Getting diagnosed: Back in 1999, I had an abnormal Pap test. At that time, there was no such thing as standard HPV testing and the connection between high risk HPV and cervical cancer existed, but was not common knowledge. Colposcopies and biopsies were not leading to any answers. It wasn’t until the end of 2000 that my doctor was able to access an HPV test kit to see if that gave some insight into the problem. Luckily, it did.

The test showed that I had high risk HPV. A colposcopy showed what looked to be a cancerous lesion. The biopsy results confirmed it and one week later, I was told I had aggressive cervical cancer. I would need a hysterectomy at age 40.

How I felt: It was such a sad, chaotic and frightening time for my family, my friends, and me. How did this happen? I had been going to the doctor regularly and getting every test done as requested. How could they not have caught this and addressed it before it got so advanced?

My treatment: I had a hysterectomy, but was told that no radiation or chemotherapy was needed since all margins came back clear.

Complications: I had a fluid-filled stomach, which was thought to be more cancer, but ended up being an infection related to the internal organs shifting around after surgery. There were also a few heart stopping reality checks – what they thought was metastasis in my liver, and a false/positive PET scan that suggested even more extensive metastasis, but turned out to be wrong!

More cancer: Life was getting back on track after the hysterectomy. Then, about a year and a half later, I was shaving my armpits one morning and found a walnut-sized lump under my arm.

My doctor first gave me antibiotics to address a possible infection, but after the lump didn’t change, my doctor ordered a biopsy. The pathology report came back that it was cervical cancer that landed in my lymph nodes. Because of the removal of the lymph nodes in my pelvic region during the hysterectomy, the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under my arm. This was a far spread from the original site and also considered Stage IV. So out it came! I then had chemo cisplatin for one entire day once a week for 10 weeks and simultaneously had radiation everyday to the chest and underarm for five days for 10 weeks. No one was sure how to treat this since this was not a normal occurrence! I consulted with many different doctors all over the country and luckily found a concoction that worked!

Life beyond cancer: The first few years, I had numbness in my legs from the hysterectomy and some numbness in my left arm. Thankfully, that is now gone. But I still have chemo brain – overall, everything is manageable.

When I was diagnosed, HPV testing had just started and many doctors had no clue as to what to do with HPV results and how to manage it. I am truly thankful to be cancer free today!