Hi
I have just got the results back from by biospy today and I’ve been told I have cervical cancer.
The GP advises that it’s past surgery so can only be dealt with by chemo and radiation.
He’s booked me in for an MRI and I’m waiting to hear from [name of hospital removed].
It’s 4 in the morning and I can’t sleep again due to lower back pain which is causing discomfort.
Been reading your comments on here and just wanted to say it’s put me at ease a bit - thank you!
hello and welcome.
I’m glad people’s comments are putting you at ease. I have 4 days left of chemo radiation and it’s been very do able.
My cancer was also too large for surgery. Keep strong through this stage waiting for the MRI. This is most definitely the hardest bit.
You will feel better when you have all the information and you know your plan. I certainly did anyway.
I hope your appointment comes through quick xx
Hi Ali
I want to send you a huge hug and tell you that you have come to the right place. There are loads of women here who can help and support you.
I was diagnosed back in August. I was under the care of LWH also. They are amazing! They really do have the best consultants there. I was petrified before I went there but they were really open and honest with me. I had my mri there and an internal under aneathetic - following that they told me i could be treated with a hysterectomy. I had that im October.
I know its an awful time right now but please try and stay focussed. Try and keep busy snd stay away from google...its your worst enem! Post your questions here.
Sending huge hugs, Kelly x
Hi Ali I am so sorry you have found yourself here because you have been diagnosed with Cervical Cancer but you have come to the right place for support. I really would not be coping so well without the ladies here on Jo's who have shared their journeys and offered lots of encouragement. I am stage 2B CC and was not offered a hysterectomy as the CC had grown outside the Cervix I started Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy on the 7th March along with Georgiepie and Lozleypezz is on her last week of radiotherapy.
This first bit is definately the most difficult having a diagnosis waiting for scans & Mri's and then waiting for results you think you will not get through it with the stress but you will and we are all here for you. Dont worry about the scans they are an important part of the process they help to identify the best treatment plan for you. I hope your back improves ask your doctor for some decent painkillers if you get a good nights sleep it makes such a difference to your health Mental & Physical. I will be thinking about you sending you massive Hugs xx
Thank you so much for the messages today!
I did finally get to sleep and had a call from the nurse today who advised me to go to my GP and get some painkillers to help.
Got appt tomorrow so hopefully that will help!
Im so glad I found this site last night because it has already helped so much! Xx
Hi Ali1985, from your name I'm guessing I'm a year older than you. I turned 32 in Feb. :)
i was diagnosed on with stage 1 cc on 13th Jan after a routine smear then colposcopy with lletz. Doc didn't expect to see me until a 6 month check up smear but....
Got an phone call from the gynae oncology nurse here in Falkirk (central Scotland) with an appointment in 2 days time and knew the game has changed. Went thro a period of each appointment being more bad news... Hysterectomy, then one lymph was inflamed on the mri then both sides of my lymph nodes showed up on the pet At the [name of hospital removed].
Im currently staged at 1b2 size wise and my consultant mentioned 2b2 cause of the lymph involvement. I started chemo radiotherapy last week with Kumagill. 2/7/4 done 4/18/4 to go.
We are all here for you :) get some sleep and enjoy your time before treatment
Hi Ali :-)
Sorry to hear of your diagnosis, as everybody above has already said, this is the best place to ask any questions you like, go nowhere near Google, we're all here to help you through this tough stage in your life and I have no doubt you'll come through laughing :-)
Be lucky :-)
Tivoli
Hi Ali - just wanted to let you know I'm also under [name of hospital removed] and looks like we are the same age too.
Im a CC 1B1 girl and due for a Radical Hysterctomy at the Woman's on the 29th of this month.
Although my CC journey is not yet over I can reassure you by letting you know [name of hospital removed] have been nothing but fantastic with me so you are in good hands!
I can also tell you things get a lot easier as many of the ladies have already told you when you have your treatment plan and MRI results so stay strong and be positive.
Sending you lots of hugs
xxx
Hi Ali just wondering how you are getting on? I am thinking about you xx
Hi so just an update ....
i have my MRI scan and then my 1st consultation this week so hopefully will find out more details and when the treatment starts! :)
still suffering with the back pain but GP give me some new medication to try so fingers crossed .
X
Hi Ali I hope it all goes well this week for you let us know how it goes i will be thinking about you. Hope the painkillers are working xx
So I keep getting asked to write down questions to get answered at my consultation but I can't thing of any except for the normal ones that I'm sure they will answer.... I feel silly not having questions as I would of thought Id have a million
Hi Ali dont worry about not having questions at this point when you are in the meeting the questions will flow. Are you taking someone with you? I was given telephone numbers at the meeting if I had any further questions. fingers crossed for you xx
Hi just got back from my consultation they have advised from the MRI that it's stage 2b not 3 but treatment is pretty much the same.
I have lympnodes that look enlarged so got to have a pet ct scan to check them out as well.
Xx
Hi Ali how do you feel about your results today? I am stage 2b and the treatment is the same for both 2&3 did they tell you your treatment plan? I hope your ok I know today will be a shock even though we think we are prepared. Im here Ali if you need to talk lots of love xx
I feel good with the information given today and things are clearer.
Im having 5 wks of radiation with 3 chemo a week and then 3 radiation boosters at the end.
They asked about a trial and to think if I wanted to do it or not? Was you asked about it?
I just want to get the treatment started but nervous about this pet ct scan too xx
Hi Ali im glad you feel good now you know what your dealing with and have your treatment plan. No i wasnt offered the trial but there is another lady who is going for it louise? maybe you could speak with her she is like you just got her treatment plan and hasnt started so you could both encourage each other. Please dont worry about the PET scan out of all the scans it was my fav if you can have a fav lol they inject you with a sugar substance you relax for 1 hour then they do the scan its an open scan so not stuck inside a machine. The theory is your cancer likes the sugar and will stick to it so it will show up on scan. I was panicking because i know my good cells love sugar to i thought when my results come back i would look like i had cancer everywhere because of the fight for sugar between good and evil lol My results showed primary cervical cancer that was the first time I cried i was so relieved because from that day I knew i could beat this i am fighting my socks off. I have had a few setbacks with treatment but my cancer doesnt know who its messing with lol im here for you Ali and will be supporting you all the way. lots of love xx
Hi,
This is my first time posting on here but I see that you are asking about the Interlace trial and thought it only fair to let you know about my experience of it.
I was diagnosed with stage 2b in September last year and offered the chance to be part of the trial. I was told that even if I decided to do it, I may still be selected to have just the standard treatment without the induction chemotherapy because selection was done randomly by computer.
As it turned out, I was selected for the preliminary 6 weeks of chemotherapy and I started on the 30th September, 2 weeks after diagnosis.
I found those first 6 weeks far easier to manage in terms of side-effects, particularly the nausea, than the following 5 weeks of standard treatment. I still went into work a couple of days a week and found Saturdays to be my worst day in terms of tiredness.
My consultant was surprised I struggled with sickness in the 2nd half of treatment when I'd tolerated the first 6 weeks so well. He suggested that it was a cumulative effect of the preceding 6 weeks of paclitaxel and carboplatin and then the cisplatin/radiotherapy on top of that which was causing the nausea. It was still manageable though; I asked for Ondansetron, which I'd had during the first 6 weeks and I just had to keep nibbling on dry stuff and not let my stomach get too empty. Breadsticks became my best friend and now I can't stand the sight of them!
I had my last of four brachytherapy on the 17th December and by that time I was absolutely knackered and felt like I was walking through treacle. Again, it could have been a culmination of 11 weeks of treatment instead of 5 and it doesn't help when you have an 80 mile round trip everyday for radiotherapy.
I was told that I would probably lose some or all of my hair because of the first lot of chemotherapy drugs and was offered the chance of using a cold cap. I took the offer up but I have still lost an awful lot of hair. It's come out slowly and has only just stopped shedding, although the loss has slowed down gradually since the end of January. I don't think I realised the impact that this would have on me and I have found it quite traumatic. I was never bald but it just got so thin (think Golem!) that cutting it short was the only option. My eyebrows and eyelashes thinned quite a lot but not to the point that they were non-existant.
I was told after my first brachytherapy treatment that things were looking much more normal and the tumour had shrunk considerably and when I saw my consultant last week at my 3 month check, he was pleased with the outcome and said things were "looking good",and that's all I can ask for at this stage. I'm tired and have days where I cry easily but from what I've read on here that's a normal reaction and I'd be the same after the standard treatment too.
It's one of those situations where I don't know what the outcome would have been had I chosen a different treatment path. At the moment I don't have any regrets about opting to go on the trial.
I didn't want to go into too much detail and risk waffling but if anyone wants to know anything more specific, please ask.
Wishing you all the very best, whatever treatment plan you've done, you're on or opt for.
Lisa xxx
Hi Lisa :-)
Thank you SO much for telling us about this! The more things are de-mystified the better everyone can make informed decisions :-)
Sorry to hear about the fatigue and the hair but at least these are both things which will improve over the following weeks and months.
Be lucky :-)
Tivoli
Hi Lisa
thank you so much for that information that has been so helpful! When they talk to you they just give you the details but you have explained this to me so much better and in a way I understand.
I have decided to put my name forward for the trial I know it's computer generated but from the information you have given and talking with friends and family I need to do as much as possible to get this gone.
Im still unsure about the hair loss and think that will hit me hard when it happens but I just need to think about the overall goal and that when I first got told I had cancer I was under the impression I would lose it anyways.
thank you so much again :)
alison
