So this is me, Georgina age 46 mum of two amazing daughters.
My journey starts some time ago, 1994, I struggled to give birth to my eldest daughter as my cervix wouldn't dilate, no big deal I seem to recall. This led to my first smear and abnormal cells being detected, again no big deal...
Off I went to my local hospital and had a LLETZ procedure, again no big deal, I seem to recall it was quick, a little painful, the consultant commented I had a sensative cervix. I don't recall what the outcome was, but I had my smears moved to 6 monthly for a while, had another daughter, then annual smears, the in 2013 back to smears every 3 years. I used to keep all those 'normal' letters up until the 2013 one telling me I only needed to regular smear tests.
So roll forward to 2017, my mums very long journey with breast cancer came to an end after living with the disease for 24 years, I thought I knew a bit about cancer, the endless appointments the waiting, try this drug, try that drug.
On the 22nd February 2017 I went for my routine smear, it was a couple of months late as I had trouble getting an appointment that didn't coincide with my period and thought no more of it, it did feel a little deeper than I recalled, but I had no other symptoms, so thought no more of it, I figured I'd get a standard letter at some point telling me all ok, instead I received a letter inviting me to an appointment at the colposcopy clinic, at least I think that's what happened, mum was very unwell at this point, so I'm not entirely sure I read the contents, just I had an appoint in the ward bellow where mum was the day before my birthday :yippee:
So in April 2017 off I went, no big deal I thought, been here before, I fact it was the very same consultant, I explained mum was poorly and I was due to go on holiday and he agreed to delay until May.
Sadly mum passed away the day before our holiday, but she had made me promise that no matter what we would take our holiday, so that is what we did.
24 May 2017 LLETZ procedure performed, and advised the results would be via letter to my GP and would be around 6 weeks, so when I received a text for a gynaecology appointment on the 15 June 2017 I kind of knew it wasn't good news, but again no big deal, after all I had this procedure before, and all was good for over 20 years and I didn't have any symptoms. Then I was given the diagnosis 1b1 cervical adenocarcinoma grade 2, but there was something else in the mix, abnormal glandular cells, oh well I though I'm pretty much menopausal anyway, a hysterectomy is no big deal, the weather was looking good, four weeks off work to enjoy the garden.
Then the cancer machine starts, MRI, CT bloods meet with my surgeon, who was excellent, full Laprascopic Hysteroctomy with a pioneering lymph node dissection, endless long words and medical jargon, date set consent form signed. Date for hysterectomy brought forward to 12 July 2017, husband drops me off at the door and then off to work he goes, it's no big deal, I change meet the anesthetist and my surgeon, radioactive dye injected in to my cervix :ouch: off to sleep, wake up all done up to the ward. Surgeon comes to see me the next day, all has gone well, four lymph nodes removed, five lovely tiny scars, home on Friday back to my normal life...
Phone the nurse 3 weeks later, just to confirm my results and that no further treatment is required, except that's not the case, apparently the type of cancer they founds is aggressive so they would like to refer me to the oncologist for some chemotherapy. Ok that's good, belt and braces, a few rounds of chemo and then I will be back to my normal life.
11 August 2017 meet with the oncologist and he discusses this neuroendocrine carcinoma that's aggressive and can't be cured, yet! Well now that is a big deal, yikes I mean this doesn't happen, no symptoms no clue, feel well, look well given I'm only 4 weeks since a hysterectomy.
So that brings me right up to date, I'm on my second round of chemotherapy my cocktail is Carboplatin and Etoposide, trying to complete 4 21 day cycles. I'm plagued by sickness, morning noon and night, I'm on three lots of anti sickness meds, but still the nausea keeps on coming, and the fatigue.
