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← Return to Vulvar Cancer: Anyone else?
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Thank you so much. The time for all of my tests is fast approaching and I am extremely anxious. I have read so much about this cancer and most of what I have been reading is terrifying. I am comforted by the fact that I am not the only one to have faced this challenge. I was told I have lichen sclerosis, but now am not sure I do. I need answers and have to get this all straight in mind and try to accept what is happening.
Replies to "Thank you so much. The time for all of my tests is fast approaching and I..."
I have also been dealing with vulvar cancer, diagnosed November 2023. I had a radical valvectomy within a couple of weeks of diagnosis then followed up with seven weeks of radiation, no chemo. All my tests are clear now but there is that lingering worry of a recurrence. I also have lichen sclerosus which causes a lot of itching and burning. My doctor says this cancer was due partly to lichen and it tested positive for HPV. All the biopsies and tests were not difficult or painful so there’s really not much to worry about there. Radiation was challenging and took a few weeks after completed to fully heal. I had low energy for months and took about 3 weeks off work, but now, a year later I feel good. You can get through this!
I have a paget's disease of the vulva and had to have surgery
No diapers involved. I don't know what that could be. And no this is not our fault. I am now using Imiquimod and feeling tired but hopeful to not have to have surgery again right now. And, every day is a new normal
Has anyone suffered with Extramammary pagets disease ? I had vulvar cancer stage 1b I. May 2023. Read it could come back as EMPD. Is that true?
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@komiskey10 I see that your tests are scheduled for next week? Is that correct? I can identify with your anxiety as I felt so very anxious after my diagnosis of endometrial cancer (endometrioid adenocarcinoma) in 2019 and especially after a recurrence in 2021. I honestly thought I was living in a nightmare. But here I am to tell the story and to say that our anxiety leads us down a path of thinking about the worst outcome. For me I have found that what I imagine is the worst outcome almost never turns out to be true and I am far more resilient than I give myself credit for.
Can you think back to a time when you felt very anxious and once you were in the actual situation you handled it better than you thought you would? Afterwards perhaps you gave yourself a pat on the back? I'm not trying to minimize how you are feeling right now--only trying to suggest that you may have more coping resources than you realize.
Is there someone who will go to your appointments with you?