WELCOME to the NCCC Survivor section
Below in this Cancer Survivor section are the very personal stories from women battling cervical cancer and an "archive section" with a few of the past years' stories too. You may also submit your personal story on how you are battling issues related to your cervical cancer or persistent HPV disease.
While this section focuses in on cervical cancer survivors, there will also be comments from women that are battling persistent HPV precancerous lesions and cancer survivors' family members and friends too. As Mrs. Randi Kaye, the co-founder of the NCCC stated; "No one person is a statistic." Each person has their own personal battle. Each of us can focus in on HOPE and define HOPE within the context of our unique experiences.
The women in this section are the true heroes in the cervical cancer battle.
**Click here to add your story**
Posted By : Kim, West Seneca, NY
Posted On : Sep 04 , 2005
May 19, 2005
Shortly after my 26th birthday, I began feeling ill and having some unusual spotting. My mother told me to come to the hospital she worked at and get a check-up at the women's clinic. I had just moved back to the Buffalo, NY area from Florida 4 months earlier and did not have a GYN yet. So, off I went thinking I had a kidney infection because of the pain in my lower back. 3 days & many tests later one of the doctors brought me into a room with my mother and told me that I had Stage IIB cervical cancer. I just Saturday, stunned, how could this be? I was only 26 years old, single and still childless. It did not sink in until I went to the ladies' room with my mother... where I began to cry and then I got angry, kicking the garbage can, punching the towel dispenser. I even scared some poor woman that was trying to come in! Then my mother said the one thing that I remember to this day and often pass on to others I help through charity work at the cancer hospital I was treated at: "You have one day to feel sorry for yourself, so get it all out now...because no matter how much you cry and feel sorry for yourself, it will not change the fact that you have cancer!" Those were the best words she ever said to me. Within in the next 3 days I went to Roswell Park Cancer Institute for a second opinion, was sent home to pack a bag and had major surgery. My doctor told us he would have to do a radical hysterectomy, but shortly after he went into surgey, my parents were paged to come back to the waiting room, where he told them that he couldn't do the hysterectomy because the tumor was too big & I might hemorrhage. So, he removed my pelvic lymph nodes and closed me back up. A biopsy showed that the cancer had spread, but only to the first 2 sets of lymph nodes... not all 11 of them. Lady luck seemed to be on my side. While still in the hospital, I began radiation treatments and was given a drug that would intensify the radiations affects, but was still in the experimental stages. After many weeks of radiation, I was given a 2 week rest period before undergoing the first of two radium implant treatments. 72 hours flat on my back with a tube of radium and enough gaze packing to stuff an elephant shoved inside me. It was 72 hrs of pure hell, the pain was just about unbearable, but... at least I was still alive. That- I'm happy to say, was almost 20 yrs ago! I have been cancer free ever since. Today, when women are given the same diagnosis that I was given, I know they have a much higher cure rate than what we were given back then. Though I just recently lost my father after a 5 year battle with throat cancer at the same hospital, I give as much time as I can in volunteering for charity events at the hospital and several other charities in the area. Especially for sick & dying children. I've lived a lifetime over the past 19+ yrs since my diagnosis, but the children, are just beginning their lives, so anything I (we) can do to put a smile on their faces is worth at least a few hours a month of my (our) time. To all of you just starting your cancer journey, remember, you're never alone, there is always someone out there to help you... just ask. There is no burden in life that we need to carry alone! There is hope!
Posted By : Jo Ann, Brockton, MA
Posted On : Sep 04 , 2005
May 20, 2005 at 08:47:35
My 23 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with cervical cancer, it has spread outside the cervix. She is going to have radiation/chemo for the next six weeks and then a week of internal radiation. She is very scared, we all are. She is so young and clearly doesn't deserve this. Can someone tell me what to do in the way of her diet and emotional support. And does anyone know of her chances? I guess I want to be told she will be fine after this treatment. She is in stage 2 of cervical cancer, they will also be doing a cat scan to see if it spread anywhere else. She has a 5 year old daughter and well wants to keep her life, during treatment as normal as possible. Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated.
Posted By : Julie
Posted On : Sep 04 , 2005
May 23, 2005
Hi. My name is Julie and I had cervical cancer at the age of 29. I am 35 now and cancer free, after a radical hysterectomy. Cancer is a battle that is fought in your mind as well as your body, so soak your mind in positive uplifting things, and pray! For those beautiful ladies with scars on the inside and out, know that for the boys that leave, there are men that never will. I know what it is to be afraid, wonder about your children, your husband, your life-to feel alone and like no one has ever had cancer but you. To feel violated by procedures that are necessary but not welcome. To just want to go home. Cry because tears are healing. Laugh because you can! Pray because he hears you. Be thankful because today is the first day of the rest of your life, and you are still here. You are a survivor today. God Bless you!
Posted By : Sandy
Posted On : Sep 03 , 2005
May 27, 2005
I started having abnormal paps in September of 2004. I was sent to an obgyn for a colop. I was told that I had displasia CIN111. I had the leep procedure with follow up paps scheduled every three months. First pap came back abnormal again. I was then scheduled for a cone biopsy. I had that procedure in December. The results from the cone biopsy came back as carcin-oma-instu. The margins were clear however. My follow up pap smear showed no abnormal cells. It is very important to get yearly paps done even if your doctor doesn't agree.
Posted By : Krystal, Kansas City, MO
Posted On : Sep 03 , 2005
June 2, 2005
I am 29 years old and have three children. In March 2005, I finally received health insurance from my present job. So I made an appointment for a women check-up, only to find out that I had an abnormal pap smear. When I called the nurse, I was told I had canerous looking cells and needed to make an appointment with an OB/GYN.I was really scared just by the word cancer. When I asked her again if she said canerous cells she said yes. I got really upset, a few hours later the my doctor called back and said it was canerous looking cells but I needed to go see an OB/GYN doctors for a biopsy to find out why I had abnormal cells. I had an appointment within a week. I had just moved last year from Colorado so I didn't have a doctor here and I hadn't been in for a check in almost two years because I didn't have any insurance. I have always gone to the doctors for my normal check-ups but this was the first time I had such a gap. Of, course I had to wait until I found a job with health insurance. A couple of years ago I had a abnormal pap but was told to come back in and be retested and the second time it came back normal. When I went to see the OB/GYN she explained to me that it was pre-canerous cells and that I was in the first stage of cancer. She told me that I needed to call her nurse the day I started period and make an appointment for a biopsy. I had to wait a month for that and the whole time I was really scared. The month finally passed and I went in for the biopsy and had to wait 14 days for the results. When the results came in, I was called to the office and was told I did have pre-cancer cells and I was in the first stage of cancer. I had two options, either wait and be tested every six months for the next two years or have my uterus froze. I was told that 70% of the time it goes away on it's on. Well, I didn't want to take that chance so I decided to have the procedure done. I had to wait again until I started my period before I could make the appointment. Last Friday I went in and had my uterus froze. It takes two weeks for this process to be finished because of the water discharge you lose, which will go on for 10-14 days. I go back in November this year to be tested again. Now, I am just praying to God, things will be already and it won't came back. The doctor told me I was high-risk for cancer and that scares me but I am getting threw this one day at a time. I have read a lot of peoples stories and I am to glad that I have had three beautiful children because sometime in the near future I may never be able to have children. We should all be thankful for the life we live because there is so many women that don't make it threw this. My grandmother also had cerivcal cancer, she died before I was born. She also had a blood clot but the blood clot killed her first.
Posted By : Victoria, Columbus, NJ
Posted On : Sep 03 , 2005
June 3, 2005
WELL. HERE IT GOES. MY NAME IS TORI AND IN JULY 2004 I WENT TO THE OB/GYN FOR A "ROUTINE" PAP TEST. 1 WEEK LATER I WAS BACK IN THE DR'S OFFICE BEING TOLD THAT I HAD HPV AND A LESION IN MY CERVIX. 2 WEEKS LATER I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL HAVING A LASER CONE BIOPSY. 1 WEEK AFTER THAT, I WAS TOLD THAT THE BIOPSY DID NOT GET ALL THE CANCER CELLS AND I WENT FOR A CONSULT WITH A RADITION GYNECOLOGIST WHO STRONGLY RECCOMENDED A RADICAL HYSTERECTOMY ASAP. ON SEPT 28, 2004 I HAD THE SURGERY. OUT OF THE 5 LYMPH NODES THAT WERE REMOVED ONLY 2 WERE INVOLVED. ON 12-1-04 I STARTED A 6 WEEK REGIME OF CHEMO AND RADIATION FOLLOWED BY 3 TREATMENTS OF BRACHI-THERAPY. ON 4-15-05 I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A MASSIVE VENTRAL HERNIA CAUSED BY A COMBINATION OF THE RADIATION AND HYSTERECTOMY. I HAD SURGERY ON 5-10-05 TO REPAIR THE HERNIA AND AM NOW BACK AT WORK. I THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR MY GREAT DOCTORS, AND MY SUPPORT NETWORK OF FAMILY, FRIENDS AND EMPOLYER, WHO HELPED THROUGH THE HARDEST TIME IN MY LIFE.
Posted By : Elizabeth, Jackson, GA
Posted On : Sep 03 , 2005
June 3, 2005
Just found out yesterday evening, that I have adenocarinomas in-situ. at some point in the next few days I will have to have a cone biopsy. to say I am scared is an understatement. I have two great teenaged children and do not plan to have more. i ask anyone who reads this to please send up a prayer that it is noninvasive and a radical hyst. won't be necessary. I hope that next year at our relay for life I will be in the survivors first lap and not on a memorial luminary.
Posted By : Carolyn, Cabot, AR
Posted On : Sep 03 , 2005
June 5, 2005 at 07:45:47
This is for Jo Ann in Brockton, MA. I was diagnosed on 05/08/04 with stage II-B squamous cell carcinoma with extension into the left pelvis. I was started on six weeks of chemotherapy with week one and four of 96-hour infusion therapy in addition to the weekly chemo and twenty-five external beam radiation treatments. This was followed by one 48-hr cesium implant and two weeks later a 24-hr cesum implant. The treatment made me sick enough in week four that I was admitted to the hospital for two weeks for hydration therapy and other drugs to build my body back up. I left there weak but NOT DISCOURAGED. I had wonderful caregivers and went on to complete the external radation and had the implants as scheduled. Yes, it was hard but I NEVER gave up, never considered any other options. I had trust and high regard for all of my physicians (all eight of them) and four months after diagnosis was told I was completely cancer free. That was in September 2004, the same day my youngster granddaughter was born. Since then I have undergone follow-up scans and see a doctor every two months and other than delayed radiation colitis, have no problems at all. The hair loss was the worst thing I can remember. It's been a year now and I thank God every day for my recovery. I'm 51 years old with three children and four grandchildren. The past year has been both heaven and hell. I lost twin grandbabies in stillbirth two months ago but God won't forsake us. Have a positive mental attitude and a strong faith in God. Your daughter is young and hopefully otherwise healthy and with will make it through. Just don't let her give up when the treatment gets bad.
Posted By : Hilda
Posted On : Sep 03 , 2005
June 07, 2005
When I was only 21 the doctor informed me I had cervical cancer.I was shocked.I was getting married the next year so it was a huge blow to me.I went for more tests and they told me they wanted to do a Hysterectomy.I asked him if there was anything else he could do because I wanted to have another baby.He informed me there was things he could try. I had the cancer removed and lazer treatments for about a year.This was 18 years ago.Thats the good news.I am a survivor all these years.Just recently I had my annual screaning.The results came back just last week and now I have cervical cancer again.I am a fighter and a survivor.Thanks for listening to my story.
Posted By : Pauline
Posted On : Sep 03 , 2005
June 07, 2005
Hi My name is Pauline I was diagnosed with cervical cancer 16 months ago I am now 38. I have stage 1 2b cancer. Last year I was to have a radical hysterectomy however when they opened me up they removed my lymp nodes which one was positive and decided to abort the hysterectomy. I then did 6wks mon-fri of radiotherapy and 6 once a wk chemo followed up with brachytherapy (internal radiotherapy) for 56hrs of hell! I have had all sorts of side effects including having part of my small bowel removed due to radiation damage, everything I eat goes straight through me ,not to mention being on so many painkillers I think I could open up a chemist shop. My follow up visits since Nov04 have showed 2 positive pap smears the first they said is normal after treatment so I went back for them to do an internal EVA biopsics etc. I am still stage 1 2b all my treatment did not work. My dr said if there had been no lymp node involvement he would do a full pelvic exentration (removal of bowel bladder and vagina) I have a wonderful husband and 3 children 15,16,18 My situation now is I cant have any more radiation, chemo wont work and there is nothing more to do All I can do is live one day at a time and try to get as much quality of life as I can Tracy,BC Canada you sound like a very brave strong woman Thank you for reading my story any advice I would be grateful.
