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Cervical Cancer - Patient Narratives (c) www.healthtalkonline.org
 
 
1 how it affects you
Image Describes her initial feelings and explains that things got better once tests and plans for treatments began.
Image Describes the time between her diagnosis and treatment as the most peaceful time in her life.
Image She didn't feel worried and never considered that she might die.
Image Describes the range of emotions she felt when she was told she had cancer.
Image She didn't want to accept her diagnosis and felt angry because she had gone for regular smears.
Image Her initial fears were that she would not be able to have children then later felt scared that she might die.
Image Describes the panic she felt when she was told she needed further treatment.
Image Describes her feelings when she was told her cancer had been found to be more advanced than initially thought.
Image She wanted to start treatment as quickly as possible and it wasn't until after her operation that she felt the impact of her diagnosis.
2 Hysterectomy
Image Describes her experiences prior to hysterectomy.
Image The epidural effectively managed her pain after her hysterectomy and she was surprised by how quickly she recovered.
Image Describes the pain she experienced after her hysterectomy.
Image Describes an episode where she had problems with her pain relief after her hysterectomy.
Image Explains why she changed her type of pain relief when she realised morphine was making her feel sick.
Image Describes her recovery in hospital after her hysterectomy.
Image She didn't find it painful when the drains were being removed.
Image Describes why she felt it important not to overdo things after her hysterectomy.
Image Describes what it was like going back to work after her hysterectomy and suggests doing this gradually.
Image Describes how her emotions were very up and down after her hysterectomy because of hormonal changes.
Image Describes the bladder problems she had for one month after her hysterectomy.
Image Describes the problems she had with her bladder after her hysterectomy.
Image She experienced a change in how her bladder works after her hysterectomy.
Image Her post-operative pain from her hysterectomy affected her ability to drive her car daily to work but a TENS unit has helped reduce her pain.
Image Describes how she was affected by lymphoedema in her leg and that massage and support stocking s have helped.
Image She couldn't wear trousers for six months because of her lymphoedema.
3. Internal radiotherapy
Image She describes feeling discomfort when she woke from her anaesthetic after the rods had been inserted in to her vagina.
Image She explains that she felt happy during internal radiotherapy.
Image Describes the pain she experienced during internal radiotherapy and how she coped.
Image She comments that she did not feel any pain when the rods were removed from her vagina after internal radiotherapy.
Image She had been worried about having the rods removed after internal radiotherapy but it had not been painful.
Image She describes her experience of using a douche after internal radiotherapy.
Image She describes her recovery from radiotherapy.
4. Living with it: Fertility
Image She wanted to try for a baby before she had treatment.
Image She wanted to have another child and found it difficult when others didn't understand why she was so upset about losing her fertility.
Image Explains that five years after her treatment she found it hard not being able to have a second child and describes how she coped with her feelings.
Image Explains that she finds it upsetting attending her check-up appointments which are held in the gynaecology department.
Image Describes how over the years she has come to terms with not being able to have children.
Image Explains that not being able to have children was not a problem when she started a new relationship.
Image Describes the cryo-ovarian preservation operation she had before radiotherapy.
Image Describes what it has been like pursuing surrogacy and IVF options.
5. Living with it: Sex and sexuality
Image Comments that radiotherapy did not have any negative effect on her sex life.
Image Explains that her radiotherapy and hysterectomy had caused little difference to her sex life.
Image She explains that she experiences less intense orgasms after her hysterectomy.
Image She describes how sex has been different after her hysterectomy and external radiotherapy.
Image She experienced difficulties rebuilding her sex life after radio-chemotherapy before it was restored to normal.
Image Explains that she experienced some temporary difficulties rebuilding her sex life after her radical hysterectomy.
Image Her feelings of sexuality were not changed by having a trachelectomy.
Image Explains how she feels different sexually four months after radio-chemotherapy.
Image Describes how losing her fertility because of her hysterectomy has led to her feeling less of a woman.
 

 

 

  
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Psycho-oncology.Info

C/O Depart of Cancer & Molecular Medicine

Leicester Royal Infirmary & University of Leicester

Leicester LE5 1WW

 

Alex Mitchell, Consultant in Psycho-oncology ajm80@le.ac.uk

Chris Coggan, Senior Nurse Practitioner in Psycho-oncology  chris.coggan@leicspart.nhs.uk

Sue Todd,   Nurse Practitioner in Psycho-oncology  sue.todd@leicspart.nhs.uk

Julia Middleton, Associate Specialist in Psychiatry  julia.middleton@leicspart.nhs.uk