" My life was hectic and active but fairly normal. I worked at my local school; saw friends; loved dancing and singing and performing on stage. I was 58; had 3 kids and 4 grandchildren but all that changed in 2015 when I went to the doctor about a bleed.
I had a lovely Locum who sent me straight off to the hospital where I had external and internal ultrasound and a hysteroscopy (which I found quite painful) a biopsy was also taken. I gave a big sigh of relief when the consultant found polyps but 10 days later that sigh of relief turned to blind panic when I was diagnosed with womb cancer.
As I had always had regular smears I thought any problems would be picked up as I'd never heard of womb cancer. I knew absolutely nothing about it.
My head is in a spin and going through every possible ending this diagnosis can have, so my life of sleepless nights; tests; scans; pre-ops; operation and treatment begins.
Waiting for the scan results was very hard; every day seemed to be a week. When I did get them there was no evidence of visible spread. I had a radical hysterectomy on 16th March and after further tests were carried out I was fortunate that my cancer was early stage 1A.
Six weeks later I started the first of three sessions of brachytherapy, but life isn't that straightforward. My employer was not very understanding and gave me a lot of hassle about returning to work eight weeks after my hysterectomy and two weeks after I'd finished brachytherapy. (I was in entitled to six months sick on full pay and six months half pay)
As I worked with a majority of women I would've thought I would've got a lot more support . The isolation a cancer diagnosis can bring; friends don't understand how frightened you can be about the future; after a time people think you've had your treatment so you should be back to your old self.
Some were surprised to learn that I have five years of hospital check-ups and the stress of those appointments and the big sigh of relief when the consultant says you're okay for another three months.
Cancer is now part of my life and my biggest fear is a re-occurrence. I still get tired easily and I have to pace myself with everything I do.
Friends say “Aren't you brave?” No I'm not; brave is running into a fire to rescue someone - I am just a normal woman getting on with life and dealing with what life has thrown at me.
I consider myself fortunate that I had a Doctor who took my worries seriously as I know from reading other ladies stories this is not always the case. I have also learnt that womb cancer does not just affect Women over 50; any woman of any age can have womb cancer.
I have three daughters and they are now more aware than I ever was about womb cancer."
If you would be willing to share your story then please message me via the contact form.
xx Kaz xx
.