This may sound a little over-dramatic, but I香蕉视频直播檓 currently dying.

I mean, (spoiler alert) technically we all are. But at the moment I have cervical cancer, and am just finishing all of the tests required before treatment starts. It香蕉视频直播檚 a personal cancer, with intimate details of symptoms. It香蕉视频直播檚 a cancer that begins with invasive screening, and when it香蕉视频直播檚 hopefully cured, some very privately heartbreaking side effects.

All of it may be too personal for print, although in my opinion it shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be. But suffice it to say that I have been diagnosed with 2B cervical cancer, with involvement of at least one lymph node. This is going to take more than a few visits to the gynecologist to clear up, but I香蕉视频直播檒l be okay in the end.

As my symptoms worsened, it got harder to be at work. So I香蕉视频直播檝e been at home for the past month. I香蕉视频直播檝e been preparing for chemo and radiation, which will take about six or seven weeks once it starts. I香蕉视频直播檝e been resting and spending time with my family, and napping. And I香蕉视频直播檝e been kicking myself.

I am acutely aware that I香蕉视频直播檓 in this situation because I willfully neglected my regular pap smears for a few years. Okay, many years.

I had been to the doctor for countless other reasons. I香蕉视频直播檇 even been through a breast cancer scare, but still no pap smear. It香蕉视频直播檚 hard to know how long I香蕉视频直播檝e had this tumour. Even as I was getting more and more ill over the past seven or eight months, the thought of cervical cancer never crossed my mind.

Honestly.

Over the past month, I haven香蕉视频直播檛 just been sitting around waiting for treatment. I香蕉视频直播檝e learned things about the disease that every woman should know. We don香蕉视频直播檛 talk about cervical cancer like we do about breast cancer. Perhaps because when we go to the doctor and do the routine screening, it香蕉视频直播檚 caught early enough that we barely have to miss a day of work. Cervical cancer is a slow-growing one, after all, with no early symptoms.

From chatting with friends, I香蕉视频直播檝e learned I香蕉视频直播檓 not alone in forgoing that annual or bi-annual exam. For this reason alone, I香蕉视频直播檓 eager to share what I香蕉视频直播檓 learning with everyone, because as the commercials currently on TV right now say: 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 rather be anywhere than here.香蕉视频直播�

And 香蕉视频直播渉ere香蕉视频直播� so far in my journey is countless, painful internal exams, multiple trips to the ER, endless imaging appointments including MRIs, CT scans and even a PET scan in Vancouver. It香蕉视频直播檚 meant consults and hospital tours, all in Abbotsford香蕉视频直播檚 beautiful cancer clinic. It香蕉视频直播檚 included days spent in bed, hours spent in a hot bath in agony from the inside out, thousands of trips to the washroom, a binder that grows with medical paperwork by the week, medication I香蕉视频直播檝e never heard of, and arms and hands covered in bruises from injections and blood work.

It香蕉视频直播檚 given me my first tattoos, three tiny marks around my hips and pelvis to line me up with the radiation machine.

It香蕉视频直播檚 involved tears, but also love and warmth from friends and family. It香蕉视频直播檚 included access to fast testing, immediate results, and caring doctors and nurses. Each note of positivity, each card in the mail, each kindness to my family, has given us reasons to smile in a time when we could easily retreat into darkness. Yes, this is a world I want to stay in, for as long as possible.

In a few months, I will be post-treatment and looking toward a long life once again. But it didn香蕉视频直播檛 have to be this dramatic, this fraught with emotion and risks and side effects. It could have been caught sooner had I been more pro-active.

So please, book your screening and talk to your doctor about other cancer risks.

Jessica Peters is a reporter with The Chilliwack Progress