Pathologist results after radical hysterectomy

Hi CJ86

Sorry to hear it’s not the end of the road after your radical hysterectomy-that’s a blow for you. It’s not unreasonable that you thought things might be finished with, but this is such a sneaky disease. Try not to feel too deflated-the radiotherapy will hopefully blast these cells and get rid of them. Lots of us have been through pelvic radiotherapy, so there will be plenty advice and support for you when you start. It’s such a disappointment when you face more scans and more treatment, but it’s an intense course of treatment which will pass fairly quickly (although it doesn’t seem like it at the time!) Have you been given any timescales for scans and the treatment to start? 

Keep posting and let us know how you’re getting on with everything. Any questions on radiotherapy- there is a lot of knowledge in the group about this.

Sarah xx

My consultant said hopefully within 2 weeks for the scan and contact from the radiotherapy team however his 2 weeks always seem to be 4 so I'm taking that with a pinch of salt!

Oh, it always seems to take so long! I hope it’s not as long as 4 weeks-I’m sure you’ll just be wanting to get on with the treatment now. 

Sarah xx

Hi CJ86

I was in a similar situation to you, albeit over 5 years ago in 2017. 

Also stage 1B2 (1B1 old Figo) initially but my post RH histology indicated I had a significant risk for recurrence on the basis of LVSI, PNI and a very close margin - restaged to 2A1.  I was massively upset when I was advised i should have chemo-radiotherapy because, like you, I'd allowed myself to think the surgery would be the end of it.

The thought of chemo-radio felt monumental at the time but, as Sarah says,  once it starts the time passes failry quickly - it seemed one minute I was the novice and the next I was the veteran.  We're all different in how we cope with the treatment; some sail through but I had a bit of a rough ride.  However it's doable and we get through it because we have to.

Hope all goes well for you. 

x

Thank you for sharing your story.

I know I will get through it and there's still an end to this, just the timescale has shifted. 

Hi CJ86,

I just started radiotherapy two days ago, 8 weeks after my radical hysterectomy. Like you I had one positive lymph node show up in my pathology report. 

I'm obviously still at the beginning of my therapy which is chemoradiotherapy, so I have radiotherapy everyday and chemotherapy once a week (which I haven't started yet).

Like you I was/ am feeling a lot better now after the operation and I would have preferred not to do any more treatment, but now I have started it doesn't seem so bad, and at least after two days I don't have any awful side effects so hoping to continue like that.

What I mean to say is you aren't alone and if you can get through a big operation and feel better after 5 weeks (it took me a bit longer), I'm sure you're going to be fine...

I keep reading that cancer treatment is a journey,, so I guess this is just the next step on ours.

Good luck to you,

Lulabell

Thank you so much for the encouraging words.

I had a meeting with oncology today and they told me cancer was actually found in 3 lymph nodes out of about 27 examined. I'll be having chemoradiotherapy too 5 days a week for 5 weeks. Hoping to start in a few weeks and have a scan and bloods booked tomorrow