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Diagnosed with cervical cancer :(

Posted , 5 users are following.

amys13
amys13

Hi.  I am actually writing this on behalf of my sister.  She was diagnosed with cervical cancer this week.  I feel quite guilty as I have been along with her for the ride, loads of GP and hospital appointments and was never picked up but I knew in my gut something wasn't right and feel I should have pushed harder for her.

Her symptoms - erratic bleeding, from no bleeding at all to passing massive clots and bleeding a huge amount but blood tests were always fine.  Lower back pain that comes and goes.  Abdominal pain that comes and goes, like a contracting pain.  Occasional nausea and feeling full very quickly.

Her journey - September was when the bleeding got really bad although things had been erratic for a couple of months before that.  We got her an appointment at the local emergency doctors as it was the weekend and they referred her to a and e.  They examined her, took swabs etc etc but no smear test.  She was sent home.  Couple of weeks later back to the hospital again.  They asked her if she had pain or bleeding afetr sex which she didn't.  Her smear was still not due for a couple of months so again was left at that and sent home with transhemic acid for the bleeding.  They did an ultrasound which found a small cyst and they put everything down to that, even though she was getting pain on the other side to the cyst.  Eventually got seen by gynaecology outpatient team in January who just so happened to do her smear, thankfully she was not bleeding that day so they could do it.  Came back as severely abnormal cells, seen in colposcopy who said eveything looked fine but did a biopsy 'just in case' thank goodness they did as that's when it came back as cancerous.  

They are thinking they have caught it early, in fact stage 1b going by the biopsy but will not know for certain until she has her scans.  The general plan now is hysterectomy with or without radiotherapy, again, depending on scan results.

I guess my question is, are all the symptoms she is having 'normal' for such an early stage of cancer?

Thanks so much for reading, any input greatly appreciated smile

2 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • ATG1
    ATG1 amys13

    Posted

    Hi, the symptoms sound very much like Endometriosis, I have suffered with this for years and also had cervical cancer.

    I can't say whether the symptoms your sister are going through are typical of Cancer but, I know that I went through the same thing and it took ages to get diagnosed, I unfortunately had to have part of my cervix removed and then had further treatment.

    If your sister still has lower back pain and problems with her period after treatment she may well have Endometriosis and will need to have additional treatment.

    Don't beat yourself up, there really isn't anything you could have done, it takes ages to get diagnosed unless you go private in which case you get the results in I time at all.

    I wish your sister a speedy treatment and recovery. Your sister is lucky to have you there supporting her.

    Chin up! X

  • sharon1980
    sharon1980 amys13

    Posted

    Hi Amy ,

    Sorry to hear about your sister ... I am of know help answering your questions as I have not been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

    I have joined the group well preparing myself really.

    I read you post and it just sounds so familiar ...

    I had noticed from time to time sex was painful on an off going back over 6 months ,thought nothing of it .... last 3 months I have had bleeding a bit like having 2 periods a month ... lower back ache and stomach ache ... in the lower stomach its more like reeeeally painfull cramps , they comea and go so one minute im fine and dandy the next minute booom I get this shootig that pain that makes me squeel.

    Anyway I wet the docs last monday he had a wee look there and then , set of swaps as thought could be a urine infection ... they came back clear and he has reffered me to a gynacologyst which is this coming monday as he reffered me as Urgent (that alone worries me sick) .. I walked away from the docs feeling quite clueless as to what is happening at this Gyne appointment , still am if I am honest ... anyway waffling on I note you say your sister was referred to this department I wonder may I ask , were they able to tell her yes or no there and then or does it involve more waiting ... Hope yourself and sister are doing ok , sounds like she has great support with you smile x

    • Hannah_10005000
      Hannah_10005000 sharon1980

      Posted

      Hi I am reading this and have had very similar symptoms recently - may I ask what your diagnosis was?

      Many thanks

  • amys13
    amys13

    Posted

    Hiya, sorry I haven't got back to you sooner and thank you both so much for your replies.  ATG1 - sorry to hear what you have been through, I do hope you are fully recovered now?  She did have several ultrasounds in advance of her smear and all they came back with was a small cyst, I suppose they would have picked up on endometriosis through that?  But will absolutely make sure that gets followed up on if she is still suffering after her surgery.  And thank you for the good advice smile

    Sharon1980 - again sorry to hear what you have been going through.  Rest assured there are so many different things can can go wrong with our woman organs and not all are cancerous so am sure you will be fine.  Have you had a smear test?  My sister got seen by gynaecology and they thought she had 'uterine dysfunction' but she was due a smear test so they did one for her in the clinic.  This came back about a week later with severe abnormalities.  She was then seen in the colposcopy clinic who deal with abnormal smears.  When they looked at her cervix under the microscope he said it looked completely normal so took a biopsy 'just in case'.  Thought nothing more of it until about 2 weeks later when she got a phone call asking to be seen the next day and that's when they told her the biopsy they took had shown cancer.  So she was more lucky than anything I suppose!  She has had ct scan, mri and pet scan over the last week and has her first appointment with the oncologist tomorrow - just praying that it is early stage cancer and easily treatable for her.  

    Good luck with the appointment, I am sure you will be fine.  I know the waiting is the hardest part but my advice if you don't hear anything back is to keep chasing your results - I had to chase all my sisters results as our local hospital is in special measures and otherwise I think she would have got lost in the system!

    • sharon1980
      sharon1980 amys13

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply smile

      Sounds like you pair have had a really stressful and busy time.Such a scary time and the unknown makes it worse really.

      I find the most annoying part is fighting for certain tests , sometimes i feel a women knows her own body and knows when something isnt right ,for a few weeks I have been fobbed of with a urine infection so just had antibiotics ,until seeing the last doctor who did the swaps again and confirmed thats not the case.

      I have a smear test booked which is March 11th but gynachologyst appointment is this monday so I am going to asked for it to be done whilst I am there.These things are so unoleasant I would much rather both be done together and obviously the waiting time will be less then too.

      I will be sure to follow up all results , doctors will be sick of hearing of hearing from me smile

      Fingers crossed I am one of the lucky ones ,Good luck with the ongologist tomorrow ,will be thinking of you smile x

  • ann64687
    ann64687 amys13

    Posted

    sorry about your sister, hard time for both of you, i had been bleeding for 32 days, they give me tablets, took me off HRT and took my coil out , both i just had about 8 months. all my tests came bk clear but now had the same test as your sister and im waiting on the results, ive had heavier periods on and off from last year, ive just turned 50 and going through the change of life, so i have the same questions to ask, and do you mind me asking, how long did your poor sister wait on her results.x
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