Fiona Snowball

October 18th 2007 is a date that will be imprinted on my mind forever. It's the day that I was told that I had Cervical Cancer at the age of 32. Prior to my diagnosis I lead a pretty normal life. I enjoyed spending time with my family, my god children and my nephews, had a good job and mostly.....enjoyed going out with 'the girls' for a good old night on the town. I never in my wildest dreams thought that it could happen to me!!

When I was 18, I had suffered with abdominal pains and irregular bleeding, back then i was elligible for a smear test, which I went for. This showed up some abnormalities to my cervix, but they were treated and things went back to normal. Due to this I was on regular follow up smears for the next few years, which I attended. When my smears returned to 3 yearly ones, I also attended these, apart from one that was 1 year late. My last smear was in February 2007. The results were fine and I had no reason to worry.

Soon after this I began having unusual symptoms, bleeding mid cycle and an unusual discharge. I had recently come off the contraceptive pill and simply these symptoms down to my body adjusting.

By the summer of 2007, I was in agony. Pelvic cramps meant that I couldn't sleep at night, the blood loss had become significantly heavier, the discharge was more frequent and intercourse was now becoming painful and I bled heavily afterwards. I went to see my G.P who didn't examine me but referred me to the Gynaecology department at my local hospital. He warned me that this appointment would take 4-6 weeks to come through. The very same night I went to bed as usual but then got up in the night to go to the toilet. The next thing I remember, I was in a heap on my bedroom floor. I still don't know whether I fainted, collapsed due to blood loss or just got up to quickly but it was enough to make my mum worry. She drove down to see me the following day and insisted she take me to A & E.

I was examined and was told that they could see where the bleeding was coming from, it was a lesion and that this could be sorted by a proceedure that would 'freeze' the area. The following week I went back and was gowned up on the trolley ready for this proceedure to happen. At the very last minute a further consultant came in and stopped the proceedure from going ahead. He wanted me to go and see another consultant in the next room because he said "something doesn't look right"

The second consultant saw me and despite the heavy bleeding and excrutiating pain that I was in by then managed to do a colposcopy....a proceedure where they take a closer look at the area in question. The area of concern is then painted in a solution that makes it easier to see and picks up any abnormalities. The doctor then told me that he was going to take some biopsies. I was a little shocked and asked if that was a test for cancer? He reassured me that it just meant he was taking a sample of some cells. This was the first and only time that the word cancer even crossed my mind.

A week later I was called back to his surgery. I went alone and was simply expecting the initial 'freezing' proceedure to be carried out. As I walked into his room, I knew something wasn't right. The chairs had been set out differently to the previous week and the look on his face was different. A nurse sat beside me and put her hand on my leg....Right then I knew.

I don't remember the words that were said. I just remember looking down into my lap and realising that it was wet with tears. I didnt even know that I had been crying. "Are you telling me I've got cancer" I said. Yes was the reply.

Over next few weeks I was poked, prodded, scanned and examined, until they reached the conclusion that I had Stage 2b advanced Cervical Cancer. Despite a clear smear test 8 months before, here I was facing a lengthy period of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in order to shrink the tumour. As my tumour had spread into the walls of my cervix, I wasn't elligible for lesser proceedures that could have kept my ovaries intact. In one of my appointments I had a decision to make. I was told that the treatment would leave me infertile and would bring on the menopause. I asked whether it would be possible to save any of my eggs for future use, but was told that it would prolong the start of my treatment by approximately 2 months. This wasn't a chance I was willing to take and told the doctor "There are other options to having kids, but there's only one of me".

In November I began my cycle of treatment. 6 weeks of daily chemo/radiation ( a combined treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by 18 hours of intense radiotherapy in one go to hopefully 'zap' the last of the tumour) This treatment was draining, although I didnt lose my hair, I spent hours on the toilet, suffered burns to the skin on my pelvic area, was increasingly tired and on top of this had to endure the onset of the menopause and the symptoms related to that.

I am one of the lucky ones. In April 2008 I was told that I was in remission.

I never once thought that this illness could take my life, but the reality of it is that it can. I feel remarkably lucky, that the treatment worked and that I have amazing family and friends who helped me get to where I am today. Many of the friends that I talk about are ones who I have met through Jo's Trust. I found Jo's a month before I was told that I was in remission....although i wish I'd been told about it sooner. The amazing, inspirational women on the Jo's Trust forum have been there for me morning, noon and night, when I've needed a laugh, a cry, a rant or simply to ask questions regarding my illness. Jo's Trust is a wonderful charity that I can't imagine managing without even today.

My story is different to many as despite having regular smear tests, my cancer was not picked up at the early pre-cancerous stage. This is why I am so determined to warn women of the symptoms of cervical cancer. I had no idea of what it was or of any of the symptoms. If I had I might have been able to catch it sooner and in turn, save my chances of being a mother to children of my own.

My whole outlook on life has now changed, I genuinely believe that this happened to me for a reason...the reason being, to make other women and girls aware of this awful disease, so that they don't have to endure what I did. If by me telling my story it makes one woman go for a smear test that they have been putting off or go to the doctors with any of the symptoms that I have mentioned....then this whole journey has somehow been worth it.