Surviving Cancer- my story of change

A cancer diagnosis can be devastating, profoundly altering life's trajectory. However, through courage, strength, faith, support from family and friends, and the dedicated efforts of medical teams, there is light, hope, and a path to help along the journey. At NotesofKindness.com, we believe in the power of shared experiences and unwavering support.

Facing the diagnosis

The journey often begins unexpectedly, perhaps with a routine doctor's visit. Then come the words, "I am sending you to an oncologist for a second opinion." In that moment, I knew what the doctor meant, and I knew why she was referring me. See I have worked in the medical field as a patient care coordinator for over 20 years, I was the one who helped patients navigate their plan of care when they needed to get to surgeons, specialists, help with navigating the insurance world and, getting support systems in place, and now.....it was my turn to summon composure and strength to absorb my news.

For me, it meant two biopsies to confirm a diagnosis of

stage 3B cervical cancer that had  to spread to three lymph nodes. The next step was summoning the courage to embark on the prescribed cancer treatment.

I sat in the doctors office and was processing all the information and realizing my life just changed within this 15 minute doctor visit, my God how am I ever going to make it through this? 

So I came to grips with this plan of care and my next step was off to the oncologist, and so 2018 began.

Sharing your story

I share my story to promote awareness and emphasize the importance of regular health screenings and vaccines. My cancer could have been caught earlier if I went to  regular well woman exams. Most of my life was putting my family first, I was a young mom, had two sons and husband, house and job to take care of so I usually was the last one to do anything for myself. Life was just busy and I felt ill nor had any symptoms of anything to warrant going to the doctor. Besides I worked for doctors at the Pulmonary clinic, also worked some urgent cares, and PCP offices, Rheumatology, Nephrology, Sleep Medicine, and we all know that some of the worst patients are people who work in the medical field.  So I raised my kids, lived life never thinking twice about going to check ups for myself. When 2018 came on, I wished I had, God I wished I had taken care of myself better.

Please put yourself first and get those regular pap screenings/physicals ON TIME.

Cervical cancer rarely has symptoms- if at all, so early detection is so important and that is done through regular well woman exams.

 

 

Facts and Resources on Cervical Cancer

Can Cervical Cancer Be Prevented?

The two most important things you can do to prevent cervical cancer are to get the HPV vaccine if you are eligible, and to be tested regularlyaccording to American Cancer Society (ACS) guidelines. These can be found in The American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Prevention and Early Detection of Cervical Cancer.

The most common form of cervical cancer starts with precancerous changes and there are ways to stop this from developing. The first way is to find and treat precancers before they become invasive cancers, and the second is to prevent the precancers.

Finding cervical precancers

 

 

 

Can Cervical Cancer Be Prevented?

 

 

The two most important things you can do to prevent cervical cancer are to get the HPV vaccine if you are eligible, and to be tested regularlyaccording to American Cancer Society (ACS) guidelines. These can be found in The American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Prevention and Early Detection of Cervical Cancer.

The most common form of cervical cancer starts with precancerous changes and there are ways to stop this from developing. The first way is to find and treat precancers before they become invasive cancers, and the second is to prevent the precancers.

On this page

Finding cervical precancers

The Pap test (or Pap smear) and the human papillomavirus (HPV) test are specific tests used to screen for cervical cancer. These tests are done the same way. A special tool is used to gently scrape or brush the cervix to remove cells for testing. If a precancer is found, it can be treated, to keep it from turning into a cervical cancer.

The HPV test looks for HPV infection(s), particularly high-risk types that are more likely to cause precancers and cancers of the cervix. Certain HPV tests are approved to be a primary HPV test and others are approved as part of a co-test.  The type you get most often depends on which test is available in your area.

The Pap test or Pap smear is a procedure used to collect cells from the cervix so that they can be looked at closely in the lab to find cancer or precancer. It's important to know that most invasive cervical cancers are found in women who have not had regular Pap tests. A Pap test can be done during a pelvic exam, but not all pelvic exams include a Pap test.

The HPV and Pap test results help assess your risk of developing cervical cancer. If the results are positive, this could mean more follow-up visits, more tests to look for a precancer or cancer, and sometimes a procedure to treat any precancers that might be found.

It is best to talk to your healthcare provider about your screening test results in more detail to fully understand your risk of developing cervical cancer and next steps.

 

Things to do to prevent precancers and cancers

Based on your age, overall health, and personal risk for cervical cancer, there are some things that can be done that may prevent precancers and conditions that lead to precancers.

Get an HPV vaccine

Vaccines protect children and young adults against infection with the HPV types most linked to cervical cancer, as well as some types that can cause anal and genital warts.

These vaccines only work to prevent HPV infection − they will not treat an infection that is already there. That is why the HPV vaccines should be given before a person becomes exposed to HPV (such as through sexual activity).

The vaccines are given in 2 or 3  injections (shots) depending on your age. Side effects are usually mild. The most common ones are short-term redness, swelling, and soreness at the injection site. Rarely, a young person might faint shortly after the injection.

The ACS recommends:

  • HPV vaccination of children between the ages of 9 and 12.
  • Children and young adults ages 13 through 26 who have not been vaccinated, or who haven’t gotten all their doses, should get the vaccine as soon as possible. Vaccination of young adults will not prevent as many cancers as vaccination of children and teens.
  • The ACS does not recommend HPV vaccination for persons older than 26 years.

It’s important to know that no vaccine provides complete protection against all cancer-causing types of HPV, so routine cervical cancer screening is still needed.

For more information on the vaccine and HPV,  see HPV Vaccines.

Limit exposure to HPV

HPV is passed from one person to another during skin-to-skin contact with an infected area of the body. HPV infection seems to be able to spread from one part of the body to another. This means that an infection may start in the cervix and then spread to the vagina and vulva.  Although HPV can be spread during skin-to-skin contact − including vaginal, anal, and oral sex − sex doesn't have to occur for the infection to spread. All that is needed is skin-to-skin contact with an area of the body infected with HPV. This means that the virus can be spread without sex. It is even possible for a genital infection to spread through hand-to-genital contact.

Limiting the number of sex partners and avoiding sex with people who have had many other sex partners may lower your risk of exposure to HPV.  HPV is very common, so having sexual activity with even one other person can put you at risk. Remember that someone can have HPV for years and still have no symptoms. This makes it possible for someone to have the virus and pass it on without knowing it.

Condoms (“rubbers”) provide some protection against HPV, but they don’t completely prevent infection. One reason that condoms cannot protect completely is because they don’t cover every possible HPV-infected area of the body, such as skin of the genital or anal area. Still, condoms provide some protection against HPV, and they also help protect against HIV and some other sexually transmitted infections.

Don't smoke

Not smoking is another important way to reduce the risk of cervical precancer and cancer.

Diagnosis and Planning Treatment

After a cancer diagnosis, staging provides important information about the extent of cancer in the body, the best treatment plan for the cancer, and the anticipated response to treatment. I found myself desperate to keep a mindset of taking one step at a time with my plan of treatment, it is so easy to let your mind go wild with tons of scenarios when you hear the word "Cancer", the hardest thing for me was trusting my medical team(as I am a very skeptical person by nature anyway) now I am having to trust that my medical team is saving my life and I cannot see what they are fighting!

So take it one thought , one step and crush one worry at a time.Remember to keep a level head and ask questions, learning from other survivors is a few things that helped me.

How is the stage determined?

To determine the cancer’s stage after a cervical cancer diagnosis, doctors try to answer these questions:

  • How far has the cancer grown into the cervix?
  • Has the cancer reached nearby structures?
  • Has the cancer spread to the nearby lymph nodes or to distant organs?

Information from exams and tests is used to determine the size of the tumor, how deeply the tumor has invaded tissues in and around the cervix, and its spread to distant places (metastasis). For more information see Cancer Staging.

Clinical stage vs. pathological stage for cervical cancer

The FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) staging system is used most often for cancers of the female reproductive organs, including cervical cancer. For cervical cancer, the clinical stage is used and is based on the results of the doctor's physical exam, biopsies, imaging tests, and a few other tests that are done in some cases, such as cystoscopy and proctoscopy. It is not based on what is found during surgery. If surgery is done, a pathologic stage can be determined from the findings at surgery, but it does not change your clinical stage. Your treatment plan is based on the clinical stage.

What are the stages of cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer stage ranges from stages I (1) through IV (4). 

As a rule, the lower the number, the less the cancer has spread. A higher number, such as stage IV, means a more advanced cancer. And within a stage, an earlier letter means a lower stage. Cancers with similar stages tend to have a similar outlook and are often treated in much the same way.

Cervical cancer staging can be complex. If you have any questions about your stage, please ask your doctor to explain it to you in a way you understand. (An explanation of the FIGO system is in the stage table below.) 

 

     FIGO Stages and Descriptions

                                           

  Stage I

The cancer cells have grown from the surface of the cervix into deeper tissues of the cervix.

Cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Cancer has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IA

There is a very small amount of cancer, and it can be seen only under a microscope.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IA1

The area of cancer can only be seen with a microscope and is less than 3 mm deep.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IA2

The area of cancer can only be seen with a microscope and is between 3 mm and 5 mm deep.

It has not has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IB

The cancer has spread deeper than 5 mm, but is still limited to the cervix.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IB1

The cancer is deeper than 5 mm and is less than 2 cm in greatest dimension.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IB2

The cancer is at least 2 cm in size but not larger than 4 cm in greatest dimension.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IB3

The cancer is 4 cm or more in greatest dimension and limited to the cervix.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

Stage II

The cancer has grown beyond the cervix and uterus, but hasn't spread to the walls of the pelvis or the lower part of the vagina.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IIA

The cancer has grown beyond the cervix, but not beyond the upper 2/3 of the vagina and has not spread into the tissues next to the cervix (called the parametria).

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IIA1

The cancer is less than 4 cm in greatest dimension

It not has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IIA2

The cancer is 4 cm or larger in greatest dimension.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IIB

The cancer has grown beyond the cervix and uterus and has spread into the tissues next to the cervix (the parametria).

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

Stage III

 

The cancer has spread to the lower 1/3 of the vagina or the walls of the pelvis. The cancer may be blocking the ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder).

It might or might not have spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IIIA

The cancer has spread to the lower 1/3 of the vagina but not the walls of the pelvis.

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IIIB

The cancer has grown into the walls of the pelvis and/or is blocking one or both ureters , causing kidney problems (called hydronephrosis).

It has not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

IIIC

The cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the pelvis (IIIC1) or around the aorta (IIIC2) and can be any size.

It has not spread to distant parts of the body.

 

Stage IV

The cancer has grown into the bladder or rectum or to distant organs like the lungs or bones.

 

Stage IVA

The cancer has spread to nearby organs such as the bladder or rectum.

 

Stage IVB

The cancer has spread to nearby organs outside the pelvic area, such as distant lymph nodes, lungs, or bones.

 

 

Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinic

 

During Survival

My Journey Through Cancer

So now, I had told my family about the cancer. Sharing the diagnosis was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had, but their support gave me strength. I began a plan of radiation and chemotherapy, determined to fight this battle head-on. It was a grueling 6 months of treatments, filled with ups and downs, but eventually, I heard the news I had been praying for: I was cancer-free—or so I thought. Little did I know that the journey wasn’t over

The radiation treatment was centered on my 3 lymph nodes in my pelvis, 2 on the left and one on the right lower abdomen/hip area. The first treatment left me with a sunburn on my skin as they had a high dose of radiation due to the stage of the cancer so they were killing it very aggressively, I used a lot of aloe to sooth the sunburn skin. Along with the radiation came 3 days a week of chemotherapy, You walk in that building, go up to the 4th floor, walk in the door and there's the chairs with some patients taking naps, some reading, doing crosswords, knitting,watching shows all while bags of various colored fluids being pumped into them. I just wanted to run away, I did not want to do this at all.

2018 Cancer Journey Continues.......

So I start moving through the treatments with radiation and chemo, got a port put in and by now I was getting use to all the exams, questions, lab draws, doctors, nurses. The radiation treatments were not so rough and the chemo side effects got better. Just a lot of fatigue and nausea, diarrhea. Treatment was working, it was killing the bad cells like it is suppose to. I had to take some time off work so in-between treatments I was spending most of my time with my mom and significant other, they really were my rocks through all of this, and my sister gave support as she could as she lived out of state at the time, but those 3 made this journey bearable.

So moving along to April 2018 my Oncology team sends me to have Brachytherapy in addition to my current treatments, and now I am starting to really not want to do anything more, more treatment on top of treatment...Ugh. So it was off to meet with the radiation oncologist at the hospital and get a very aggressive plan of care together to make sure they are killing all the cancer.

Brachytherapy is highly successful for cervical cancer, significantly increasing survival rates and improving treatment outcomes, particularly for locally advanced stages. Studies show it leads to higher 5-year survival rates, better tumor remission, and a greater likelihood of locoregional control when combined with external beam radiation therapy. For patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, receiving brachytherapy, along with external beam radiation and chemotherapy, is associated with a superior overall survival compared to those who receive external beam radiation alone. You can learn more about this by clicking the link below.

 

From April to June 2018 I was pretty much living at the hospital and doctor offices, and finally the end of June comes around and I am almost done with all the treatments. Such a relief to see some kind of light at the end of this cancer tunnel, I was so sick of having thing put in me and going to these doctors. I had to force myself to remember they were saving my life, they did not do this to torture me this was life or death literally.

So now by the start of July 2018  I had one more treatment of chemo and one more radiation appointment and July 11th came around, my last day of treatments, I did it, me and my medical team kicked cancers butt and good too, I leave my chemo office and I got to ring that bell-

 

What the bell ringing symbolizes

    • Completion: It signifies the end of a specific course of treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation, and marks a new chapter.
    • Achievement: It is a moment to celebrate the patient's accomplishment in enduring and persevering through adversity.
    • Hope and community: For some, it provides a sense of community and motivation, with other patients seeing it as a goal to achieve for themselves.
    •  Relief: It is an emotional release and a moment of relief for both patients and their families after a long and challenging process. 

 

 

I was so relieved, tired, grateful, thankful, overjoyed, that I made it through the past 7 months. I got home and had to take a rest, so I napped for a couple hours. I get up from my nap and still cannot believe I made it through so I had to go show my mom my completion certificate and let her know it really was finally done(she was so stressed through this whole ordeal, I am sorry I put her through that, she was supportive but it was hard on her, a mother never wants to see her child  go through something like that), so I get to my moms with my certificate, talked to dad for a minute and went in moms room, looked like she was napping but I was going to wake her for this news. I touched her leg and said "hey mom", waited for a moment, then touched her leg again and it stopped me in my tracks, her leg was frozen like ice- I froze, I looked around noticing the quietness around her even though the tv was up loud on her favorite channel Turner Classics, and then I saw her frozen face, it was frozen with a smile so grand that I can only assume the last sight she saw was something good. Now she is dead, I run out of the room screaming to dad call 911, when did you last see mom up.......

I could not believe this best day ever turned into worst day ever. My mom and I were super close, her death left me devastated to say the least.

So here it is middle of July 2018, made all the calls to family and friends about mom, my sister of course comes into town and helps make all the arrangements for small but touching service and we all said goodbye to one of the  most special persons in our lives.