New to this Camp

brissance said:

Sorry to you have to be here but you are most welcome.

Charissa, Bette Davis once said, "Fasten your seat belt, it is gonna be a bumpy night" or something close to that.  The initial blast is or was so far the worse for me.  Keep notes as to what your doctor says, what questions you have.  Find out what is the traditional treatment plan (this is a great place for that).  When you read the horror stories that you will find on the net, realize some of these are old, some are just wrong and even if those things were correct for one patient, each of us will respond differently  so no one "knows" how your adventure will end.  We all shoot for cured..  and many of us achieve that.  

I have grade 3 as well, UPSC.  But another part of the equation is I have stage 1A.  Actually, when I had my hysterectomy, the tissues were tested in the operating room so the doctor could make decisions on how to complete the surgery.  I knew I was in pretty good shape when I was in recovery.  Each doctor and facility is different but do some checking and make sure your oncology team is top notch.  Do research on the internet,  You really need to have a good team working for you.  If you need to, get a 2nd opinion.  

Anyway, I am new to this as well.  I have been fortunate and am having a relatively easy go.  I also feel like I have an excellent team of oncologist.  I try hard to keep positive.. (sometimes blow that) but then read these post and come away much stronger.  And like you, God is my strength.  I am letting Him hold my hand through this.  

You will get my prayers and best wishes.  Some excellent ladies here that have fought some long battles.  They have the answer to almost everything.  They will be of so much help you will find much of your time full of laughter and just plain ol' appreciation of goodness and fine people.

Thank you, Brissance. Because of it's aggressiveness and coming from a smaller town, my OBGyn knew it was critical to have it removed ASAP. Plus, I feel she felt somewhat responsible for letting me take the month of April off with me thinking it was a polyp.  So, when this particular doctor she recommended said he could see me and do surgery within 7 days, I jumped all over it, doing little research, just wanting it removed ASAP. So, as far as a treatment team, I'm not sure that I have that. I'm seeing a wonderful oncologist in Sacramento.  He has a nurse working alongside him and a young gal who schedules his appointments and surgeries.  He did the Davinci method hysterectomy and being a week and a half into it, I feel as though there are no complications.  When you say a "Good Team" working for me, what does that consist of?

Will you be receiving chemotherapy?  My oncologist said because of the type I have, he will start chemotherapy in 4 weeks and radiation will be determined when the lab results comes back.

I feel so blessed to have found this group. I have read through some of the various posts and it seems like they are great friends and have come to understand each person's personality well through this network. I, too, will add you to my prayer list. Thank you, for your encouragement and warm welcome.

unknown said:

Charissa, one more thing to consider

I would put a little distance between myself and my friend if she is telling me that chemo will kill me and to go with the diet route.  Unless she is a medical person, I would suspect she is a fear monger, only reading old stuff from the internet and not fully informed.  Do not let her influence your decision for treatment, that is between you and your doctor.  Diet is usually an adjuvant therapy along with conventional therapy.  I believe some of the larger cancer centers focus on both standard treatment, (surgery, chemo, radiation) and also alternative treatments such as diet.  These would be in major cities, which are not available to many of us.  Needless to say, it will help you to have a gynocologist/oncologist if possible to be your doctor as they have treated female cancers and have many ideas on treatments outside the normal if standard treatments don't result in desired NED (no evidence of disease).  Hugs Nancy

You're very wise. That I will have to do! Thank you. She was caught by surprise with my diagnosis and her mind rushed to the worse. She began crying saying, "Please, please promise me not to do chemo. Everyone we know who did chemo is now dead."  Luckily, I know a couple people who have done it and have lived many years since - one being my father (who is still alive 30 years later and remained cancer free).  I feel his testimony alone would be a strong enough reason to move forward with it, if need be.  But, I do love and sincerely appreciate having wise women counsel me and keep me in check. Especially, because this, again, is a subject very new to me. Blessing with hugs.

NoTimeForCancer said:

Charissa, it is VERY

Charissa, it is VERY overwhelming to hear "cancer" but you are not alone.  You might want to ask exactly what kind of cancer you are dealing with.  Type I (unbelieveably called 'typcial garden vareity type' sometimes) and can be Grade 1 through 3, and the other, Type II is more agressive and always Grade 3.  There are Stages which range from I through IV, how far it has spread, so for example, I had Type II, Grade 3, Stage 1A - agressive but caught very early.  Now, don't think the agressive, high stage cancer is an automatic death sentence.  There are women here who are at least 5 years survivors and more.  I don't want to scare you, but you will want to ask questions.

Everyone is different on chemo, natural, etc...and it is a personal choice you have to make.  Hopefully you are working with a gynecologic oncologist who specializes in these cancers.  I chose the 'sandwich' treatment, which is chemo/radiation (external and internal (brachytherapy)/chemo that was recommended to me and have always tried to watch what I eat.  From reading what ladies have posted here there are some variations to the treatment, but it is what is being given at this point.  Chemo consists of powerful drugs and the side effects vary, as the women on this board have experienced, but I decided for myself that I wanted to do everything I could do to fight this beast, but it is always your choice.

When you visit for your follow up you might want to take someone with you who can take notes so you can concentrate on what is being said and you have a second set of ears.  

Finally, there is a lot of information on this board, so you may want to read some of the older posts as well.  You are not alone and there are SURVIVORS out there - you are reading their posts.  Please ask any question you want here, there really is nothing off limits as you will see.

Try to take a breath, I promise you, you are going to surprise yourself when you look back.

Thank you, for the additional information and education. Again, because I am only two weeks into this I can't even answer all the questions my husband, friends, and familes have. They read things and hear things other people tell them and then ask me, what actually is cancer?  What is the difference between stage and grade? What type do you have (not that they would know the difference. Lol!)? Isn't chemotherapy less aggressive then radiation? Which treament causes you to loose your hair? And, then I hear stories of women with Type 1 Uterine cancer who had their female parts removed, needing no chemo or radiation and are alive many years later, undermining the seriousness of what the oncologist said about my particular cancer. This is a whole new world that I never suspected I would be in. And, I did everything hoping to prevent ever being here.

I will be sure to take my mom and sister with me, as my second set of ears. It was comical, as I normally am very private, but allowed them in my first appointment with my oncologist. But, we had to have the little talk prior to me allowing them to attend, "Now, this is a time for me and my oncologist to establish a relationship. You guys are just here to listen. If at the end of our meeting you did not get an answer to any of your questions, I will allow you to ask then. Otherwise, let me and my doctor primarily do the talking. I'd like it to remain calm and structured." They were so good, just sitting back and listening. I was so proud of them. At the end of our consultation, they had no unanswered questions and were extremely comfortable with my oncologist and the care I was going to receive.

I know there is no turning back, only moving forward from here on out. I am embracing my diagnosis, knowing God does not give us more then we can handle. So far, He has equipped me with the tools necessary to not fall apart and keep moving forward each day with a smile and perseverence. And, most importantly, He led me to you guys. For this, I am extremely grateful.  I'm taking my deep breath and looking forward to surprising myself. Big hugs to you!