How One Cervivor Marks Important Milestones

On May 26, 2017 I found out my entire reproductive system needed to be removed when I received a cancer diagnosis over the phone: grade one endometrial cancer. The gynecologist said I would receive a call from oncology that day and that they were deeply sorry. One week prior, I’d received an acceptance letter into the accelerated MSW program. The start of that semester was not to be. I had hopes to begin the following cohort. 

Lorie’s original diagnosis

I was wheeled into surgery in July, eyes still damp from tears. Within a week of surgery, I received news that my grade one endometrial cancer was instead invasive grade two cervical cancer. Oncology apologized for the unexpected diagnosis. The tumor board suggested daily high dose pelvic radiation with concurrent weekly platinum chemo. I stood up, holding my entire post-surgery swollen abdomen and pelvis, agreed to it all, and left. I called my master’s advisor and said the treatment would continue through the beginning of winter. I found it difficult to breathe and I couldn’t hear what she said, except that she was terribly sorry. It wasn’t just the additional news of the treatment. It was the news coupled with the fact that I had already lost so much prior to this. I’d just spent a week in the hospital before my diagnosis due to severe asthma attack and had to rebuild my lungs. I had put myself through school for all my previous degrees (summa cum laude with my most recent), while co-managing a department and staff, while supporting my household which we lost to foreclosure after my partner lost his job (packing instead of going on a honeymoon) and staying with my mom months at a time to care for her after each of her falls. 

Lorie’s final diagnosis

I continued to focus on my dreams, even after my department closed to a college-wide restructure, my health deteriorated, and I lost my mother. The MSW dream wasn’t meant to be, and it was the first time in my life I couldn’t make the impossible possible for myself. I did not tolerate treatment well. In fact, the following years were spent dealing with the fallout from the radiation and now small nerve neuropathy from the cisplatin. Still, during this time, I became a cervical cancer advocate. Word got out, and I would begin to receive calls from strangers whose loved ones were at end of life. I would hold the hands of the dying after driving to their homes and hospitals. I used my adult-ed teaching and training to raise awareness and educate the community about cervical cancer.

Lorie with Bella striking their Cervi pose.

There is more on the horizon that only those closest to me know about. I am also due to have another major surgery to my abdomen soon and the level of fear is exquisite. Through everything, I am still grateful knowing that I find beauty in the lakes and the trees. Comforted, that I am a part of a community of survivors who hold space for each other. Although my actual cancerversary is November 1, the day I completed treatment, this month I remember the three words that changed my quality of life forever. 

Lorie is a three and half year cervical cancer survivor, thanks to life-changing surgery and cancer treatment. Prior to her diagnosis, Lorie worked in research, employee training and development, case management, workshop facilitating and sales. She now dedicates herself to cancer advocacy and support, community education on cancer and HPV awareness as well as elder and animal rights. Lorie is a community member of Cervivor.

“Your cervix looks different this year”

“Your cervix looks different this year,” said my primary care doctor several years ago, as she performed the pelvic exam part of my annual exam. I remember chuckling to myself, not fully grasping the severity of her comment yet. Instead, I laid on the table thinking, “How does she remember what my cervix looks like from year to year?”

My doctor referred me to a gynecologist when the exam was over. I didn’t understand, but I also didn’t ask any questions. I visited the gynecologist two days later. She performed a colposcopy and referred me to an oncologist. Two days after that, I met with the oncologist and he told me that I had stage 2B cervical cancer. What started out as a routine exam had quickly turned into a life-threatening diagnosis.

What if…? What if…? What if…?

How could I have cervical cancer? I didn’t feel sick. I had no symptoms. (Cervical cancer symptoms can include, but are not limited to, abnormal vaginal discharge, bleeding between periods, or pelvic pain during intercourse.) I went to my doctor every year for my annual well-woman exam and the results of my Pap tests always came back normal. But somehow, in the span of only one year, a 4 cm tumor had grown on my cervix. In one year, I went from having a normal Pap test result to having cancer. What a difference one year can make.

I started chemotherapy and radiation treatment to save my life. Doctors declared me cancer-free after I completed these treatments over the course of a few months. Today, I am a seven-year cervical cancer survivor. But my story could have been drastically different if I had skipped my well-woman exam that year.

What if I had used an excuse, like “I’m too busy”, to justify putting off that appointment? Or what if I had told myself that skipping one year wouldn’t hurt anything because I’m a generally healthy person? What if I had assumed my Pap test results would continue to be normal like they always had been? How much longer would my cancer have gone undetected? How far would my cancer have spread without my knowing? Would my prognosis have been different if my cancer wasn’t detected when it was? Would I even be alive today?

The importance of annual visits and cancer screenings

A cancer diagnosis is life changing. A cancer screening is lifesaving. Scheduling my annual exam saved my life. My cancer was detected early enough to be effectively treated because I went to my doctor every year.

If I had not scheduled my exam that year, my cancer would have continued to grow undetected and my life would have been at risk.

Preventative care exams are a breast exam, pelvic exam, and a Pap (and HPV) test. A Pap test looks for abnormal cells. If needed, these can be treated before they become cancerous. The HPV test looks for high-risk HPV that can cause abnormal cells. This lets your healthcare provider monitor you more closely for cell changes.. When the Pap test and HPV test are both performed during an exam, it is referred to as co-testing.

What are you waiting for?!

  • Reduce your risk for cervical cancer through screening tests, like the Pap test and HPV test.
  • Take care of yourself by scheduling your annual well-woman exam.
  • Raise awareness for cervical cancer detection and prevention by telling your family and friends to schedule their annual well-woman exams.
  • Benefit from Iowa’s Care for Yourself program, which provides free or low-cost cancer screenings for Iowans. Many other states have free or low-cost cancer screening programs too. Be sure to visit your state or county health department’s website.
  • Make a resolution to protect your health all year long.

About the Author

Emily Hoffman is a seven-year cervical cancer survivor who was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer at age 30. She is a patient advocate and Cervivor Ambassador who shares her cancer story to raise awareness for cervical cancer and educate others on the importance of cancer screenings and prevention. Emily is the recipient of the 2020 Cervivor Spark Award. She is currently pursuing her certification to become a cancer registrar.