"My cancer journey began in January 2015 when I woke one morning to find I had been bleeding in the night. As it was the weekend I went to the doctor the following week and saw a lovely Locum Doctor who told me he didn't think it was anything to worry about but because of my age he was going to send me on the two week pathway. I was 58. I got an appointment for 27th January to go to my local hospital to have an internal and external ultrasound. After the ultrasound I had to wait to see the consultant who told me the lining of my womb was very thick at 16 mm and she was looking for polyps or fibroids with the possibility of it being cancer and did I want to come back for further tests or have them done now! I said while I was here I would have them done now so I had a hysteroscopy and a biopsy taken.
The consultant found some polyps so I was booked in to have them removed and told the results of the biopsy would be ready in 10 to 14 days. I had my pre-op for the polyp removal but a week before I was due to go in the Consultant’s secretary rang me and asked me to come back for my results. I knew then it was serious.
I went on 10 February with two of my daughters to get my results. When the consultant gave me the diagnosis of cancer my two daughters burst into tears but I took it rather calmly as I think I've been expecting it. The Macmillan nurse was off sick that day so we couldn't see her, but we were given cups of tea and the consultant arranged for me to have a scan within the next two weeks.
The nurse rang me the following week and took me through the ultrasound results which made me feel a lot happier as she said they were all positive. I told her I had a date for my scan, so there and then she booked me in to Northampton hospital for my hysterectomy which was to be on 16 March after I had my scan.
I went to Northampton General to see the surgeon and get my scan results; he said there was no visible spread and that he was hopeful that he could do it by keyhole, so feeling a lot happier I flew off to Portugal on that Friday to see family as I thought I might have to cancel.
I went into Northampton hospital at 7:30am on 16 March and had my op at 2pm. I came home on the morning of 18 March with some horrible green surgical stockings and a month’s supply of injections which I do suspect that my youngest daughter took great pleasure in giving to me!
Two weeks later I went back for the results; my cancer was grade 3 stage 1A I was offered three sessions of brachytherapy which was to reduce the risk of it returning. I started the sessions at the middle of April and I was finished by 5 May.
I am now on three monthly check-ups at my local hospital in Kettering. I consider myself extremely lucky because I had a Doctor who took my symptoms seriously as I do not fit the stereotype of women supposed to have this cancer. I am not overweight; I'm 9 1/2 stone. I am very active; I dance. I do Pilates, I walk everywhere. My job involves a lot of walking and organising games for children. I've had three children of my own. I didn't start my periods until I was 14.
So any ladies of any age reading this, be aware! You know your body better than anyone. Any symptoms you're not sure of get them checked. I'm so glad I never left mine as I naïvely thought that any problems will be picked up by a smear test.
I'd never heard of womb cancer."
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xx Kaz xx