2020 Vision

So, we will soon be starting a new decade and as usual at this time of year we look back before we look forward, right? Well, I'm looking back to the end of the previous decade, back to 2009.

23rd December to be exact. That was the day I found out that I had womb cancer. 

Great Christmas present eh?

I had no idea that 10 years on I would still be living with the consequences of that and that my quality of life would be virtually zero.

Cancer unfortunately has a habit of seriously screwing up some peoples lives. What is the saying about "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" Well, thats a load of crap for a start.

Cancer, or rather the treatment that you have, in my case surgery, chemotherapy & radiotherapy, can leave behind a series of life long side effects which often means that your health is worse post cancer than it was when you were diagnosed.

Now before anyone jumps down my throat, I know I am generalising here and I am only speaking from my own experience but I really think that the medical profession need to change the way they deal with cancer patients. 

Many are not told about the possible long term side effects of treatment, I know I certainly wasn't. I totally understand that some people don't want to know and thats fine but to subject peope to barbaric treatments without giving them full information is wrong.

It's not called the "cut, poison & burn approach" for nothing. 

How can patients be expected to give their consent for treatment if they are not given all the information they need to be able to make an informed decision? 

Call me naive but I didn't realise that I would go into immediate surgical menopause right after my hysterectomy. I was not given any help or support and have still not had any 10 years on. 

I was told no HRT but not offered any alternatives and so many other women are in the same position.

Since I set up Womb Cancer Support UK back in April 2011 I have discovered so much information that is relevant to my diagnosis, treatment and side effects that I was never told about.

It is wrong that patients have to resort to googling for information that should be provided by their medical team; their GP, Consultant, Oncologist etc.

If I could turn the clock back a decade I would do so. I would refuse the treatment and would take my chances. At least I would probably have had some decent quality of life for a couple of years, maybe even linger who knows.

What I do know is that the chemo & radiotherapy destroyed my quality of life. You may think I'm being over dramatic or exagerating things a bit but you are not living my life.

It is time that quality of life was a factor in assessing treatment outcome. It is true that I no longer have cancer (well, I've never actually been told that as I never had any follow ups at all after my treatment ended, but that a whole nother story!!) but at what cost?

I have spent the past near 9 years with WCSUK trying to empower women to speak up, ask questions and not accept the status quo. We deserve better; I deserved better.

So as a new decade dawns,  I think it's time to move on from cancer if I can. Not sure how I can best achieve that but I'm sure we'll figure it out somehow.

Here's to 2020.