"Diagnosis treatment and after care of cervical cancer"

I had been trying to conceive for over 2 years without success. I had been tracking my ovulation and had some spotting bleeding between periods. I just put this down to ovulation spotting. I was overdue my smear test and booked into the clinic to attend.

I had also made an appointment with the GP to talk about the bleeding I was experiencing and about being unsuccessful at conceiving. I had already had my smear test carried out and sent away when I saw my Gp. They had a look at my cervix and urgently referred me to see the gynaecologist. I was seen within a week.

On attending the appointment with the Gynaecologist in Nov 2018 I advised him I had been trying to conceive. He examined my cervix using dye and took biopsies. He advised me and my partner that he could not see anything sinister and that cervix just looked inflamed. He advised he was not sending the biopsies away as urgent. He told me to keep trying to conceive. He put my mind a rest that there was nothing sinister going on and told me biopsy results can take up to 8 weeks to come back.

A few weeks after I'd seen the gynaecologist I received a telephone call from the appointments advising me I had to go for a colposcopy. This panicked me and I tried to telephone the gynaecology secretary to find out why I was being asked to go for this. They advised I didn’t have to attend as I had just had biopsies taken but to book it for January.

I was booked in for January 2019. On attending this appointment that Friday morning, my partner sat in the waiting room when I was called through as I knew I was going to have this procedure done so didn’t want him in the room. The Dr shouted me in and sat me down. Her words were I’m sorry to inform you that your biopsy results have came back and you have cervical cancer. I was shocked, sitting there on my own, no one with me. I felt numb.

After she had told me the devastating news she asked if there was anyone with me. I left the room to get my partner. I then proceeded to have a pro woof the colposcopy carries out. The dr told me by the look of things that the cancer was at an early stage and spoke about burning the cells away. She advised me that I would need an mri scan to determine my stage and treatment. She advised me that the cancer support nurse would be in contact with me.

So there I was on a Friday morning told I had cancer, and to wait on a phone call. No information leaflets, no support contacts. Just sent home with the knowledge of a cancer diagnosis and nothing else. As you can imagine my head was all over the place however all I felt was numb. The weekend passed and so did the rest of the following week, I still had heard nothing from anyone no cancer support nurse or any dr. As the time was going on I became more anxious. I decided to try get a hold of the cancer support nurse on my own.

I carried out a google search and found a telephone number. The receptionist I spoke to told me I had came through to the hub. She advised she would pass my details onto the support nurse. After an hour or so I received a telephone call from the support nurse. By the time she called I was really emotional I tried to explain to her what had happened and I said that I was angry I had been left. Her words to me were that she was sorry but was not prepared to take me anger, this made me an emotional wreck and I was in the darkest place I had ever been in seeking for support to be spoken to like this from the very person who is paid to support you. She told me that she had not been passed my details from the consultant who had told me I had cancer. So right from the beginning my relationship with the cancer support nurse got off to a bad start.

Once I got off the phone to her I was screaming hysterically and they way I had been spoken to. I met with her once after my mri scan and she told me my cancer staging and what treatment I was to under go. She advised me she would be in contact through my treatment and afterwards. I messaged her a few times looking for blood results she never got back to me. I messaged a few times during treatment and she never once asked me how I was feeling or coping with anything.

Once I started attending the treatment hospital I was given an appointment to meet my oncology consultant and discuss my cancer treatment. On the day of the appointment I was called into a room with a registrar dr. He introduced himself and began to ask me questions regarding my health. He advised me because of a blood disorder I have I would be be unable to under go chemotherapy it would only be radiotherapy.

I asked him questions and he kept telling me different things. By the end of the Conversation had me in a right state crying and emotionally distressed. He had initially informed me I could not have chemo and then he said I would get chemo. I told him I couldn’t sit in the consult room any longer and that I wished to leave. He advised me that I couldn’t go as I had yet to see the consultant. I was very angry as I thought that had been my consult but he advised he was only having a chat with me and he was a trainee.

By the time I saw my consultant I had experience a traumatic consult with the registrar. In my opinion this should have never been allowed without someone supervising him. This was a cancer diagnosis and very difficult time I should have never been out through that. Once I saw my consultant she was straight to the point and told me everything I needed to know within a few minutes put my mind at rest. I was awkward as the registrar was also in the room.

I managed my treatment which consisted of 6 weeks chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I finished my treatment in April 2019. I then attended an MRI scan in the July I got the all clear in Aug 2019.

The after care has been very poor. I had 4 monthly appointments. I took a major breakdown in dec 2019 and I believe that everything I had went through just all hit me at the one time. There was no support emotionally or mentally. I now believe I have ptsd. I was trying to convince when I was diagnosis and no I have lost my fertility. This has never been spoken about I was just left to deal with the fact I can no longer have children on my own. This whole experience has left me on my own. I do not want anyone to ever go through what I did.

There should have been a cancer support nurse in attendance when I was diagnosed or information and support services advised of. I am now 18 months out of treatment and experiencing a lot of mental health problems which I feel had I had the proper support at the time I would not be experiencing what I am now. The fact the gynaecologist told me in the nov he didn’t see anything sinister and the length of time it took to diagnose after the biopsies. Everything that has happened from the begging to the end has had a serious negative impact on my life now.

My Gp surgery have been amazing throughout from gps to the receptionist. I cannot thank them enough for everything.