Cancer....really?

sheila0225 wrote:

Thanks everyone. I'm trying to stay as positive and upbeat as I can. My doctor caught it in time. He's a pretty amazing guy. They say with cervical and ovarian cancer these days it's pretty much a sure thing to catch it early. In which case they did for me. So after PJ20 I'll have it taken care of and hopefully be on the mends to recovery.

I can not stress enough to you wonderful and amazing ladies. Get your yearly exams and if you feel something is wrong PUSH FOR THE TESTING THAT IS NEEDED!!! It is your body and no one knows your body better than YOU!

I had cervical cancer many years ago. The part that you wrote about "PUSHING FOR TESTS" is crucial. I knew something was wong and my paps kept coming back positive, but my docs were saying just to come have paps more often and they didn't do anything else. I said, B, S. and that the bad cells are coming from somewhere, so I want more tests to find them. The doc looked funny at me and then agreed! The first test was that microscope thing they use, and it showed that no bad cells were on the surface of my cervix...again they said they would just do paps more often. Again, I intevned and said, B.S., the bad cells are coming from somewhere, so they dilated me and did a biopsy...BINGO...I had stage II cervical cancer. If I had just let them do what they kept proposing, by the time they would had found the cells on the surface of my cervix, it would have had to spread all over the place.
So, I had a hysterectomy many years ago and have been fine since. I had my ovaries removed at that time also, because I just didn't want any more risks.
Good luck to you. Stay positive and everyone remember...YOU are the one responsible for your health...not the doc, but YOU!!! Ask questions, get answers! If your doc isn't doing what he/she should...change docs!

sheila0225 wrote:

Thank you all. So after much debate and going back and forth on this subject. My doctors and I are in agreeance to go to the extreme to take care of the cancer in me. This has not been an easy decision to say the least.

I am on standby for surgery next week Friday the 9th. Otherwise I go in Friday the 16th to have all cancer taken out. Which pretty much means I will be having a full hysterectomy. Ovaries and all. This has been tough on me only because I am so young and I feel like it is taking a part of my womanhood away from me.
But I must remember, I am blessed with two healthy and beautiful boys. (7 & 3)

I thought brain surgery was a big decision. I think this is bigger. The only thing different is that I got to keep my brain and they verified that I have one.

If anyone reading this, can please PM if you have gone thru this...not necessarily due to cancer but have a hysterectomy already. How is your life now? Are the hormone therapies really all they are cracked up to be? Or if you feel comfy enough to share here, that is great too. I guess any thoughts, words of advice, or pretty much anything at this point will be helpful. This way I can try and mentally prepare myself for this.

For me, the hormones are lousy!! Its been 15 years and it seems that only in the past 6 months are they working acceptably! Prior to my surgery I had asked lots of women about hormones and almost all said they were great. WRONG! I think they said that 'cuz most of them had bad endometritis (sp?) and at least the pain was gone, but for me, the hormones never were even close to like my own. I still had very intese hot flashes, night sweats, etc and 'cuz I was thrown into menopause via surgery, I never got to the "other side" of it like women who go through it naturally. BUT, its better than not having surgery. I will say that I used the pills for 2 years and then switched to the hormone patches...huge difference. The patches seem to give you a steady, even flow of hormones, where the pills would peak and lower every day. I felt like a yo-yo!
SO, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE PILLS...TRY THE PATCH. You change it weekly, so instead of the hormones fluctuating daily, they are steady thru the whole week.


One last thing, I have still had to have yearly paps. I guess we can still get cancer in the tissue that remains in the vagina, so they still have to do testing. One time, I got a positive pap a few years after surgery...I freaked!! The doc said that most cervical cancer is caused by HPV and that once you have HPV it never goes away, therefore, it will show up in paps now and then and give you bad cells.
That is why all women who can get the vaccine for HPV should!!

get a second opinion sheila...something doesn't sound right to me

norm wrote:

get a second opinion sheila...something doesn't sound right to me

Agree, I would want err on the side of caution.

sheila0225 wrote:

Well all....I just got out of my drs for a second time this week. And just when you thought you heard it all...let me tell you...YOU HAVEN'T!! I had some great news and some not so great news. The great news...my bloodwork from this morning is back already and leveling itself out. The not so great news...they are leaving my ovaries in now. :shock: The oncologist re-ran the biopsies of the ovaries and says I do NOT have ovarian cancer :shock: so they find it unethical to take my ovaries at such a young age. I say fuck it and take them. What is the sense in leaving them in there if everything else is coming out? I don't get it. I mean, it's great that I don't have ovarian cancer but come on...just take them out. Why take a risk of it happening there if I already have cervical cancer? Why put my body through another surgery down the line? Why take the "what if" chance?

To say the least, I'm floored and shocked and disappointed all at the same time. I am trying to fight with my dr to just go ahead and take them anyway. But at this point, he is very adiment that he is NOT taking them since there is no cancer cells in them.

I'll update more this afternoon. My eyes are blurry from crying this morning after this whole debacle.

i agree with the docs, keep your ovaries! but of course, get a second opinion.
i would also read as much as possible on the subject.

Maybe you can ask if they will take one ovary out. I heard that if they leave one you won't need artificial ones. I understand why they don't want to take them. Its 'cuz you are young to throw into menopause and have a long life left to be under hormone replacement therapy, it has its risks.
I had both taken, but wish they'd kept one in.

sheila0225 wrote:

Thanks everyone. I'm trying to stay as positive and upbeat as I can. My doctor caught it in time. He's a pretty amazing guy. They say with cervical and ovarian cancer these days it's pretty much a sure thing to catch it early. In which case they did for me. So after PJ20 I'll have it taken care of and hopefully be on the mends to recovery.

I can not stress enough to you wonderful and amazing ladies. Get your yearly exams and if you feel something is wrong PUSH FOR THE TESTING THAT IS NEEDED!!! It is your body and no one knows your body better than YOU!

You are so right, and attitude is half the battle. Stay positive. I have several close friends that have survived and thrived after ovarian, cervical, and breast cancer. And yes - you need to advocate for yourself. Early detection is key! You will win this fight, and you are surrounded by people who are praying for you. For the fifth time I will be walking 39 miles in october in the Avon Walk for Breast cancer in hopes of finding a cure. I plan to keep walking until we do. Warm regards and best of luck.

sheila0225 wrote:

I have contacted another oncologist and she is looking at the biopsies and analyzing what she can of what is left.

I should hear something by tomorrow she says. :?

Glad you did that. Much love, light and hugs.