Thursday I was told I have cervical cancer. It’s now Saturday and I’ve just about stopped crying.
I haven’t been given a treatment plan yet, but I know I need blood tests, MRI scan and then surgery will follow. I think?
I’m a keen basketball and netball player, but is it advised to continue playing? Will it effect me if I play or does it not matter.
I’m petrified what the future will hold for me. I’ve never had a day off sick in the 13 years I’ve been working. Panicking about financial situation as I’m just about to buy a flat too.
Anybody out there that can share their stories to help calm me down would be much apprixiated.
Hi Vikki
Sorry to hear your diagnosis but you really have come to the very best place. There are lots of women here to support you and, even better, lots of success stories of women who have been successfully treated whether that be through surgery, radio or chemo. The way you are feeling is completely normal and, unfortunately, this rollercoaster of emotions will continue a while longer yet. You will have good days and bad - my advice is just take each day as it comes and try and stay busy.
Have you been given any indication of staging yet? I was diagnosed with CC back in August. My smears were clear (last one in 2014). My only symptom was spotting in between my period in May. My biopsies only showed CIN II and CIN III changes. It was only after my LLETZ that I was diagnosed. I had to have an MRI and examination under anesthetic and i was officially staged as 1B1.
All along my consultant was confident that I could be successfully treated and also said "your cancer is curable". She was right. I opted for a radical hysterectomy to get rid of mine - however I could have opted for another procedure to keep my fertility. As a 37 year old mum of two, I decided more children wasn't a priority for me. On November 4th, I received the news that all cancer had been removed, there was no spread to lymph nodes and no further treatment was required. I now just have to go for 4 monthly check ups.
My experience isnt a one-off. There are lots of women who have the same story as me. Feel positive that your cancer can be treated. Cervical cancer is very slow growing.
Feel free to post any questions on here. PLEASE don't google. It will send your head into a spin!
lots of love and positive thoughts xxx
I was told me stage was 1B which I kind of feel positive about.
It sounds like your treatment was done very quickly, i hope mine is the same. My doctor said I've got my age on my side, I'm 28 and I think I'm fit and healthy other than CC. I don't have any children and I've been told to have a serious think about my future, do I want children? My thoughts are no straight away.
I'm petrified of hospitals and can't visit family that are in hospital without becoming extremely anxious and I've even fainted visiting my nana in hospital years ago. So the thought of becoming a frequent visitor as a patient im dreading.
Sending you big hugs. Once you get your staging and your treatment plan you will feel a lot better.
I was diagnosed in November and confirmed staging in Dec. I'm stage 4a so would have had it for some time without knowing. During this time I still played rounders and went walking. Also did a couple of 5k runs. I'd say keep playing and keep busy to try and feel normal.
Yourfear of hospitals will likely soon dissappear. You won't have much choice really.
At least it's been caught early and hopefully your recovery will be quick and easy with a positive outcome x keep us posted
Hi Vikki!
Sorry you have found yourself here but you are very welcome and we'll try to help as much as we can!
I've been diagnosed with stage 1b1 in July and in October I had a cone biopsy with lymph node removal. I'm 33 and i initially was offered a trachelectomy as I don't have any children and the cure rates with hysterectomy and trachelectomy are the same.. The plan was then changed to an even less invasive cone as my tumour was small enough in volume. To qualify for trachelectomy you'd need to fulfill some very strict criteria such as tumour size, depth etc in order for the consultants to be sure it's safe.
I'm a professional dancer and my life requires a high level of fitness, I now feel that I can do the same things as before the surgery, so you should be able to still do all you want..
I understand your anxiety about hospitals etc, but I promise you it was so much better for me than I imagined, I only had to stay 1 night after my surgery and the surgery in itself was totally fine.. I started working again (teaching dance) 3 weeks after my surgery-I'm self-employed and had little choice to be honest..
You will get through it, right now your imagination is doing terrible things to your mind, we've all been there, but it does get better when you know what your surgery will be and when...
Good luck and take care!
xxx Anna
I think you have lots of positives so keep focused on that! I'm the same as you - albeit 9 years older! I'm a keen runner and never been sick other than your usual coughs/colds so being told you have CC is a real shocker! Even whilst waiting for tests and my surgery, I was fit and well...I continued running and working full time until two days before my surgery. I had hospital appointments during work hours and went back to work afterwards if i could. Everyone is different but I felt it kept me sane.
The question of fertility is a very personal one and only you can decide. I wouldn't automatically rush for the hysterectomy if I was in your shoes. Have a good conversation with your consultant about it. There are other options available. When I got the results back after my hysterectomy, it turned out that there was no actual cancer left In what they had removed. That it had all been removed by the LLETZ although there were no clear margins. I was relieved by my results and my op was right for me...but I think I would have felt differently if I didnt have children. Consider all options available.
A good tip I was given too was to buy a notebook and write everything down - notes from your appointments etc, even emotions of how you are feeling that day. It is a good outlet. I also found this forum really helpful. Just writing all my worries and fears down made a massive difference x
I am so glad I made a comment now. I feel better about what's going to come next. I was worrying I'd be out of work for months and maybe even a year or more. But from what you have all told me it wont be as long as I expected.
Just about to sign paperwork to move into a flat and financially I was in a massive panic. Plus I've just taken a promotion at work and really don't want to lose it. My workplace are very supportive with people's individual needs. I haven't actually told my manager about my CC. I guess there won't be a good time to tell her, the longer I leave it the more I won't be able to open up.
Stay positive. There is no reason to think you won't be successfully treated and be able to move on with your life. I'm sure your boss will be very understanding. Mine were fantastic. Hopefully you won't need this BUT anyone with a cancer diagnosis is now covered by the 2010 Equality and Discrimination act. I didn't actually know this (and haven't needed it thankfully). It is only this week when I have done my return to work with my employer and they told me! I checked it out on the Macmillan website and it's true!
Keep us updated on your progress. We're all rooting for you xxx
Hello from a fellow netballer.
On a positive note I am a 1b1 lady who had an abdominal radical hysterectomy 6 months ago, have been given the all clear and am back on the courts again....... Not sure I'm up for being a C though;)
I continued playing up till the week before surgery. I was 43 but was told my age and health made me 'excellent material for my surgeon to work with' - that made me giggle.
The netball girlies were fantastic and a great support.
Good luck with your treatment and stay positive.
Hi Vikki,
Sorry for your diagnosis but I'm glad you've found us, you are quite definitely in the right place. Any questions at all can be answered here so keep well away from Google. There's a wealth of really good advice above and all I wanted to add is that you may be best off letting your boss know the story once you have your treatment plan. People frequently over-react to the word 'cancer' and so if you are confidently ready with answers to her questions it will be better for both of you.
(((((HUGS)))))
Be lucky :-)
Tivoli
Thank you Tivoli,
can you give advice on how quickly you got your treatment plan through?
Hi Vicki...I was diagnosed with 1b1 in May and had a trachelectomy in June in order to try to preserve my fertility...just turned 30 with no kids yet.
i remember just thinking that all I wanted was to be rid of the cancer and seriously considering the hysterectomy but I'm all clear of cancer now and still have the option of trying for a baby. If you fit the criteria to have a trachelectomy you're no more likely to have the cancer return than if you have a hysterectomy...Its a very personal decision but I'm very glad I made the one I did. I'm hoping to start trying for a baby later this year so we'll see what happens!
If you need any info or want to chat feel free to inbox me. I'm 7 months on from my op...had some complications but life is good...better than before actually...i appreciate what I've got so much more. Big hugs and best wishes, Sarah xx
I'm in Greece so things are rather different here from UK. If you want the 'warts-and-all' story then click on my name above the toad and it will lead you to My Big Fat Greek Hysterectomy :-)
So it's been nearly a week since I was told about CC and I've had a letter to confirm its suspected stage 1b1. I'm in a panic that when i go for further tests the stage will go up, to stage 4.
Also it's been a struggle speaking to my manager and the owners of my work place. It's a busy place and we look after children, so I don't know when is a good time. I will get upset and I guess they will too. which will be suspicious as I don't want to tell the other staff just yet until inhave more answers.
Help ☹
Hi.
The waiting is the worst. I doubt though that if it's suspected stage 1 it will shoot up to stage 4. But if it does then you just have to face it (as I say though, highly unlikely ).
What makes you think it will? Have you been having symptoms that relate to a later stage such as bowel or bladder issues?
I think we all panic when we hear the word cancer.
With regards to work, I can imagine it's very hard to cope. I'm a childminder and for the 2 weeks whilst waiting for staging my job was horrendous, being lovely with the children, singing etc was really hard when all I wanted to do was curl up in a hole. I gave up on the day of staging as I didn't want to look after the children whilst stressed.
I don't think you can lose promotion due to illness - discrimination laws and all that. If you feel you need to work then carry on but if you don't then stop.
I felt better when I stopped work but tbh boredom set in x
I haven't got any symptoms like that. I think because it says presumed stage 1b1 im thinking the worst and thinking maybe it's worse!
Work is going ok at the moment, I'm kept busy all the time. But the manager and owners need to be informed. Each have their own personal problems and I haven't found the right time to tell them, I know there isn't a right or wrong time to tell them. I just need to do it soon or I'm going to go insane.
Put yourself first hon x
Hi Vikki,
Oncologists are trained, thoroughly. They know what they are looking at so if they say they think that it's a stage 1 then they won't be far off the mark.
You will be calmer yourself once you have had your staging confirmed. It is so much easier to tell people that you have cancer when you know what your treatment is going to be. When you tell people that you have cancer they always have questions for you and if you don't have the answers then it is much more likely to turn into a tearful situation. So bide your time until you are calmer yourself. Then, when you are ready, ask the people at work if they can give you five minutes at the end of the day after work has finished, and tell them then.
Be lucky :-)
Tivoli
MRI scan is booked in for tomorrow. Feeling anxious.
I've told most of my colleagues at work about my CC. They have been very supportive and I feel better that I have told them. I have more people to talk to now and that is a massive help.
Good Luck for tomorrow! As Tivoli said, oncologists rarely get the staging wrong so stay positive.
I am normally quite a private person but funnily enough with my diagnosis I was quite open. I found it helped me to talk openly about it - i'm sure some of the people i spoke to found it difficult to hear but I felt I was within my rights to be selfish! The support i received from my workmates was invaluable. Each to their own though... You can tell the world or a select few. Do what feels right for you x
