“Silent Killer”
Gladys’ Story
In 2013, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. I am happy to tell you that I am now cancer free. All praises and honor go to God, our creator. In October 2012, I went to my family doctor (PCP) for my annual physical. I asked for a pap, and was told by the physician assistant, that at my age I was no longer required to have a pap test. I was 62, I insisted, and reluctantly was given the test. The test came back with abnormal cells present.
I was told to go to an Ob/Gyn. The gynecologist did a biopsy. The biopsy was conclusive, I had stage 1 cervical cancer. I was sent to an oncologist. I immediately went into denial. I sought out alternative medicine, with no noticeable results. I finally decided to go with science, after approximately six months into the diagnosis, I prayed and finally accepted the diagnosis and the challenges that lie ahead. I went through the treatments, which was one the hardest challenges I have ever had to face. The chemo was one day every week for six weeks. The chemo took three hours to be put into my body. It was killing everything, healthy cells and the unhealthy cells. However, radiation was five days a week for the entire six weeks. The first time the radiologist gave me my radiation treatment, I immediately lost my taste buds. The only taste bud that I had left, was the sweet taste, which is what cancer cells loves. This is how cancer thrive in your body. I had enough sense to know that I had to go cold turkey on sweet, and I prayed to God to get me through this horrible ordeal. I prayed TO GOD LIKE THE WOMAN WHO HAD THE ISSUE OF BLOOD (which I was having), HER PRAYER IN HER MIND WAS, “IF I COULD ONLY TOUCH THE HEM OF JESUS GARMENT, THEN I WOULD BE HEALED.’ I PRAYED THAT PRAYER FERVERENTLY EVERDAY & EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY. God heard my prayer and I touched the hem of his garment spiritually.
I started out weighing 210lbs, after I finished the treatments, I weighed only 145lbs after just six weeks. I was literally starving to death. I was hospitalized more times than I can count, I had six blood transfusion. The infusion (Chemo) staff ordered me to have IV (hydration) every Saturday morning to get me through the weekend. Sometimes it would get me through, and sometimes it did not, and I would have to be hospitalized and given a blood transfusion. I was weak, and felt sick all the time. I just wanted to feel good again. Even though it was a six-week treatments plan, it felt like an eternity.
After my treatments were successful, I began telling other women about my experience. These women began sharing stories about their sisters, mothers, and women family members who had succumbed to this form of cancer. I began to realize, that their stories had common thread. These women did not get pap smears. When they notice, something was wrong, the cancer had become invasive. After listening these stories, I began to realize that this form of cancer is a SILENT KILLER. It has no early warning symptoms. Early screening to detect the HPV virus, (pap smears) is your only defense at present, if you are having the HPV virus (the one that cause cervical cancer), get screened. It will save your life!!
