) and both external and internal radiation. I also undertook some fertility preservation as I haven't had children.
I have just had my first lot of tests done with good results. I do need to have a small operation as I have scar tissue blocking my cervix with crap building up in my uterus, but they tell me this is common and shouldn't be sinister - that, we have to wait and see.
Good luck with your journey, it's not all roses, but you have to take the good with the bad.
Let me know how you get on and feel free to ask me any questions, i'm not shy and I know how much I was desperate to talk to anyone who knew what I was going through.
x
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April 2011
Hey Vlasta
I had Cervical Cancer and had chemoradiation. I had Chemo weekly along with external ratiation and then I had internal radiation (brachytherapy or medieval torture as I like to call it).
I was given Cisplatin chemo and had 3 lots of it. They cancelled the fourth with me as I could no longer tolerate the chemo - had a reaction to it.
Their thinking though was that the chemo intensifies the work of the radiation, so they weren't concerned that they had to cancel a session as it was more for assistance than effect if that makes sense.
When you are given it weekly, it is (generally) a lower dose than the monthly cycle and I believe (don't know as fact) that the side effects are therefore lesser too. I think as with all treatments though, it depends on the person, their situation and the type of chemo.
Good luck with your treatment, I am 6 months post now and anxiously awaiting my first scan, just days away now!!
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December 2010
Sailor and Julie, thank you. I just had one of those days where I went into a total spin. I know I have to learn how to live with the new me, and it is just taking a little adjustment I s'pose.
Most of the time I've had a naturaly positive and realistic attitude, but right now, I don't have the energy nor inclination to maintain it.
I appreciate the words from both of you and I have also decided to set myself shorter term goals of nice things to think about so I am thinking more about them as they are closer.
I hope you both have lovely Christmases surrounded by those you love.
x
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December 2010
I had my first 3 month check up yesterday and I really don't know what I was expecting from it, but I really thought I would get some sort of scan or something to appease my mind. I had a pelvic examination and the doc says all looks good, of course it does, that's what the gyn/onco said even after a colposcopy. Wasn't till they cut into me that they could see anything. So this gives me no relief.
How do I know that I don't have cancer anymore when I didn't even know I had it in the beginning?
I'm told I have to wait another 3 months to have my PET scan. THIS will be the one which tells all. So, another 3 months of monitoring every twinge, ache, pain, feeling, toilet visit etc. All the while carrying on at work and everone thinks you are doing 'just fine' cos 'you look fantastic!'
I'm not fine! I don't feel fantastic! I'm sh*tscared I still have cancer!!! And by the way I think I just sh*t my pants cos I have no bowell control these days!!!! In a perfect world, that would be what I would yell, not say (cos I just feel like yelling all the time!) back at these people.
Not at any point have I moaned 'why me' I just put my head down and got on with the job with treatment and recovery. I've come out the other side and nothing around me has changed, but I have changed within it.
I've really tried to not whinge too much, but since my appointment yesterday, so many feelings seem to have emerged from my surface which I'm thinking has been bubbling away for some time. All I want to do is whinge and cry cos I'm starting to feel that this isn't fair. I don't want this life - continually broken into 3 month blocks waiting for results to tell me I can go off again and worry for another 3 months.
I don't want to be a victim, I don't want to be a cancer patient, I just want me back and working the way I used to. I don't want to crap my pants anymore, I don't want to go through menopause, I don't want to have to stick a plastic tube up my vag for fear of it closing over and I want to have ovaries and a uterus that works so I can have a baby.
I don't want to be feeling sorry for myself, but today, I just do. Give me this one day, and I will carry on again tomorrow.
x
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September 2010
Hey Dan, I'm Phillipa. I'm 33 and in Melbs, but spent some time living up there in the late 90's - back when I was cool!
I have Cervical Cancer and am 3 weeks into my treatment. I am halfway through radiation, a third of the way through chemo and then I have to have this other pleasant treatment called brachytherapy - radioactive rods up the vag while under aneasthetic.
I reckon when everyone begins on their cancer journey (no matter what type) each person should be linked up with someone who is one week ahead of them.
Sounds to me like your mental is going ok, although you are lacking a bit of physical support. Is that right? I am lucky, I have a fantastic support network, led by my mum and a great group of friends, however, it is you (me, each of us on the journey) who decides how this ship will run.
You ask what is next? Well, what is next? What do you plan to do next? Each day we front up for treatment, and that is the best thing, and only thing we can do. The rest gets dictated to us by our doctors and bodies.
For me, the last two weeks, have actually cruised on ok. This week though, things seem to have changed for me. The pain has REALLY kicked in, the nausea isn't stopping and I am just SO tired. But, you just gotta do what it takes to get through. Feel sick, spew. Feel tired, sleep. And so on.
Don't worry about the statistics. They may or may not apply to you. I haven't even asked mine as I don't want to know. All I know is that yep, I have cancer, but I feel pretty strong in the head and as long as the head is right, I'll be right. That's what I figure anyway.
I know what you mean about the bad news after bad news - I had a run of that, but at a certain point, it has to tip the other way. Just keep going. Front up, push through and eventually things will change. It just has to. I'm not going to tell you to stay positive, next person to say that to me gets a slap, but just do what you gotta mate. You'll get there and it's not half as bad as you think it's going to be.
Rock on!
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August 2010
Hello
I'm yet to start treatment as I delayed it to do Ovarian tissue freezing and Egg freezing.
My treatment will be radio, brachy and chemo therapy. Would really like to chat with anyone really, but particularly other women who are faced with loss of fertility, early menopause etc
These seem to be the things worring me more than the cancer at this stage.
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August 2010
Today i had an egg 'pick up' done. I did a course of IVF so I could freeze some eggs before I start my treatment.
I got 11 eggs, which apparantly is really good. I am happy with the result, as now I am still a contender to be a mother even though my treatment is going to make me sterile.
I don't have a partner and I'm told I wont be able to carry a pregnancy either, but, I have eggs. That's enough for me for now.
Still can't help but wonder about those miracle babies though... wonder if that will ever happen to me?? Can only hope hey!
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