See your Dr sooner rather than later!
Some of this journey is very personal and I pondered very hard on whether to share it with the world that doesn't already know the story. I decided to do so because of a few reasons, but first and foremost is: I didn't go to the DR when I first had symptoms. I was embarrassed to discuss them and thought they were probably normal and I was overreacting. I would rather go to talk to my GYNO and have that uncomfortable conversation and visit than fight cancer. I did make appointments that were canceled for about 8-10 months and for that I have to say, I should have been a stronger advocate for myself. If you don't advocate and become the squeaky wheel when you need to you will drop to the side. Please, please if its a gyno problem or anything else go see your DR now! Welcome to my journey and the ride along while I kick cancer's ass! To start a little background: I have had an IUD and I am on my second one (I'll wait here while most of the men go look up IUD) I had it placed due to unbearable cycles and I asked for a hysterectomy at the time. Instead, they tried ablation and it didn't work, so again I asked for a hysterectomy and was told I needed to try an IUD, so I did. It worked for the most part and pretty much "hid" my cycles. I experienced some spotting and cramping and was told that was normal. After 5 years I had the IUD replaced at which time I inquired about menopause, cause I was kinda over this crap. I was told that in 5 years (about 5 years ago) they would test me to see if I had completed menopause. If I had they would remove the IUD, give me some hormone replacement and I would be on my way. A year or so ago (about 4 years after IUD placement) I started spotting on a more regular basis and having some accompanying cramps. Seeing as this was fairly normal I didn't think much of it. But it went on and on and on and on. In addition, I had a strange odor that I could never get rid of so I tried to correct that with PH soap and supplements. So about 10 months ago I made an appointment with the Gyno to have it checked out. This appointment was with the VA and they canceled the appointment on me 3 times. Each time takes about 2 months or so to reschedule. Then when I got to my appointment they said they couldn't do that here I would have to go to the main hospital. But if I wanted they could do a pap smear and send me on my way. I told them no, there is something not right, make the appointment. Well, this took another 3-4 weeks to get. So I get to my appointment and I tell my Dr what is going on, thinking I just need some hormones or a glass of Orange juice or something. Dr says it would do the normal stuff and do a biopsy just in case but he didn't think there was any chance that I had Cancer, so "don't worry about it". Well here we are, so we know that didn't go as I had hoped. They called me in the middle of the day on February 23 and told me I had been through menopause... Yeah me!! I didnt have HPV or other STD's.. Yeah meee!! But that had tested positive for two types of uterine cancer. Not so much with the yea me part. They told me that the VA would be reaching out to me to set me up with a "community provider". Through my sobbing tears and utter disbelief, I asked when they would call and the answer was that I was already approved all the way up the chain and that he expected I would be called today or tomorrow, Friday at the latest. Well, he was right, it was Friday. Friday 3 weeks later. Knowing better than depending on the VA I hung up the phone and immediately contacted Mayo Clinic. They called me back within a few hours and we negotiated an appointment date. They let me know that they would need my records from the VA and gave me the number to fax them to. I took the number and got on the horn to try and get my records. Well as you might imagine that didnt go well. So after hours of chasing them around I drove to the clinic. I was given a ROI (Release of Information) form to fill out and told that once it was filled out it woudl have to go through the process of being approved and they were "not sure" how long that would take. So I took 3 copies of the form to submit in different ways and started submitting. I also called Mayo and asked them to also submit said form. Very long story short (relativily) they gave them pieces of my records and that is only because I happened to find one person that gave a shit at the VA and did that while I waited on the phone. Thanks, Jacqueline! In the meantime, I was a train wreck. I called several close friends and cried on their shoulders and locked others out. The big one was telling my mom. She has been through a lot in the last few years already and this was not going to help. I can't begin to describe all the different emotions that were involved with that. I wanted her to have some support there when I called her so I reached out to her friend to be there when I told her. Just in case her reaction was even close to mine. I can't thank that friend enough, she has been a Godsend to both my mom and myself. Thank you!! My mom handled it well and has been strong throughout. My mom told those that she thought needed to know one of which was my brother. He has been there at every turn and made extraordinary efforts to support me in every way possible. Thank you both! Part of the help that I got from all those friends and family members is a reminder (sometimes not so gentle) that I needed. I am a fricken Rock Star. Maybe they didn't put it that way but after some nudging out of my self-pity party I started to think. I have done some shit I would have never thought I could accomplish. I am strong and I am a bitch when I need to be. So cancer better get ready to deal with one pissed-off bitch. I'm not saying I don't still have some hard times. I do, and I allow myself that. But then I have to put on myr big girl panties and deal with it. Again, I can't thank my Mom, Brother, and several close friends for all the support that they have given. Even just a conversation about NOTHING or ANYTHING but cancer has helped. So I go to my appointment at Mayo and the Dr says he does not see two cancers but one. Wheeeew... thats a relief. But he wants to do another biopsy, so he does. He does the biopsy and the nurse calls the following week and says I have Uterine cancer and they would like to schedule surgery. I ask, is there one or two cancers? She says the Dr just told me one. Yipeeee. She says they will be calling me in the next day or so to schedule the surgery. Well, it didn't take long for me to pick up the phone and work my way to the schedulers. It took 2 days to get to the right scheduler and the receptionist knows me by first name, but we got'er done. Surgery is scheduled for Feburary 28th. I also did the prescribed ultrasound and blood work that the Dr ordered. My follow-up with the Dr was after all of this took place and it was via Zoom. He told me that I have Uterine cancer, but that there are signs that I "possibly" have the second type of Uterine cancer which is more aggressive. For this reason, they wanted to do a PETscan. The PETscan will show any cancer in the body and "if" it has spread we will be able to see that. I am praying that it is isolated to my "female" organs, but if it isn't I'll fight with every ounce of energy I can find, steal, borrow, or beg for. I have a lot of things indicating that it hasn't spread. First and foremost "unexplained weight loss" is a symptom of almost every cancer (due to cancer sucking all the nutrients to feed its ugly ass) and as some of you may have guessed, I do NOT suffer from unexplained weight loss. This is the first time in my life I have been glad to be "plump". I also have no other symptoms that can not be explained by either uterine cancer or anemia (which I already knew I had). The ultrasound didn't show any "large masses" and the VA Dr said the pelvic exam felt normal. All this combined leads me to believe and pray that it hasn't spread. I have my PETscan on Friday the 18th, an appointment with a holistic Dr on the 23, a pre-op appointment on the 24th, and Covid test on the 25th I intentionally did not use any names as the people that are mentioned know who they are and I didn't ask anyone's permission to include them. I did use Jaqulines name but heck that could be anyone. I have more, but Ill post it later. Thank you so much to those that have been by my side. Love you all
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