Coping with Women's Cancers
A friend who attended The Patient Path’s uterine cancer talk in January 2017 was inspired to consult a gynecologist, something she hadn’t done in five years, about a mysterious abdominal pain. I’ll tell you at the outset that Diana’s story has a happy ending. But she did experience a uterine cancer scare, which has a personal… Continue reading Diana’s Story: A Uterine Cancer Scare with a Personal Twist
Illuminating Enlightening Women about Uterine Cancer Central New Jersey-Area Residents: Please join me on Saturday, January 28, 2017, at 2:00 PM at the Hunterdon County Library Headquarters (Route 12) in Flemington for a conversation about uterine (endometrial) cancer—the 4th most common cancer in US women and the most common gynecologic cancer. (Registration information appears below.) Although… Continue reading Enlightening Women about Uterine Cancer: A Live Conversation
This Tuesday, November 17, 2015, was my (almost) two-year post-hysterectomy checkup. I underwent a total da Vinci hysterectomy for uterine (endometrial) cancer on December 13, 2013 (a Friday). Following is a brief update on my progress and information about a clinical research study I agreed to participate in. Previous posts about my cancer story are here. On Tuesday,… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Two Years Post-Hysterectomy
Still my favorite story of all time, A Christmas Carol was published 171 years ago, on December 19, 1843. Click the book to view the only existing manuscript version of the novella. See it in person at the (J. Pierpont) Morgan Library & Museum in New York. Do take a look—it’s a treasure. On that same date last… Continue reading Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Post Christmas 2014 Reflections on “Christmases Yet to Come”
eleven is peachy . . . Today I had my 11-month post-hysterectomy visit (my surgery was December 13, 2013). My checkup regularity was thrown off by an abnormal Pap test this summer. Fortunately, it was followed by a normal Pap test—and also by a normal vaginal biopsy, taken during a colposcopy. Doing due diligence, my… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: 11-Month Checkup on 11/11 . . . and Another Pap
An Autumn Peach Reviewing my past year with uterine (endometrial) cancer, I am grateful for and thank everyone for their support. Also wishing my sisters with all gynecologic and breast cancers the very best this fall season. October 10, 2013: A year ago today, my reading group met to discuss The Book Thief by Markus Zusak,… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: An Autumn Peach
A beautiful bowl of summer cherries . . . Yesterday, as I was preparing to leave the house to visit my friend Pat R. for lunch, I saw that I had missed a call on my cell phone while I was upstairs getting ready. An assistant from my gynecologic oncologist’s office had called, something that… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: A Surprise Bowl of Summer Cherries
Yesterday began another two-week waiting period for more Pap results. In the July 22, 2014 post, I described the results of the uncomfortable colposcopy and biopsy I had earlier in the month (reported on July 10). I returned to the doctor's office yesterday for what I thought would be a routine Pap test. However, after the doctor… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Second Colposcopy and Repeat Pap
Photo Copyright 2003, Nelson Soucasaux In the July 10, 2014 post, I explained why I underwent a colposcopy and biopsy on July 9. It took two weeks minus one day to get the results, which I received by way of a phone call from an assistant in the doctor's office at noon today. I don’t know why it… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Biopsy & Re-reviewed Pap Results
As I reported in the July 2, 2014 post, my gynecologic oncologist (surgeon) performed a Pap (Papanicolaou) test during my six-month post-hysterectomy pelvic exam on June 19. The results showed “Epithelial Cell Abnormality; Atypical Glandular Cells of Undetermined Significance (AGUS).” This was unwelcome news. So, yesterday I had a colposcopy (from the Greek word kolpos, referring to the vagina and/or womb, + -scopy, examination with a… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Post-Colposcopy Report
The Patient Path 