I'm new and looking for inspiration

Recently diagnosed with cervical cancer
1

Hello I am new to your forum following calling the helpline today, 

i have a new cervical cancer diagnosis that is at best locally advanced, with anaemia, long term heavy bleeding and clotting and sadly an initial missed diagnosis (but time to move on from that), 

my tumour is visible and staging tbc with potential vagina spread, deemed too large for surgical intervention so if remaining results do not show anything more will receive chemo and radiation combined.

All very new and all very numb but am determined to gain informative information and do my very best with this despite several melt downs!

The hospital team so far are arranging everything very quickly and my nearest hospital (quiet a distance but don't care about that) is very well respected.

The lovely helpline lady has scheduled me call backs In line with my appointments and I'm looking for any experiences please to help me, especially during the waiting game of symptoms similar to mine

i had quiet a difficult internal exam that has left me very sore and bleeding and with joint stiffness and had to take a couple of days off work ... anyone else had a severe bleed following this And pain?

so any experience please of non surgical treatment for visible tumor, excessive bleeding long term, need to wee very often but no pain, needing to nap early evening and feeling generally tired? Clicking but not aching joint?

i have a specialist nurse already who is nice, a very small but supportive family, partner and adult child who have supported me amazingly.

would love to hear positive stories, struggling with rrelaxing so trying to get gentle exercise where bleeding permits, have good GP support, just need to focus and get through this, im also interested in any herbal recommendations to support my treatment.

i am very scared, have scheduled something every day to "kill" time I suppose until the next appointment but it's enjoying time I want to do,

Thank you for reading I am rather internet shy!

 

i am middle aged, so I thought healthy with no non relaated health problems, enjoy walking, rather confused as have a long term partner (from late teens)with no intercourse for several years due to a health condition and  no previous unprotected sex from either of us,

long term use of oral contraceptives and one very distressing life tramua, zero family history of cancer (am very much wondering why me)

again thank ypu and thank you to Helpline lady Today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Hopefully I can provide you with a bit of inspiration. Just over two and a half years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4a cervical-cancer. I had a visible 7cm tumour which has grown down into my vagina and was touching my bladder wall.

I had 4 weeks of chemo radiation and two sessions of internal radiation (brachytherapy ). Treatment was very doable with very few side effects. Life is pretty much back to normal now xxxx

Hope that helps x

3

I was diagnosed nearly 3 years ago at stage 4 as well. Treatment was a breeze for the most part with a few minor side effects that didn't last.

You're at the worst part right now, 'the waiting'. It sounds like you have a positive attitude and a fantastic support network. That is more than half the battle!

While I was in the waiting and all the way through treatment I focused on what I could do each day to be as gentle and loving with myself as possible. Yoga, meditation, rest, eating as well as I could, spending time laughing (ALOT), and anything else I could do to keep me focused on the day.

I'm almost 2 years out from treatment (next week. Yay!) and am doing very well. You've found a great bunch of supportive women here ❤

4

Thank you for replying, very are brave and indeed inspirational ladies, had a little bit of self pity this weekend and the waiting is very difficult, just want to know the staging and get on with the treatment.

5

i am having quiet a meltdown in the wait for my comfired staging, feeling a lot of fullness in the bladder, leg and pelvis and an occasional cough ... I wonder if worry whilst waiting is causing this, I have a well living hospice appointment in place to see if any music therapy and art may help me, post exam bleeding is quiet bad and found out that I wont get full sickness pay from work so rather down today .... any more stories or symptoms  info would be appreciated, I believe I have good kidney and liver function and clear chest xray (but told CT and MRI is better for accessing this?) and wonder if I can take any positives from this, with all of my thanks xxx

6

I can relate to that for sure! I've had many meltdowns before, during, and after.

The symptoms you're describing could be related to your diagnosis or anxiety. Unfortunately you won't know until after the scans. If the x ray shows your lungs as clear that is a very good sign :)

For the longest time I was going to my doctor approximately every 6 weeks because I was unable to swallow. I believed my lymph nodes were so swollen from cancer and I was freaking out. Each time this happened I would make an emergency appt. and each time I was told there was no swelling. After that I could swallow with no issue. My anxiety got the best of me over and over. 

My nurse helped a lot by reminding me (I called her often and still call her although less often) that I'm not 'just a cancer patient'. I'm human and will experience aches and pains not related to cancer. That helps me even still.

Do your best to do some self care and show yourself some love ❤

7

Thank you, again very good advice. Feel a little calmer today but have achy hips i just need to to be next week so I can get these results .... hope everyone has a nice day x

8

Sorry I am back again! I saw my GP to say who said the tumour is infiktrating to the upper Vagina and the upper vagina and cervix are relatively fixed - whatever does this mean :( I asked for explanation but he didn't explain well x