Catherine H’s Story
I had my son in 2012 and towards the end of the pregnancy I was getting ulcers in my mouth and inside my vagina. I was 38 and the doctor was concerned so they did a pap smear immediately after my son had been born which came back negative. About 4 years after having my […]
Amanda M’s Story
On what was spose to be one of the happiest days in our lives quickly turned into the worst. When I went in to have my third baby in January 2018 I was nervous, anxious, excited! Through complications during my pregnancy, they were going to induce me, argh that’s never happened I didn’t know what […]
Tracy J’s Story
I was first diagnosed with cervical cancer (adenocarcinoma) in March 2008, exactly 1 month before our wedding. My doctor told us to postpone the wedding but we were determined to go ahead with it. We were married on a Sunday and the next Thursday I was having surgery. I started chemo/radiation the next Tuesday. I […]
Melissa H’s Story
I had just turned 30, was blessed with two kids, had split from my children’s Dad, working hard and had just came home from a relaxing holiday. I went to the doctor for a health check and was asked if I wanted to have a swab done. I have had no abnormal paps before, no […]
Danielle’s Story
I was 31 when I was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma of the cervix. It had started years ago but I never picked it up. It had been 7 years since my last Pap smear. I thought I was young and fit, that I was okay and I would be fine. When I had my children I […]
Nicole’s Story
I was fully vaccinated against HPV & was up to date with my cervical screening. However I was diagnosed in 2014 with stage 2b cervical cancer. Just like my mum, I had always experienced blood clots & heavy periods. One day I woke up to something on my sanitary pad that looked like a sac. […]
Patty’s Story
Hi everyone, I am 29 years of age, no children and I have been diagnosed with cervical cancer and given 2 options of treatment for my surgery booked 8/1/19 (already had 2 surgeries with the latest being a cone biopsy). I haven’t had a chance to clarify with my specialist the implications of the radical […]
Charlene’s Story
Charlene has relayed her story to ACCF CerviCAN Support Program Coordinator Fiona, who found it hard to condense Charlene’s story here. Fiona thinks Charlene should one day write an amazing novel about what she has been through: I fell in love with an intelligent, charming, good looking European man who used me to gain Australian […]
Leanne’s Story
I was a regular, 2 yearly Pap smear kind of girl. It was always in my diary because about 10 years ago I had an irregular one. It turned out to be nothing but scared me sh*tless at the time! I’d had the free vaccinations in my mid 20’s and so wasn’t ever worried about […]
Christa’s Story
March 21, 2018 was just an ordinary day. I headed to the doctor to get a regular Pap smear. During the Pap smear, the doctor asked a few questions, which began to make me wonder something was wrong. “Come back in 2 weeks for the results” she said. Two weeks, of stress, and worry that […]
Lauren M’s Story
I was diagnosed with Stage 1b1 cervical cancer at the age of 30. It came out of the blue and hit me, and my family and friends for six. A pap smear, a colposcopy, a biopsy and a LLETZ confirmed my diagnosis and set a treatment plan in motion. Having always had regular pap smears, […]
Heather’s Story
When my son was almost 2 we decided we wanted to try for another baby. I booked in for my pap smear and was 8 months or so late. The Dr could see something was wrong straight away and a week later I was seeing my ObGyn for a biopsy. All of a sudden what […]
Sarah’s Story
I went for my cervical screening on the 19th February, 2018. Prior to that, I hadn’t been for about 5 years, since having my daughter. The results indicated that I had HPV18 but that there were no abnormal cells or malignancy detected. Regardless, because I had had a procedure when I was 18 to remove […]
Tania’s Story
July 2017 I went for my regular 2 year Pap smear which came back abnormal. So I went for my second in December as directed by my GP, this also came back abnormal with high risk HPV 16. January 9th a day after my 31st birthday I went for a colposcopy and biopsy and results […]
Kelly’s Story
Kelly’s story, as told by Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation CerviCAN Support Program Coordinator Fiona, using Kelly’s own words: Kelly had always been a fighter. At just six weeks old she was made a ward of the state. Later, she became a single mother. Kelly fought to clean her life up, inspired to be a strong […]
Kristeena’s Story
I was 35, happily married with 3 kids aged 15, 9 & 7. I hadn’t had a Pap smear since my last baby. It’s something I knew I should do but like all mums, we always put everyone else first and I kept putting it off. Years passed and I finally went to see my […]
Nanette’s Story
My specialist, very compassionately, told me I had a cervical cancer that had invaded outside the cervical wall. Stage 2B. What a shock. I had been vigilant with my smears and ultrasounds but sadly, for me, the cancer was in a position where it was not able to be accessed – high up in the […]
Sheryl’s Story
I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1983. For 72 hours I was treated with internal radiation rods (brachytherapy), and then a full hysterectomy after 6 weeks. I was 34 years old. Fortunately, I already had my son. I was having regular Pap smears, and everything was normal. Two weeks after my last Pap test, […]
Jodhi’s Story
Our second baby, a much-wanted son to follow on from our beautiful daughter, was born at the end of April 2017. This was a very stressful time following an emergency caesarean and managing related complications. Eight weeks after his birth, I was diagnosed with a DVT. It was around the same time I had my […]
Beth’s Story
After months of abnormal bleeding and lower back pain my doctor sent me for an ultrasound and referred me to a gynaecologist. At 24 years old I didn’t think it would be anything serious as I had always kept up with regular Pap smears. My gynaecologist did an examination and told me he would be […]