
I think that this need to touch base with the doctor will continue after I beat this cancer. As you may know, I had cancer before in 2012. I was treated and declared cancer free in 2012. My symptoms then were bleeding with intercourse and a clear discharge. That is all, no pain or anything else. My symptoms for my reoccurrence went ignored for a few months before I went to the doctor and even then I didn't call my oncologist first. I wish I would have, we could have caught this cancer earlier and maybe it would have been operable. I never really thought about it because it won't change anything now but if I had called earlier, would it have been operable? I have reasons I didn't call the oncologist, none of which seem important now. I didn't call the oncologist first because I had seen him in October. I had switched to this doctor due to a change in insurance and he was so different from my previous oncologist I honestly felt like he would not want to be bothered with something that I didn't think was cancer related. I didn't call my oncologist first because it was blood in my urine, which means it was coming from my bladder, a totally different location. I didn't call my general practitioner at first because it was Christmas when it started and honestly when I got around to calling the blood had stopped. I even saw the doctor for blood in my stool and didn't mention the blood in my urine because it hadn't been happening the week before so I thought it was done. Then, the blood in the urine started again, but I was busy, so I didn't call. I kept getting sick, just little cold like symptoms here and there but I'm a teacher, so I just figured the kids were getting me sick (it happens). My boss at one point told me I needed to get checked out because I seemed sick at work frequently (notice I wasn't taking off for these cold like symptoms, I was working). When I finally did call they got me in right away, they treated me for a UTI but the blood continued through the antibiotic and after. I called about a week after the antibiotic ended and they referred me to an urologist. It took about a week for me to be seen and then everything was put into motion.
So the question still lingers, if I had called earlier would my reoccurrence not be as bad? Would it have been operable? We won't ever know but there is one thing I do know. I will call, even if I think that something can't be related I will call. The first time I had cancer I was stage 1b2, although the don't officially restage cancer for a reoccurrence this stage would have been 3b…if it comes back (after I beat it this time) I am in trouble, it's already in my lymph nodes which means it can travel (already has). So I know, I won't wait around, I will call right away.
I hope that someone learns from my experiences. Below is a chart that describes symptoms of a variety of gynecological cancers, be sure and do not disregard symptoms. Get checked!