cervical cancer

Kilimanjaro Cancer Crusher

It’s funny the way life has a way of twisting and turning in unpredictable ways. I never imagined that I would have cancer, let alone cancer in my vagina. I also never imagined that my diagnosis would lead me around the world to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. But that’s exactly where I am heading in just two short months.

My adventure really begins with an abnormal Pap Test at the age of 34 after a routine gyn checkup. The moment the doctor told me I had HPV was something I will never forget. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I was surprised and mortified that I had an STI. Me? No way! But, yes, I am one of the 4 out of 5 Americans with HPV. Despite the several procedures my doctor tried to rid my cervix of the dysplasia nothing was working and I eventually had a total hysterectomy. HPV wasn’t done with me, however, and three years later symptoms returned and I was diagnosed with stage 2 vaginal cancer. This time surgery was not an option and I had two months of chemotherapy, external radiation and internal radiation. The treatment was successful and I have, very thankfully and gratefully, been cancer free for almost three years.

My cancer experience immediately brought life into focus and forced me to really examine what I was doing with mine. I rapidly decided upon 2 driving ideas….1) Although I was weaker and sicker than I had imagined possible, I was alive and recovering. I was determined to outlive my diagnosis and have as much adventure and travel as possible. And 2) I would dedicate my survivorship to prevent other women from living my experience and make my heartbreak count for others.

Since my treatment ended I have been working diligently on these two missions. I’ve learned how to whitewater kayak and paddled some of the most beautiful rivers and lakes in the South, and hiked the Rockies in Colorado and the Sierras in California. I met and was inspired by the adventure of an ovarian cancer survivor, advocate, and friend of mine to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Me? Sure, why not?! During this time I also became a passionate advocate for Cervivor and share HPV and cervical/vaginal cancer awareness and information at events and through social media.

Very quickly my two missions began to converge. My preparation and research of Kilimanjaro and Tanzania naturally brought me to global cervical cancer advocacy. I quickly uncovered the heartbreaking cervical cancer burden in Tanzania. Globally, more than 500k women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 270k of those women will die, 90% of them in underdeveloped regions. Women in Tanzania with the same diagnosis as me suffer from an astounding 80% mortality rate. A tragic combination of lack of reproductive health knowledge, access to medical treatment, trained professionals, and basic supplies usually means that women are diagnosed at more advanced stages than the typical American and often do not receive treatment.

The fact that so many women die at the hands of an almost completely preventable disease every year is a tragedy of epic proportion. There was no way I could travel to Kilimanjaro without trying to do whatever I could to help these women and communities. I pulled together a committed team of people, including my own gyn oncologist, to climb Kilimanjaro with me. We are dedicating our climb and have successfully met our goal to fund a cervical cancer screening clinic in Tanzania with the organization Cure Cervical Cancer. Our team leaves for Tanzania later this summer for the trip of a lifetime including a tour of a remote mobile cervical cancer screening clinic in Moshi, a 7-day hike up 19k feet on Mt. Kilimanjaro and a safari. We are training regularly, hiking a lot, and currently trying to coordinate our ridiculously long packing lists.

I came across a Steve Jobs’ quote the other day that struck me, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” This whole adventure began with a “crazy” idea and a passion to DO something. With the help of my family, friends and supporters, my dreams are coming true and I could not be more humbled and grateful. My cancer does not define me, nor has it held me back. It fuels my fire to live my life with purpose and adventure. I hope my experiences inspire YOU – what’s your next adventure?

Read Sarah’s Cervivor story here.

Follow along with the Kili Cancer Crushers’ team on Facebook or Crowdrise.

Stressed Spelled Backwards Is Desserts

Do you know those moments in life where they hit you so strong you will never forget it? Moments that change your direction in life? For me that moment was months before I was told I had cancer. At the time I was living in McLean, VA and I was at my doctor’s office which was close by. It was a follow-up after my annual exam and the exact words were “what did you do in the last year that stressed you out so much.”

Funny, I responded so nonchalant and said, “work”. It didn’t even take the doctor a second to come back and say “find a new job.” That was the appointment I was told I had HPV. I had no clue what that meant except I was told that so many people had it and it was probably just lying dormant in my body waiting for the breakdown. Imagine that, a dormant disease waiting for stress to weaken you just enough that it can begin battle. It is like the tale of the Trojan Horse, an army waiting, hiding for their moment to concur. I was completely ignorant to the stigma associated with HPV, well, at least until I told a family member and that was met with words so hurtful that I was speechless. The days following led to a Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP), a lot of reading, and many lectures on managing stress.

That was my moment. Now, I can’t say I don’t stress. I am human, it is part of life, but I can say I am much better at stepping back and minimizing stress. Learning Where To Buy CBD Oil In Iowa thanks to HerbMighty was a really useful way of doing just that. My HPV resulted in cervical cancer and luckily it was caught early. From the moment I was told I had HPV to the moment I was told I had cancer and then what I call the year of many surgeries, I took a step back and told myself to wake up and reprioritize.

Some people exercise, some people even consider switching up their old mattress, in the hopes of finding the best mattress to help improve comfort, some change careers, some seek spiritual guidance; the list goes on, and on, and on. Me? I bake cakes. Cake decorating was a hobby that I enjoyed and I found that it was a great outlet for me. Taking classes, learning new techniques, or simply painting on fondant. It’s not a business, just a hobby. The best part of my reprioritization was that I remembered how much it meant to me to volunteer. I found a volunteer opportunity that allows me to make creative birthday cakes for children who live in shelters. Baking and volunteering; equals one happy me. How awesome is that! I get to bake while bringing smiles to lots of children who would not normally have a birthday party. I go all out. It brings me such joy to create a special cake for these children.

So what is your outlet? What things or activities help you manage your stress?

Read Tina’s Cervivor Story here.