Just Diagnosed with at least stage 3 cervical cancer

Wow Angel, your getting hit
Wow Angel, your getting hit fast and hard. This is never an easy journey to be on even when your support team is right at home with you. Your thoughts and actions are all normal for what your going through. The waiting and the unknown are very scary. Does your daughter have someone she can lean on for support? Have you met with an oncologist yet or will tomorrow be your first time? If you are in pain, any doc can help you out with meds...so don't hold back on asking; the pain does not mean your days are numbered. It could mean the tumors are pressing on vital organs or a number of different things. I know it's easy for me to say, "Stay positive" and very hard for you to do this at this time, but PLEASE - take one day at a time.
You state the scan shows extensive involvement. If this is the case, due to the size, chemo and rads will probably be your first line of defense. The combination may (think WILL)shrink/destroy all those nasty cells and make surgery a possibility, if that's your docs line of treatment.
You are about to embark on the rollercoaster ride of your life. You will definitely have your ups, your downs, sudden twists and turns, too many docs to count...grab on to any/all support you can and hold tight. Write down and ask your docs lots of questions (they tend not to give out info freely, you must ask them directly). If you have a trusted friend/family member, take them to your appts. with you, because you will forget a lot of what your told. Come here frequently to rant, rave, cry, ask advice...it does help. Who would know better what your going through than those who have been there...done that. Each of us are unique and our experiences differ, but we all have a common factor...the will and determination to fight this ugly dragon and come out a winner!
I have been there...done that Angel...and am still here to talk about it. This is a battle that can be won! For how long??? None of us are handed an expiration date when we come into this world. It's all about living it to it's fullest until that time does come. I won't let this ugly dragon take away those goods days.
Good luck in the upcoming days.
((HUGS))

Stage IIIB
My mother was diagnosed with stage IIIB cervical cancer August 09. Like Angel we were devastated at the time. It sounded so bad. It had grown into the pelvic wall and a lymph node was in play. After the diagnosis we cried and cried. When we were done crying we decided it was time to embrace this situation and put one foot in front of the other. They could not do surgery so they were going treat it with chemo and radiation at the same time. 6 weeks worth and then finished with 5 internal radiation treatments. After that they did a pet scan and she was told she was cancer free. She has to go in every three months to her GYN oncologist and now every 6 months to her radiologist doctor. Right before this Christmas she had a pet scan and she is still cancer free. So don't look at this as a death sentence. They have come so far with treatments. We are into our second cancer free year and hope to stay there. God Bless everyone and let's have a cancer fighting and cancer free 2011!!!

Pam

I know it's scary
Hi,

My name is Melissa and I was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer about 7 months ago. My tumor was too large to operate on (size of a grapefruit) it also spread to my lymph nodes. My treatment was 25 external radiations, 10 tomo radiations, 5 internal radiations and 6 weeks of chemo. It was long and hard but I got through it and go back to my oncologist soon to see if the treatments got all of the tumor. I know what your feeling so much put on u at one time. I can tell you it helps to have a good support system (friends, family or support group) because if your like me your going through a billion emotions right now! Even when the treatment is over it takes a while to get back feeling how u felt before the diagnosis ( I'm not there yet but hopefully soon:) So if you need someone to talk too that has gone through the same thing ur welcome to write any time.
So hang in there no matter how hard it might be some times. I will send some positive vibes your way:)

Have recurrent Cervical
I am so sorry to hear your story Angel. I was diagnosed with Stage 2A Cervical in Jan. 2009. THe tumor was too large and the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes so they abandoned the hysterectomy that they started. I then had low-grade chemo and internal and external radiation. I was cancer-free from May of 09 until Sept. 2010. In september they found a tumor along my pelvic wall and a scan revealed that my lymph nodes were positive. My doctors at Hopkins considered doing surgery on the tumor but as soon as it hit the lymph nodes that option was no longer possible. I have been undergoing chemo but the best they can tell me to hope for is remission. They can't cure me. I just have to think positive and so do you. Wish you luck in your treatment!