I was diagnosted with CC three weeks ago and I am waiting for a PET scan. The surgeon said it was a small, hardley noticable tumor and he didn’t sound worried at all about the outcome.
From what I am reading here, it looks like no matter what stage CC you have, be it 1 or greater , it seems like everyone has some sort of disabilitating side effects after treatment, which does not sound good for quality of life after treatment.
My question is… does anyone know CC patients that went through surgery , and had radiation and chemo, and came throw it all without any terrible side effects durning and after treatment , and now they live a normal symptom free life?
Hi @NYSooner - In terms of physical side effects go I do believe that the majority of people go through some side effects during treatment but come through to the other side with treatment being effective and no to little side effects. Yahoo! They have likely moved on and off of this forum.
I don’t see most of the people for my treatment timeline on here anymore. (Finished January, 2022).
I am one of the people going through treatment now for side effects, however, I am one of 1% who got the side effects I am dealing with, and I can tell you in complete honesty that I would go through it all again to be rid of the cancer. I feel better now than when cancer was the culprit, and treatments to support side effects are also improving all of the time.
I struggled with nutrition and being able to eat enough protein during treatment, which may be a factor in me developing the side effects. My advice to anyone would be to do what you have to do to keep some protein in you. Don’t be afraid to use Imodium or ask for stronger anti nausea medication if you need it.
I know how hard it is, but hang in there. This is a very treatable cancer. It will go faster than you think. We are all rooting for you!
Bear in mind that women who’ve had a relatively easy time of treatment and side effects are less likley to post on a forum than those who’ve experienced problems.
I’m one of the minority who’ve had fairly significant long term side effects.
Also people cope with side effects in different ways. For example my vagina is profoundly affected and ‘normal’ sex is out of the question, But I’m not particularly troubled about it and have pretty much taken it in my stride.
On the other hand I feel very negatively affected by my lymphoedema which has developed since treatment. My lymphoedema nurse said she knew many people who have much worse lymphoedema than me but it doesn’t bother them nearly as much as mine bothers me.
Im so sorry to hear that you’re finding yourself here. Just remember to be gentle and kind to yourself as your body is going through a lot. Something that helped me through chemo was water. I drank SO much water. Invest in a large bottle that will keep it cold and drink as much as you can. It helps to flush the toxins out and keep you hydrated. If you start feeling sick, take the anti nausea pills right away. Everyone has a different experience, regardless of staging, but these few things helped me through. It takes time after treatment for your body to feel normal. I remember being hyper-fixated on my energy levels. They eventually come back! Like I said earlier, you’re going through so much and you dont need to put more stress on yourself.
Sending hugs and best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I can only speak from my own experience, I made it through treatment pretty well, only nausea and stomach upset, generally feeling a bit rubbish.
Post treatment (now 6 months) my digestive system still plays up, I still get pains where the cancer was, especially after exercising and I can feel a bit tired.
The biggest one for me is a weaker bladder - not to the point of leaving a trail of pee wherever I go but sneezing is DANGEROUS as is laughing too hard/jumping and I don’t dare imagine how important Tena Lady will be to me when I go on the rollercoasters in Florida this year!! BUT more important than all of these side effects - I am still here. Still able to ride and love those rollercoasters and have a damn good time.
Bear in mind I was a stage 3b, much further along than it sounds like you may be.
