My Story of Cervical Cancer, hope it helps someone.

I'm Chel,41 year old femaie and hope my story can help someone going through the same thing, Here's my story:

In early summer 2011 I started having some right side back pain, I had visited my family doctor and some test were done and it was decided it was a bladder / kidney infection. I was given antibiotics and sent on ny way. My periods in August 2011 started getting weird, they were very heavy and would last a long time or short and I'd have 2 a mnth somtimes. I also started passing huge clots. I talked to friends and my mom about it and it seemed normal, like maybe I was starting the change.

I was dating someone and hadn't been with anyone in 7 years sexually and the first time I slept with my boyfriend I bled durring and after, I again just thought it was because I hadn't been with anyone in a long time. But it happened everytime and my periods got heavier and the clots got huge, during this time I still had the right side back pain. Finally I decided I better do a little bit more and find out whats going on.

My family doctor sent me to a gyno. He did a pap smear and several other blood tests in December 2011. He also ordered a transvaginal ultrasound. My papsmear came back abnormal and doctor ordered a coloposcopy, the transvaginal ultrasound showed a cyst on a ovary but he wasn't concerned about it, he said its the type that come and go, and I knew from history I had them when I was in my teens. The doctor told me the pathologist said just from the papsmear he was sure it was cancer and it if wasn't it was the worst case he had seen, I had the Colposcopy Jan 9, 2012. On 1/13/12 I was told I had Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma. The biospy they took was all cancer, I remember bleeding so bad they werent sure they could get it stopped, they used this mustard coffee ground substance for my cervix, it stopped the bleeding, but was painful the next few days.

The gyno sent me to an Oncologist, she is wonderful. I saw her at the end of January 2012. She's always been so positive that we can treat this. At this point I was told it was 2B. She sent me to get a PetScan. Early Feb 2012. The scan showed a little bit more advanced and now I was told it was 3b. Tumor was on my ureter to my right kidney, why I had been having the back pain. I also had 2 very small lymph nodes that showed some signs of cancer, one more than the other. She immediatly said we have to save your kidney, I had to have stent put in to open up the ureter. The immediatly stopped my back pain.

My oncologist ordered 6 rounds of Chemo, 28 rounds of external radiation and 5 internal radiations. I have just finished my last treatment April 24th of internal. Now I'm waiting for everything to settle and I'll see the oncologist and radiologist at the end of May. I didnt loose my hair with the chemo, the chemo I got is something that helps the radiation, it's not the strong kind. It made me sick, I lost my taste buds, but found a few things I could eat, like peanut butter and jelly and eggs and toast. External radiation was fairly easy the first few weeks, then with that and the chemo I became very tired. Then the internal radiation started, my radiologist puts you under general, just like surgery, they radiation takes 20 mins but he said it's so uncomfortable for women that its easier to be put under. This part of the treatment I think is the hardest and the worst. I'm a big baby and a worry wart and I'm still not sure how I made it thought but I did. My faith in God and family and friends have helped so much. I could not have made it as I did without my mom, she's been there every step. After my treatment Tuesday 4/24 while I was in recovery, they told my mom that they couldn't see the tumor anymore. My mom texted and called everyone she knew while I was in recovery, me, I'm still in shock and I'm hoping that my scans I'll get in the coming weeks show that the cancer is gone.

i know i've fogotten details and I hope this helps someone, please feel free to ask me questions and If I can can be of help let me know, this journey is tuff and scary and the one thing I want to share is to help others, I was scared going into this and realized there wasn't alot of "people" that I knew that went through this to help me. I'm still recovering, still very tired, but everyday I get better.