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What stage were you when you found out you had Cervical Cancer? was the treatment process long or short? how did you handle work and home life?
thanks
What stage were you when you found out you had Cervical Cancer? was the treatment process long or short? how did you handle work and home life?
thanks
Hi,
I was stage 1b1. My original gyn thought I only has CIN111 and did a total hysterectomy (never did a cone biopsy). Discovered invasive cancer during tests on the my uterus and cervix after hyst.
I then had to go on and do 8 weeks of external radiation therapy. 8 weeks, five days per week and the radiation clinic is one hour from my home. So on the road two hours per day for radiation.
I work at home as a Magazine Publisher. My husband also works at home as a freelance 3D Graphic Artist, so this helped to handle work and home very much. The first couple of weeks were no big deal, then I started getting sick, suffering side effects of the radiation. After each treatment I would become nauseated, have terrible body aches and chronic fatigue. This would last for about 4 or 5 hours. My therapy appointments were at 8:30 am so I learned to put something in the crock pot for dinner before I left for the clinic. My husband and kids took over on the housework and laundry. My dad, or eldest daughter, would drive me to therapy as I would be too sick after to drive home. My husband would have bed ready for me, with a pitcher of water, my medication and my laptop so I could work If I had the urge. My mom died 6 months before I was diagnosed, otherwise I know she would have taken over on my care.
I learned to map out every public restroom from my home to the radiation clinic. Radiation diarrhea (as I call it) has a mind of it's own. I learned quickly don't try to hold it...it won't hold! Thank God for Lomotil and Immodium (when it works. sometimes it doesn't).
Anyway...
Stage 1b1.
8 weeks of external radiation therapy.
Blessed to work at home (my own boss) and my family is awesome and took care of me and the daily operations of our home.
I am now 6 months out of treatment and deal with some side effects that I hate and pray will leave me, but last two paps and xrays and scans said NO CANCER! Thank you Lord!
I was at stage 1 but the rubbish medical treatment here in Shanghai left it that long that it led to stage 2. I flew to Hong Kong for a Wertheims Radical Hysto and they managed to hinch my ovaries above my pelvic region for the radio treatment. I flew back after 2 weeks, got lots of rest (we have lots of maids here) and took things very easy. My child is 2 and we coped very well. My scar is barely visible now as I had inner stiching and glued outside and my tummy muscles work well. No sagging either apart from the blood clot that has formed under my scar. hey, ill get over it. 6 weeks of chemo and radio, tooing and froing from hong kong but hey, did lots of shopping !!! Made sure I had a fab support network around me and now apart from the occasional twinge and ache from radio, I feel pretty well. Now back at the gym 3 tims per week and enjoying life again. Had my 1st vault smear and results are fine !! Hey ho !! Just make sure you get lots of rest and you have lots of people that can help you at the drop of a hat ! Make sure they cook nice things too, ha ha..... And yes, I thank the lord for giving me another chance so this time im going to enjoy it !! You will get through it, I thought I was weak and feble but how I proved everyone wrong ! You'll be fine x
BTW Tavy, what side effects are you getting ??
Hi Nia-
I was 1B2, stage 3, at age 28. I did have a cold cone on an out patient because they thought they could get it all, but the path came back that they didn't get clear margins so I did have a total rad. abdomal hys but did not have my ovaries removed. I had the option of a trachelectomy but it was so new at that time, I just wanted everything O.U.T. so we went with the hys. Even though we hadn't had kids yet. I had a 6 week at home recovery after 3 days in the hospital and I treated it as the maternity leave I would never get. I had the house decorated in balloons and flowers and had a guest book for everyone to sign as they came to visit me. I also kept a guest book in my hospital because i knew i would never be able to remember who came and went. Even my Drs and Nurses had to sign the guest book so I would know who to thank later - knowing I'd be out of my mind w/ a lot of other issues post surgery.
I was able to return to work after 5.5 weeks but because I didn't get any blood transfusions, I dragged for quite a while. My onco told me not to expect to be feeling 'myself' for at least a year. I was to greatful he'd said that because on a few occasions I couldn't understand why I wasn't bouncing back or feeling myself - as if I'd had a cold or somthing. So once the treatment was over, the emotional healing had to start and that took quite a while but because I was prepared by my Onco for emotionall fallout, it really helped.
I was lucky there was no lymph node involvement (28 were dissected) and the residual cancer in the uterus was less than the size of a pinky nail, so we opted not to do the radiation or chemo. Surgery was my only treatment. That was 10 years ago in April.
It is my understanding now that for anything over 1B1, most physicians elect a protocol of chemo and radiation post surgery.
Whatever diagnosis and treatment protocol your physicians present to you, please consider getting a second opinion just so you are confident you are choosing the best option for YOU, not your doctor.
2a cervical cancer advanced to 3b b/c of lymph node involvement.
28 External radiation plus a few extra for the lymph nodes. Once daily...took about 45 min to get there after dropping the kids off at the sitter. I did experiemental drug before radiation so my total time there was about an hour. Then 30 minutes home.
Internal radiation. We did more with a lesser dose. So I think I did 6 total. Those were stretched out over 4 weeks.
I used to work partly in the office and partly at home. I gave up working in the office b/c of treatment times and well, I was really sick in the middle of it all.
I pushed on and took care of my family myself with little help. That's how I felt normal and it kept me going.
Stage 1B2. Tumour was approx 5 cm. I think I had 28 external radiation treatments complemented with 8 weeks chemotherapy (Cisplatin). I also had internal radiation treatments. Still a little tumour left following this and had a radical hysterectomy.
I didn't work during my treatment which was also about an hour away from home. I am just now returning to work (approx. 5 months post surgery) on a gradual basis as I am struggling with certain side effects. Radiation left me with some urinary / bowel issues and I am really struggling with my memory and cognative thinking (I think this is from chemotherapy).
BUT - I am still alive and have no signs of cancer at recent checkups!!!
Stage 2b which was pushed up to Stage 3b since they found lymph node involvement.
I had 25 external radiation treatments, 6 chemo treatments followed up with 4 days of internal radiation, about 86 hours in the hospital.
I did manage to work during my treatments, I live close by so no long commute, I would goto my radiation every day during my lunch hour and only worked half days when it was chemo day. Over all it was managable. The side effects from the radiation kept me close to a restroom at all times and I would usually take a nap as soon as I got home from work. The chemo hit me a couple days after given, nausea & vomitting. So I guess you can say that for 5 weeks I just had to be close to a restroom....I did get a short break before going into the hospital for the internal radiation....just long enough to start feeling somewhat normal again, then I was out of work for about a week to recover. It's been almost 2 months since I finished treatment, most all the side effects have improved (but not gone + now I'm in menopause) and I pretty much do everything I did before "cancer" but the best part is that I am cancer free right now.
Stage 3b. I was seriously anemic when I was diagnosed and unable to work. I had chemo and internal and external radiation. I don't recall how many, lots. I was able to get through the treatments fairly well. Mondays I had radiation then went to chemo (cisplatin). I developed radiation proctitis after a few weeks and had to take three days off. That was very painful. My internal radiation was done in the same place I received the radiation. Outpatient, painful prep about two hours overall including the treatment. I had a routine cat scan yesterday and am very anxious about the results. I'm about a year and half past diagnosis.
stage 2A 6 weeks external Rad,followed by 3 sessions of 6 hr CISPATIN infusion, then over the weekend i wore a pump for 5FU. then i had 5 outpatient high dose internal rad. 4 weeks later I had a total abdominal Hysterectomy,hospital for 5 days.
major diarrhea ,wore adult diapers when i went out,even now 3 years i have bowel issues. some nurapathy in feet.
During treatment ,felt like i was in a fog. extreme fatigue.
now doing ok,dealing with breast cancer issues!!
@Nathalie,
Side effects....I have terrible back, hip and leg pain...get frozen hips when I sit too long. Painful intercourse...things just don't feel right anymore. I still have terrible bouts of diarrhea. May sound strange, but when the bouts of diarrhea come it makes me cry. It's like having birthing contractions. Just now starting to have some bladder issues as well. Can hold it very long anymore. Oh yeah..this may sound kind of gross, but the thing I hate more than anything is I have no warning with bowel movements. You know how you get this feeling like "I should find a bathroom soon"...well I don't get that anymore. I just HAVE TO GO NOW whether it's diarrhea or not! Sometimes I don't make it.
Tavy
Tavy
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