My Uterine Cancer Journey Decided No Chemo/Radiation

Glad that you are comfortable with your decision and I wish you strength and a good quality of life as you pursue this journey.

Thank you for posting. It seems like everyone does adjuvant therapy, even though results aren't guaranteed...
Your faith is admirable. Wishing you continuing good health and peace.

Twenty years ago I had a lumpectomy that tested positive for cancer. After doing a lot of research I decided against treatment. It was not an easy decision but 20 years later I can say it was the right answer for me. Could not have been so confident at the time.

As a result of my diagnosis, research and decision I went on a personal health journey that included going to organic foods. This was not easy 20 years ago, but we are what we eat! No doubt that the food we eat is the fuel we gift our bodies with and then hope for the best. I also worked on exercise programs and other mental and physical health support programs to provide my body the very best chance to successfully do its job.

I just had a hysterectomy and although my biopsies were all normal, I believe that my lifestyle choices over the last 20 years contributed significantly to the good outcome. I am almost 80 and so glad I have made it to enjoy retirement. I wish you peace, health and long enjoyable life experiences.

Wow!! How amazing! Wonderful tips! You are an awesome role model! Thanks for the kind, encouraging words!

Thank you for your words of support.

I had endometrial cancer in 1996, Stage 1, non aggressive, complete hysterectomy with removal of ovaries. I was told it was gone and never to worry about it again. Then in 2002 it metastasized (tennis ball size) on to my outer colon and hip bone. I had a colon resection and very strong radiation. I opted for no chemo. The radiation oncologist said he had to give it to me for a longer period of time and stronger which could kill me or cure me. That was over 20 years ago. I am doing well considering what I had but have had radiation enteritis for about 7 years. No doctor ever diagnosed me or could give me an answer to my symptoms. I had a colonoscopy and there was no cancer but my colon has strictures, scarring, etc. which causes problems. I now have bladder cancer and was told by 3 doctors it's from the radiation I had. I'm having two different types of chemo directly into my bladder once a month for a year, after I had 6 weeks of it at the beginning. The effects I'm experiencing for weeks after the chemo are pretty extreme radiation enteritis. All I can do is accept it, spend most of the day when it begins in bed resting and sleeping, drinking often, and eating very lightly. I'm extremely weak during this time. In a few days I feel myself getting back to normal and feel pretty normal. This month is my last chemo, hopefully, and I may return to just being symptomatic every few months. A doctor recommended I take turmeric for the inflammation so I began taking the liquid form recently. Hoping it helps control it. I have a very strong faith in God and this above all has helped me through this cancer journey. BTW, I also had breast cancer in 1997, a lumpectomy, radiation and am doing well.

I also had a complete hysterectomy on March 21. My surgery took over 6 hours. My cancer is the aggressive serous carcinoma the tumor was stage 1a. I’m now 5+ weeks from surgery and my interior vaginal incision has not yet completely healed so I must wait 3 more weeks to swim laps in a pool. My energy level is slowly returning, but I also think the restrictions I was given let me lose ground. I’m 89 years old, active and anxious to not tire after I walk a mile in our foothills where nothing is flat. I rejected chemo and am thinking I will also reject brachytherapy when healing is complete. Quality of life is much more important to me than quantity.

I had a full hysterectomy in February 2022 and was staged at 1A. There was a 4% chance of recurrence. Unfortunately, I'm part of that 4% because I developed a mass in the vaginal flap and colon that was removed in early March 2023. I started chemo/immunotherapy yesterday but they discovered I'm allergic to one of the anti-nausea drugs and to the chemo drug taxol. I was fine with the immunotherapy drug and didn't get to the second chemo drug because the doctors didn't want to do any more after two allergy reactions. So I'll be going back later this week to start a different chemo drug - can't remember the name - and the second chemo drug. My mom just died from pancreatic cancer - her funeral was this past Friday - so I'm very nervous about these reactions. She had a horrendous time with side affects following chemo. But i know pancreatic cancer is brutal so I'm trying not to focus on her struggles. I know she's with me and cheering me on so that I can beat this. And I WILL beat this... I need to be here for my dad and for my dog and my students and to honor my mom. And I will beat this for ME!

Good luck to you! I so hope they find a treatment with no side effects! If I may ask, how did you know you had a recurrence?

Hi JJevitts - I had a bowel obstruction and had to have emergency surgery to remove it. Thankfully, the surgeon only had to remove the part of my colon where the blockage was (i had colitis in the rest of the colon) so I now have a colostomy until after chemo. Pathology came back as a recurrence of the uterine cancer.