A mother of seven recently shared her experience of being diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer, which came as a shock despite having suspected something was wrong.
She initially went to the emergency department in October 2022, after her sister, a nurse, suggested that her swollen leg could be deep vein thrombosis.
The swelling was later found to be a superficial blood clot, and she was told not to worry. However, a month later, a second blood clot was discovered in her abdomen, and she was prescribed blood thinners.
In the following months, she suffered from back pain, shortness of breath, a dry cough, and weight loss, for which she was prescribed antibiotics and a preventer.
Eventually, an ECG revealed abnormalities in her heart, and she was hospitalized, where a biopsy revealed stage four cancer that had spread to her pelvic bone and lower spine, with suspected tumors in her heart.
She has since undergone two rounds of chemotherapy every week and immunotherapy once every three weeks, in addition to taking regular blood thinners, and her health has significantly deteriorated.
Nevertheless, she remains positive and hopeful for her recovery. A GoFundMe page was set up by her nurse sister to support her through treatment and care for her children, which has raised over $220,000. The family is urging women to prioritize their annual pap smears and not take their health for granted.
