Cervical Cancer

About 7 years back now, my mother was diagnosed with a Stage Four Cervical cancer. She was given 6-9 months to live. This was a big medical error as her primary care physician (aka: GP or family doctor) and her GYN misdiagnosed her for 6 years, but we only found out that later. She was very lucky to find the doctor she did. She had a total of 4 surgeries to remove the whole reproductive system, and every lymph node in her abdomen. She had 8 months of chemo and a 12 weeks of radiation. At the 5 year anniversary of her diagnosis, she really was going down the tubes. That was when we found out her doctors in the past have misdiagnosed her. THey accused my mom of the cancer being in her head, when the pap smears came back positive, but were mis read. ^ years before she was diagnosed, there was a pap smear that was positive for a stage 1 cervical cancer. At this point, things were looking so bad that my step father and her decided to file a law suit as they were afraid we would lose my mom and not have enough money to live. But my mom was a strong person and made it through that tough time. Still to this day she gets sick easily and very tired all the time. She cannot work more than one day in a row, and cannot work full time as it makes her sick. Beause of the radiation, she has bowel issues and has to take special medication and lives off of immodium every day. Its no picinic. But because she lived, they court offered her almost nothing. They said if she died, she would get more money. Now it wasnt a matter of how much she won, at this point she wanted it known that this doctor almost killed her and almost made her 5 biological children orphans, but that didnt matter. But I am just glad to still have what I do have of her here. Cancer is horrible and bad in a lot of cases. I am so lucky to have my mom here to day with me and her doctor tells her that all the time. Most people in her situation die. her oncologist has included her in several national studies. They are now using my mom as a study person for people who survive cancer and genetic links for survival. I figured i would share the highlights of my story and get this section started. Feel free to talk more about it with me.

I'm very fortunate to have no cancer on either side of my family. (Other stuff, but not that one.)
Thanks for starting the thread. Does her dx make you nervous for your own possibilities in the future?

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~~~~Becky

~ ~ ~ "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
~ ~ ~ Anais Ain

Hi Kris,

Your mother sounds like a real fighter, which is good but it must be a very worrying situation for you. A close friend of mine lost her mother fairly recently to ovarian cancer. Her doctor kept telling her it was all in her head too - until about three months before she died. Do you have the cervical cancer vaccine over there? Our government made it free for all women under 26 (after that you're too old for it to be effective) and, although it doesn't replace the need for pap smears, it can apparently prevent about 70 per cent of types of cervical cancer.

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Melissa

I am not really nervous because I tested negative for the HPV strand she had (which is more common than we thing and males are carriers of it) and got the shots for it. And I use protection so hopefully wont get it. The shot is not free here, but insurance covers it. Gaurdisill I believe is the name for it.

What makes me the most nervous is that she is still a sick woman today and I am afraid that I will lose her some day as she does not know when to call it quits. I try to help out as much as i can.

Kris, I am sorry to hear about all of this. I knew she had had cancer but I did not know how bad it was. It is instances like this that have almost made me believe in miracles. I hope you Mom never has any more cancer.

Richard

Thank you so much Richard. It means a lot. I also hope that she has no more cancerous tumors. She has been through a lot, and needs a break now.

Kris~
How terrible to be mis dx....Thats just awful, to have to live with a 6 month sentence....then to just find out its not treu....
Cancer has also touched my life in a dramatic way...It wasen't cervical tho'
My Dad was dx with colon cancer at the age of 45...it was so bad that he lived the rest of his life with a colostomy...
He beat the cancer...but 10 years later died of a sudden heart attack....
Terri

I am sorry terri. I lost my dad to a heart attack too. He was a stubborn 36 year old man.

I was dx with prostate cancer in August, 2002. I received 6 jolts of radiation each day for 41 days starting in early 2003. A total of 246 jolts. Numerous side effects but they seem to simmer down a couple of years later. There is an 80% chance the cancer will never return. Keeping my fingers crossed. Your Mom's cancer was much more serious than mine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her too.

Richard

Mine are crossed for you too. I sorry you had to went through that.