I requested a hysterectomy last year due to bleeding, severe pain,
pain and bleeding with intercourse. I had already had a couple of
other procedures done prior to requesting the hysterectomy. I had
my annual pap smear which came back with three things that suggest
cancer.

I received a call from the doctor, telling me that since they were
going to do a hysterectomy, there was no need to run any further
tests. Since I was completely ignorant, I said "ok".

I had my partial hysterectomy (as I was just 44) and at my two week
check-up the doctor said everything went well. He then said, let me
see if there is anything else, oh, you have cancer! but we don't
know what type. We are going to discuss this at the Stevens
Hospital Tumor Board and I will let you know. They meet weekly so
should have an answer within a week.

After a week, I was told that they still didn't know what type of
cancer that I had. They would send a sample to Johns Hopkins, so
they could discuss at their tumor board.

Another week, I was told they couldn't pin it down, but my doctor
then referred me to an Oncologist in Seattle, Washington. I went to
see her and she said that Johns Hopkins did not receive enough
samples to make a diagnosis. She said that the Swedish Tumor Board
would meet on this and they would also send additional samples to
Johns Hopkins.

Another 10 days and I met with my new Oncologist. She told me that
they determined that I had Endometrial Uterine Cancer that had
already travelled to my Cervix. I need to have another surgery and
then radiation. This was on a Wednesday and they scheduled my
surgery for Friday.

This surgery would stage my cancer as well as determine if it had
traveled anywhere else in my body. I had that surgery and found out
a few days later that it did not appear that the cancer had spread
elsewhere.

I met with the radiation doctor after a few weeks. He explained
that I had to have radiation, since my first surgery (hysterectomy)
was only a partial and should have been a cancer hysterectomy, that
removes everything at once. Once the partial was done, they could
not reach a couple of areas, so I had to have daily radiation for
six weeks.

Being a single parent, I had to work thru the radiation treatment in
order to have a paycheck. Since I had two surgeries and wasn't
financially prepared for both, I basically lived on credit cards for
the second surgery (I had only financially prepared for the first
surgery.) I have finally made my last payment to the two hospitals
a month ago.

I thought I was doing ok until I went in for my annual mamogram and
was called back for an ultrasound. After the ultrasound I was told
I was ok, it was just a group of cysts. Needless to say I was very
relieve.

However, I guess I never really dealt with the cancer issue in the
first place, as I am now angry, upset, depressed, fatigued, etc... I
am normally the strong one, both at home and at work, and I think it
has just worn me down. I need to find others to talk too, that have
possibly experienced cancer, and can tell me where there is help.

I don't have the extra money to see a therapist, unless I charge it
again as I am still digging out of that financial problem. I know
it has helped me just to write this down and get it out.

I have thought many times about writing my original doctor and
asking WHY he did not run the tests so I would have had only one
surgery and no radiation. I don't know what good it would do, other
than possibly redirectly my anger. Thanks for letting me go on and
on. Laurie