Cancer Research UK main site
  • Replies 3 replies
  • Views 354 views
  • Users 0 members are here

More fool me

Deb62
Offline

Dear all

I don’t feel ready to confide in my nearest and dearest so I hope you don’t mind if I unburden myself here?

Like many stories I’ve read here, all of my cervical smears were fine. So I didn’t bother going for the last one - more fool me!

Post menopausal bleeding prompted me back for the one I’d missed and after a telling off from the nurse, I was urgently referred to my GP who gave me a ticket for the roller coaster ride known as a two week referral.

Following the embarrassing investigations I’m sure you’re all familiar with, a uterine polyp was discovered to be ‘filling the cavity’ and was removed.

it seemed a long wait for the results and I kept missing the telephone call and could never get through on the number I was given. 

Eventually I took the call that ruined my day. The polyp contained cancer cells and when I asked (more fool me) the sympathetic voice said she was sorry but it was stage 3. 

The next step is a scan to determine any spread and a hysterectomy. Knowing my luck it will happen over Christmas, which I love.

I am trying to stay positive and keep telling myself it may not have spread outside the polyp but I keep hearing the sympathy in the voice of the nurse!

Has anyone been in a similar situation and have any advice for me? Is it possible that cancer can stay in a polyp and therefore be dealt with by the removal? Does the size of the polyp have an effect on how malignant it might be?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

  • Offline

    You received the news via a call, not face to face or a letter. So it's important to be sure that you understood correctly. I know from experience that any mention of the word cancer makes half your brain shut down. I am not a medic, and know that it is very easy, for example, to confuse words like, say, 'stage' and 'grade'.

    Hopefully you will have a face to face appointment soon, and you will get much more information. I wish you the very best. Harry

  • Offline in reply to Harry2

    Thanks Harry

    i did call the nurse back and asked her to go over what she’d told me and I wrote down what she said. But I may have mistaken grade for stage which might make more sense as I wondered how they could tell without further testing on me. She did say the cancer found in the polyp was advanced and then she said ‘sorry’ which sounded ominous to me.

    I’m beginning to feel like an idiot! Best to wait for the scan before I ask any more stupid questions!

    Best wishes to you

  • Offline in reply to Deb62

    Thanks to everyone who responded to my post it’s much appreciated.

    The pesky polyp had grade 3 cancer which I am told is aggressive so not good news. I had a CT scan last week and that looks promising as there were no issues and all organs look normal. 

    The pace of things is astounding and I go in for a radical hysterectomy next Tuesday. I consider myself quite strong but have been given beta blockers to control anxiety which is pushing up my blood pressure, jeopardising the operation. I’m beginning to feel like I’m having an out of body experience everything is quite surreal.

    I have met lots of people suffering from cancer but you really have no idea until you experience it for yourself! It’s made me look at things very differently and I have the utmost respect for people who have gone through the various procedures I have experienced so far.

    fingers crossed for a good result from the hysterectomy. If anyone has any advice about the op it would be appreciated 

     

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.