Metastatic cervical cancer

hi 

sorry to hear about your wife's diagnosis

right now it feels like the end of the world and you have every right to feel like that, take some time to grieve, get the emotions out, it is normal, I had primary breast cancer in 2015 and I'm still not over that, not really.  To begin with it was just disbelief and confusion around why it was happening to me, then I got a bit angry and sad. 

From here rather depends on the spread and here I have had some debate with my GP. 

Cancer progresses at different rates on an individual basis but statistically they will tell you 2 to 5 years, which is the same for breast. 

However it really rather depends on where the mets are detected. In breast we have the greatest longevity with spread to the bones with some surviving ten years and more. It also will depend on whether it has spread to one small location, as seems to be the case with your wife, or multiple locations and 1 area or lots of smaller areas. 

You will have to ask the team for specifics of how her spread might affect her prospects, they won't be able to narrow it down completely but they will have experience and should be able to guide you, if you feel you want to know, some people don't want to know. 

When I was diagnosed I was the same as you, how do people die from cancer, what happens? There is a group who unfortunately don't survive the treatment and will die of sepsis rather than the cancer itself. Cancer treatments can be harsh as you have experienced. 

I'm not up to speed on what drugs might be available for advanced cervical cancer but I have just had a quick look and can do for a few more minutes. 

The team may offer more chemo, more radio or other therapies and there might be the possibility of trials. 

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cervical-cancer/advanced/treatment

that's a link with what looks like all the available options. 

Do you have private healthcare ???

At the end of the available options you will be given details of palliative and hospice care and from what I've read this can provide lots of support.

I suppose the key thing is making the most of the time we have and that shouldn't wait until we're told we're time limited, should it. 

I'm 56 and sometimes I do wallow a bit and wonder why I never lived and worked abroad, for instance, it was something I always quite fancied doing.

It's a bit of a cliche but the good old bucket list will allow you to plan things you really want to do.

Am I helping at all ???

hugs

Carolyn

xxx

Thank you for your response and I certainly will follow the helpful links you sent .. I’m still in shock to be honest and yes we have the faithful bucket list to follow and children to do it with my wife is on 42 it seems so unfair but I will definitely asked the right questions to the oncologist next visit 2 weeks time and counting .. he said in our last meeting she had 12 months plus but I read many stories of people living on and on we are hoping this is the case for us .. thank you for your kind words of support it is very appreciated 

ligar 

hi

42 is very young for you all to be having to deal with this but if it offers any slight reassurance a friends wife was given a year about 4 years ago, and she shows no signs of cashing in her chips just yet, the challenge will be to deal with the uncertainty day to day without having the inevitable meltdowns, or at least keep them to a minimum .

How old are the children ?

more hugs

Carolyn

xxx