As Jacquelyne Froeber tells it
I was at work when my cell phone rang.
“You have uterine cancer,” said the doctor on the other end.
I felt all the blood draining from my body. I opened my mouth to say, “You must have the wrong number,” but no words came out. I was shocked.
My thoughts were racing. I didn’t wait for any test results. But earlier that week I had undergone surgery to remove polyps from my uterus in preparation for my upcoming IVF.
I was preparing for life. I was not prepared for cancer.
The bright spot that day was that my gynecologist was also an oncologist and I was able to see him immediately. The bad news: He recommended a total hysterectomy.
As I sat in his office, I felt the magnitude of the situation at the same time – sadness, grief and anger. I mourned the life he said I couldn’t have. And if I survived, I would live a life I didn’t intend.
But there was hope. He said I could opt for fertility preservation treatment, which included taking an oral medication to see how it affected the cancer. He said that I only had a limited amount of time to try the treatment and that I would have to have a hysterectomy at some point. Since I wanted to try to get pregnant, this was the only option for me.
Since IVF was on hold, I started treatment immediately. The side effects listed on the label occurred almost immediately. I was at home, watching television, when a scalding heat began to heat up inside me. I watched in disbelief as a red line formed on my right hand, traveling down my arm and eventually covering my entire body. It was like something out of a Marvel movie. The heat was so intense that I wondered if I should go to the hospital. This was my first experience with hot flashes – but definitely not my last.
I quickly learned that there are many things about my body that I cannot control. Before my diagnosis, I was always energetic and on the go. But the treatment led to extreme weight gain and fatigue. I was so tired that I had to take a nap in the office every day around 2 p.m. and hope no one saw me. My body felt like I had been hit by a bus.
I also found it difficult to open up to other people. It just didn’t feel right to talk about cancer with friends or family. Of course they all meant well, but they really didn’t understand it. My healthcare advocate told me about cancer support groups at Gilda’s Club New York City, so I decided to go there.
Even though I initially had the feeling that I didn’t belong, everyone immediately hugged me. I didn’t have to say anything. We were all connected by the sadness – the fear – that is ever-present in cancer. The support groups have helped me through some of the most difficult days and strengthened my spirit in ways I never thought possible.
2019 (Photo/Karen Gerard)
And I needed all the support I could get. I had biopsies done every two months to track any changes and/or cancer growth. Each biopsy meant anesthesia, time off from work and all the stress that comes with surgery.
But after a year there was no change. My doctor said the treatment didn’t help and we would have to move forward with the hysterectomy unless my next biopsy was clear.
On the subway ride home, tears streamed down my face. A wave of sadness washed over me – I felt so alone and defeated. All my dreams suddenly disappeared. I was shocked.
And then I heard my inner voice. The message was loud and clear: I was powerful – more powerful than I even realized. And I chose to believe it.
Knowing that hormones can fuel the disease, I switched to a plant-based diet to avoid the hormones in animal products. I read every book on veganism I could find and tried to eat as cleanly as possible. It wasn’t easy – I loved a good cheeseburger – but I was able to avoid extra hormones.
Through meditation I also connected to this inner voice. I learned to let go of some of the anger I was holding on to and embrace a more healing energy.
On the day of the biopsy I was beyond nervous. And the wait for the results was unbearable. Finally, I was at the doctor’s office when I received the amazing news: I was cancer-free.
That was seven years ago and I’m still in remission. I never went back to IVF and ultimately made the difficult decision to have a hysterectomy to avoid future complications.
I am so grateful that my IVF journey led to my early diagnosis of endometrial cancer. I had no symptoms – no abnormal bleeding – and was 38 years old – much younger than the average age for this type of cancer. Who knows how much time would have passed if I hadn’t had the polyp surgery?
I rarely think about cancer and that time in my life, but the lesson I learned – to listen to myself and do what I believe is right – is always with me. Healthcare providers are wonderful, of course, but they are truly the only expert on you. Listen to your inner voice. We are all so much more powerful than we think.
This educational resource was created with support from Merck.
Do you have any real women, real stories of your own that you would like to share? Let us know.
Our “Real Women, Real Stories” are the authentic experiences of real-life women. The views, opinions and experiences shared in these stories are not endorsed by HealthyWomen and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of HealthyWomen.
From your website articles
Related articles on the Internet
