I was diagnosed with womb cancer in June 2017. After months of going back and too to my doctor and having tests at the hospital. For a long time I was told I only had fibroids and nothing sinister to worry about, but I knew something was very wrong. I think you know your own body.
It was a week before my 38th birthday that I was told I had cancer. I can remember waiting to see the gynaecologist, I noticed that my consultant was about at the clinic, so I was surprised I saw another consultant who I actually saw arrive just before I went in the consultation room. I remember being told is there anyone with you. Straight away I knew it was bad news. So asked that she tell me straight. And it was “ iam sorry to say that it’s cancer”. For some strange reason I was pretty calm about it all. I did decide that it maybe good for my mum to come in incase she had any questions she wanted to know. The hardest part was telling my Dad. He had dropped us off at the hospital then coming back to pick us up. I had planned to tell him after we got to where we were going, but when I got in the car he asked straight out what had been said, then I thought do I tell him straight like this or do I wait and then it was no he has asked directly then I equally have to answer. I am like it’s not good news I have cancer.
The following week I met my oncologist gynaecologist and he is a lovely man very much a caring and supportive doctor. He told me all about the operation which was to be a total hysterectomy, he explained exactly how he was going o do it and also showed me my scans and explained everything on them. Of course most of the information went straight over my head, I was still in shock over it. I kept thinking this is all a dream.
I had my hysterectomy in July and it was then that reality had set in, when I saw my incisions. I had part keyhole, part abdominal. The next day I was home and when I left the hospital I felt great. Not sure how much was with all the drugs they gave me but I think in part I was relief too. I just wanted this offending thing out. I had to wait 3weeks for final staging which I was happy to find it was at a low stage and no future treatment. I had lost over 2.5 stone in a short time before diagnosis. This had caused a large amount of stress and lack of confidence in my body and then I picked up a nasty infection from a cut in my head that has now setback my recovery again. But one of the most frustrating thing to occur is the fatigue, wow that really has knocked me for six. I try to go out everyday to have a bit of a walk about but I get so tired very quickly. I have ongoing problems with my bowels and headaches just to make things more complicated. I do have other health problems that with the cancer it’s effected the strength I have in my body, I know it’s going to take time to heal fully but in the mean time I just have to listen to my body and rest when it needs it.
