It’s amazing how much life can change in one year. Going back to Christmas of 2004, I can easily remember how excited I was about my life and the year to come. At the age of 34, I felt blessed to be healthy and happy, and to have a promising new job ahead of me. Moreover, my fiancée and I were talking about marriage plans and the possibility of children.  Everything seemed to be falling into place. 

But over the following months, I started to feel sick and experienced strange symptoms.  I couldn’t explain it; I just didn’t feel right. In the end, I attributed it to the stress of a job change, the winter blahs and who knows what else.  

After all, I had just seen my doctor in September for my annual check-up and Pap test and received the all-clear as usual. So I thought my symptoms could wait a few weeks until my new job’s health insurance kicked in.

In early February, after my insurance took effect, I went to the doctor to prove to myself that the voice in my head was wrong.  But as I sat in his office I could see in his face that something was not right.  Sure enough, right after Valentine’s Day, I received that life-changing, stomach-sinking phone call – I had advanced cervical cancer. 

Cervical cancer?  I hardly knew where my cervix was. It was not even on my radar of diseases to worry about – I was too young for that.  Sure, some women my age get breast or ovarian cancer, but where did this disease come from?  I had always been healthy and had a history of normal Pap tests.  How could I be fine in September and have cancer in February? I was so shocked and overwhelmed that I cannot remember the explanation my doctor gave me.  All I can recall is that he said cervical cancer is caused by a virus with a really long name.  I later learned it is called the human papillomavirus or HPV, a disease that around 80 percent of sexually active people get, though most fight off without a problem. 

After my initial diagnosis, more testing revealed that my cancer had grown into a golf ball-sized tumor.  The doctors said the only way to save my life was a hysterectomy, radiation and chemotherapy. Without a choice, I said goodbye to my dream of having children of my own and began a rigorous regime of treatment.

It was tough, but I was lucky to have a good specialist and an even better network of friends and family who supported and loved me unconditionally.  But all along I had this nagging feeling: why was this happening to me? 

Then two weeks after my hysterectomy, I was watching television and saw a commercial for the HPV test and how it can help prevent cervical cancer.  After seeing this commercial a couple of times, I wanted more information.  I was angry that as a cervical cancer patient I didn’t know about this test, or much about HPV for that matter.

 Overflowing and frustrated with questions, I hit the Internet.  It was there that I found out the Pap test is not foolproof – in fact, as it was in my case, it can miss pre-cancerous cells year after year! But this HPV test, when it’s used with the Pap test, finds the cancer-causing HPV almost 100 percent of the time. 

It made me mad that many women – like myself – get the Pap test every year and feel safe afterward when sometimes, they’re not.  I was also surprised that being older than 30 put me at a higher risk for cervical cancer.  These realizations motivated me to start talking about the disease with my friends, family, coworkers and community.  

As of July 2005, I am officially cancer free.  With this assurance, I am picking up the pieces of my life and doing my best to share the lessons I’ve learned.  I just hope by discussing my experience I can help other women lead healthy, happy and cervical cancer-free lives.

© 2005 Tamika & Friends, Inc.  All rights reserved.