Sisterhood of Survivorship
Sharing, Caring, Surviving
Teri L's Story
Year Diagnosed: 2008
Type of Cancer: uterine
I am 51. One day, a week before Christmas of 2008, I began spotting, lightly. No pain. No other symptom. I had already been thru menopause so figured it must be holiday stress related. I decided, because of all the last minute Christmas stuff I still had to do, to wait til after Christmas to see my Gyn. As day progressed I thought, well, I might as well go now and get it over with. I called and got in the next day. He thought everything seemed fine as I always made regular visits for paps and checkups. But he said to be on the safe side lets to a uterine biopsy. It took literally a few minutes. I told him to call me if he found anything. I forgot about it after that with the hustle bustle of the few days before Christmas. Then on Christmas Eve morning, he called to tell me my biopsy had come back and it was cancer. By two p.m. Christmas Eve afternoon I was in the office of a GYN oncologist. Dr Richards agreed to see me immediately even though it was Christmas Eve. He was so calming and explained everything. I knew that day I had just met my own personal Christmas miracle. Surgery was Dec. 30th. I was blessed again with being able to have my complete hysterectomy and then some with my Dr. Richards leading the charge. I ended up with Stage 1A Uterine Cancer and was blessed again with them telling me they were able to get it all. No Chemo or Radiation. Lesson of this story is, because of being busy I came very close to letting that simple painless symptom go unchecked. But something kept nagging me that day to go in and thank god I did. Thank God too for my Gyn who talked me into a biopsy. And Thank God for sending me to Dr. Richards. Spotting between periods, or after menopause can seem like such a nothing thing, and chances are it probably is. But in my case it was the VERY sign that saved my life and it could save yours.