Linda

Linda, 63 Years Old

If you think a lot of people don’t know much about Cervical Cancer these days, imagine how it was when I got it in 1968. That was a long time ago.

At the time of diagnosis I was in my early twenties. I had three small children to take care of by then. When I learned that I had Cervical Cancer, I was completely devastated. It was a total shock to me. If HPV was common back then, no one talked about it. All that I knew then was that Cervical Cancer was a female cancer.

Since then, I have gained a great deal of knowledge. I have learned that yearly checkups are the best way to handle the situation. Once you gain control of the problem, it’s not nearly as bad as it seems initially.

I did have it come back again a few years ago. However, because my doctor caught it in time through a pap smear, it was not a big deal. I had a small surgery to take care of it and have a biopsy every year just to be safe. I haven’t had any problems since.

Lesson Learned from Linda’s Story

· Yearly exams are a very important tool in early detection of HPV and Cervical Cancer.