How my story begins: I had a late-term miscarriage in August 2023. My water broke at 17 weeks and I was induced. My husband and I decided to wait at least six months before trying to get pregnant again. Around January 2024, I noticed abnormal bleeding in between periods, which was very unusual for me. I scheduled an appointment with my gynecologist who said it was most likely a side-effect from being on birth control. I requested an ultrasound to make sure all was good.

The ultrasound results indicated a mass located within my cervix. I was worried, but after speaking to my gynecologist again, she advised the mass was most likely a polyp or fibroid. She suggested we leave it or have surgery to remove it. I elected to have surgery. After surgery, she came to my bedside and said she couldn't see anything to remove and the mass was located within the cervical tissue. I asked what that meant and she said it could be cervical cancer.

Life before my diagnosis: Life before my diagnosis was good. I was busy working and caring for my family. My husband and I were also planning to get pregnant again.

How I felt after diagnosis: Three days after surgery, I got a phone call from my gynecologist confirming it was indeed squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. I was devastated and cried so much. I thought about my girls and the possibility of dying, leaving them without a mother. I was also angry thinking how could this be. I got the HPV vaccine as a young adult, never missed a pap and all my exams have come back normal, negative for HPV.

Telling my family and friends: I told my sister first over the phone and she remained calm, assuring me the cancer will be removed and I was going to be okay. I told my husband next and he was extremely supportive, also shocked. I have two daughters. My husband and I decided not to tell our eight year old, unless my hair fell out and I showed obvious signs of being sick. Telling my nineteen year old was extremely hard. We both cried and hugged each other. I told her I was going to be okay and we just needed to keep our faith in God. The rest of my family and friends were shocked, but supportive as well. The amount of support I received was overwhelming and it's something I will never forget.

My treatment: I had a radical hysterectomy with lymph node dissection. Even though my tumor was localized within the cervix, pathology results indicated the tumor was Grade 3, the most aggressive kind and preventative treatment was needed. My treatment consisted of five chemo (Cisplatin) sessions and 25 external radiation sessions.

How I felt after treatment: I dealt with a range of side-effects during and after treatment. Nausea, constipation at first and then diarrhea, and a burning sensation while urinating, to name a few. My oncologist said my hair wasn't going to fall out, but I noticed more started falling out than usual. My hair feels thin now, but it could be due to lack of nutrients.

I was extremely happy to be done with treatment and looked forward to getting relief.

What was most difficult for me: The most difficult part was accepting that my life was never going to be the same. Recovery from surgery and treatment were difficult. I prayed A LOT and just handled each day at a time.

What I did to help myself: I found several cancer survivors on social media that inspired me. I also communicated with my family and friends often to ensure I wasn't keeping my feelings inside, which is what I tend to do most of time. Most importantly, my faith in God is what carried me through each day.

My life after cancer: Life after cancer is not the same. I'm trying my hardest to not worry about a recurrence. I'm also dealing with bladder issues and I worry my bladder was damaged during radiation. I lost a lot of weight during treatment and I'm trying to gain it back to get more energy.

Where I am today: Today, I am feeling a lot better. Not 100%, but I'm getting there. I am going to get a PET scan in three months (January 2025). It will be my first post treatment. My outlook on life has completely changed. I now cherish family time like never before. I used to complain about getting older. I now realize that getting older is a privilege and I will never complain about my age again. I will be attending church regularly as well as my faith in God has never been stronger.

What I want other women to know: Cancer is terrifying, but don't let it stop you from living your life. When I was diagnosed, I crawled into a hole feeling sad and scared. I then realized I was wasting time, when instead I should be living life with my family as I didn't know what the future would hold.

How I will try to help others: I hardly post on Instagram, but I shared my story to advocate for cervical cancer screening. I now encourage my family and friends to stay on top of their Pap tests and mammograms. I got a Pap after being diagnosed with cervical cancer and it came back normal, negative for HPV. For most women though, Pap tests detect precancerous cells. After being diagnosed with cervical cancer, I went online to look for survivors and I came across Cervivor. I am thankful for those stories and for that reason, I decided to share my story on here as well.