My journey started in 2008 with my first abnormal Pap smear. I was married for 2 years to my high school sweetheart, and we had a beautiful 2 year old daughter together, so getting an abnormal result after 10+ years of paps was a little alarming. The doctor wanted to do a colposcopy and biopsy to determine if it was something more serious. The results came back; mild dysplasia. She assured me that with me age (25 at the time) my body would heal itself and they just needed to monitor it. So started the every 6 month pap routine. It never went away. Every pap was abnormal, every colposcopy showed mild dysplasia, and every answer was it will go away. I asked many times to have something more done. My thinking was if it's precancerous now, who's to say it won't turn cancerous? I was continuously told being in my prime child bearing years and only having 1 child they didn't want to do any additional procedures for fear it would hinder my ability to have more children. I knew something wasn't right, but I listened and went on. I knew no different and thought that they are the doctors, they know best. Looking back I see now that I had some whispering symptoms that I chalked up to normal female problems. I had had issues in that area for many years, so I just thought it was how my body functioned. Random bleeding, severe abdominal pain, bloating, painful intercourse. Nothing to out of the ordinary. I gave birth to my 2nd daughter on 6-4-12. She was a big surprise. We were happy as a family of 3, and weren't trying for another. She had a purpose though. She was born by an emergency c-section, and the doctor that delivered her, I had never seen before in all the years of going to the Ob/gyn. She reviewed my chart and advised if my post-partum pap smear came back abnormal she would perform a leep procedure, and that would end my every 6 month visits. Well, just like the last 4 years worth, the post-partum Pap smear came back abnormal. So, in September 2012 I had a leep done. I was supposed to go back for a follow up in October, but life got in the way and I never made it. In November the doctors nurse called and said that it was necessary for me to come in. November 14th I went for what I thought was just a follow up. When the nurse took me to the room and told me to stay dressed I knew something wasn't right. The doctor came in and that's when my life changed. She advised me that the pathology results from the leep showed that the mild dysplasia was actually cancerous. It was imperative to have a hysterectomy since this had been going on for years. She wasn't sure how far it had progressed. Almost 6 months to the day after delivering my daughter, I was back at the hospital having a hysterectomy on December 3, 2012. Biopsies performed showed abnormal cells were present on the uterus and ovaries. Because of this, the doctor removed everything, including lymph nodes. I am happy to say I am now 1 year cancer free!
I owe my life to my youngest child. Had it not been for her birth I don't know how much longer the doctors would have let this go on. I wouldn't have been as lucky as I am had it not been for her. If anyone takes one thing away from my story, it's this: I got my check ups religiously, never missed one, and I still got the diagnosis of stage 1a1 cervical cancer. Why? Because I didn't listen to my own body and gut instinct that something was wrong. I thought what I was going thru was normal and trusted that the doctors I was seeing knew best. Had I listened to my myself who's to say it would have gotten to this point. Listen to your body and heart it won't ever steer you wrong.
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