Recurrence of cervical cancer

It's been awhile since I posted on here. So much been going on the last few weeks!! At least I found out what stage I was to begin with lol. Cancer is back, at vaginal cuff where they stitched me up. Was so shocked, because all margins and lymph nodes were clear!! Now scheduled to go through chemo once a week (Cisplatin) and radiation. At least 25 external, then 3 internal. Think I am finally coming to grips with it all and getting the right mindset, lol. My cervical cancer was stage 1b. Even my gyn/oncologist is very shocked, even though he said he has seen this happen before. Getting my port in Nov 27th, my radiation sim and markings on 28th , then off we go!! Any tips will be greatly appreciated! I am trying to look at this as just another bump in the road to life!! I have such wonderful doctors looking after me, that I truly feel blessed!! Thanks all for listening to me rant on!! Oh yes, was so upset when pap came back abnormal, then biopsy said cancer, now family doc has me on Zanax for anxiety!! Must say they do help, especially at work where everyone complains about every little thing!!

I am soooo sorry to hear about your recurence. This must have come as a terrible shock, but you sound like you have a good mind set. I have not had radiation but have gone thru chemo with a port.
I use Elma Cream on the port for 2 hrs. before they use it and you don't even feel the stick.
How many chemo treatments will you need? You can use the drop down search box here and look up radiation under the cancer site, there will be tons of info from those who have gone before.
My chemo is Taxo/Carbo and I'm not familiar with the side effects of Cisplatin.
I'm sure some sisters will be along shortly who can be of more help.
Keep your spirts up and you will march through this like a trooper. Come here when you get down or have questions.
All the very best for a quick recovery!!

Hi Kittie,
Sorry you are going through this. Am I reading your signature right, you had cervical cancer and surgery 9 years ago? And you are now having a recurrence? Wow. That's awful that it came back, especially so long after treatment. What a shock!

I am assuming that your original stage was 1B1. Mine was 1B2, so I didn't have surgery but had chemo and radiation, exactly the same treatment that you will have. I didn't have a port, never needed one. What kind of cervical cancer do you have? Mine was squamous cell.

I know this must be a shock. You had such a small chance of recurrence with a stage 1B.

While this treatment isn't fun, it is doable. You won't lose any hair and you will be able to do everything you do now. Toward the end of treatment I got tired more easily, and the diarhea was bad, but immodium and lomotil took care of that. They gave me Zofran for nausea and that worked quite well. I was so afraid of chemo, but it really wasn't bad. Nothing like I feared. No one knew that I had cancer or was in treatment, unless I told them. I didn't tell many people but everyone's different with that.

I had chemo on Monday, (I chose that day) felt great that day because of the steriods. Tuesday was good too but sometimes had a pink face, again, the steriods. Wednesday and Thursdays I felt a bit tired and wanted to eat only bland foods. During all of treatment we went out to dinner, lots. I went out to parties, helped at my son's school, helped him prepare for prom, etc.

You can do this! And in a few weeks, you'll be cancer free! Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

Hugs and comforts,
Janie

Hey Kittiezoon, so sorry to hear you are going through this. I see you're in PA, what area?

I went through the radiation/chemo after surgery too. Did the doc say what type of port s/he will put in? I had a Groshong catheter (same thing as a port). There are different types. Mine had a little thing sticking out of my chest with a 6 inch tube that I could tuck into my bra. They kept the port covered at all times, and there were weekly dressing changes--usually the day of chemo.

Most of my side effects came from the external radiation. I had issues with bowels and fatigue. If you work talk to your employer ahead of time about possibly cutting back your schedule if need be. Some people go through treatment without batting an eye. I was so freaking tired that just getting up to go to the bathroom took everything I had. (mind you, treatments started 5 weeks after surgery so I was still trying to recoup from that also) As Janie said, Immodium helps, so does altering your diet--no tomato products for a while! I stocked up on cinnamin graham crackers and gatorade.

I had hair loss in the pelvic area from the radiation. THe chemo didn't effect me along those lines. ANother thing that I'll agree with is the effect the seroids have....sad to say but chemo days were my best days. I could eat, I had energy, I started looking forward to chemo days. LOL Start taking your anti nausea meds when you get home from chemo and throughout the next few days--even if you don't feel nauseated. It's much easier to ward it off than to deal with it after it starts. Oh, and if you can schedule your radiation prior to chemo. I would go for radiation at 2:45 4 days a week, but on chemo days it was 7am, would head right up for chemo and then be able to go home.

Honestly the worst part of it all is having to go for radiation every day. That in itself gets tiring.

Sending you HUGE cyber-hugs!

My first post-surg PAP showed atypical cells but different than my cancer cell type. My 3 mo. follow-up PAP is this Monday.

I can soooo totally relate to how you must be feeling right now, 'cause it's been running around in my head, too. I hope it's some comfort knowing there are ladies here who understand and will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

What kind of cervical cancer did you have? I had adenocarcinoma. Your TAH for the cancer was March of this year, right? Wow! That's a LOT for one year!

Very best wishes as you begin your new treatment! We're all with you in spirit! Keep us posted on things.

More hugs!
monami

I also had cervical cancer, 1b1, but I followed the radical hysterectomy with radiation and chemo, then the internal radiation. Sounds exactly the same as what you are scheduled for. My gyn onc has said that he is very aggressive with my treatments because he didn't want to take any chances of a recurrence. I am very grateful for that. Up until my path came back after surgery I wasn't scheduled for the rads and chemo, the surgery was supposed to be it. But even though all of my lymph nodes and margins were clear, the tumor itself was just a bit more bulky than he would have liked to have seen. So he said if I did the additional treatments, my cure rate would jump back into the mid to high 90 percent range.

The external beam radiation wasn't so bad, if you can get passed the mental part of it, which it sounds as if you have a great attitude - I wasn't so lucky. I was only able to tolerate the cistiplan for 3 treatments (it was used as a boost for the radiation, not as the actual treatment) instead of the scheduled 5, but my onc said that was fine if I did the 3 internal. I did, again more of a mental thing than anything else. I was put into a twilight sleep for the internals, so that made me happy.

Everyone reacts differently to the same treatments, so hopefully with your positive attitude, you won't have much in the way of side effects. My worst was the urgency to empty my bladder and bowels, but meds took care of the latter. Although I still experience some urgency in that area. But I have had nothing in the way of side effects that is too bothersome.

I hope all goes well for you. This is still very curable - keep up the great positive attitude!!

Jasmine

kittiezoo - Just wanted to say how sorry i am for you that you're experiencing a recurrence of your cervical cancer. It must feel awful, and I just wanted to offer hugs and good wishes.