After cancer treatments

After you are treated for cervical cancer, you get pap smears every three months for the first two years and then every six months for years three thru five.

As my luck would go, I have never been declared in remission.  My first pap came back bad which was expected as treatments had just ended.  My next two also came back bad - still showing high grade dysplasia.  After the third one, the gyneological oncologist decided to do a laser treatment.  This was done in the hospital.  They do not go very deep as the wall lining is thin and can damage the rectum wall - very dangerous.  The next pap went from high grade dysplasia to carcinoma in situ.  Not good as it is one more step closer to recurrence of cancer.  He started me on 12 weeks(once a week) chemo cream.  It is not terrible - but does cause a couple of days of irritation.  The doc told me it shouldn't cause any irritation - but if there is a side effect, I will get it.  I go back to see him after my sixth treatment - which is in two or three weeks.

I also saw my Radiation Oncologist a couple of weeks ago.  I asked her if many of her patients have all these problems that I have experienced.  She said no.  She said I was high risk due to my Rheumatoid arthritis which has vascular issues and can cause the radiation damage to be more severe.  I also asked if I could get more intestinal blockages - unfortunately the answer was yes.  Once again, if there is a side effect I will get it.

Thanks to all my prayer warriors out there!  Please keep praying.  I greatly appreciate it.  More later -