What the Polyp is that.........

"What the fuck is that...... " I said when the nurse who was giving me a smear test announced whilst she was at the business end "oh you have a large polyp". Apparently I have a large Polyp in my vagina wall, its a lump (yes another fucking lump) that thankfully is benign....phew.....sigh of relief. The nurse promptly ran off to bring a Dr (thankfully a woman Dr) to take a peek at my neither regions and she confirmed what the nurse said. So a Polyp is a bit like a skin tag but downstairs, and mine is very big and is actually pushing on the walls of my insides, I've been feeling uncomfortable downstairs for sometime and I thought it had something to do with the menopause and a possible prolapse womb, but no I was wrong its a lumpy thing. Urghhh...... of course I panicked as soon as she said lump and had to wait for the Dr to come and take a look before I could breath a huge sigh of relief. Anything lumpy will always take me back to that day 6 years ago when another large lump was found on my lady hump leaving me in a state of sheer terror. So I've googled Polyps and found out the following information:

The exact reason that polyps form is unknown, but swings in hormone levels may be a factor. Estrogen, which plays a role in causing the endometrium to thicken each month, also appears to be linked to the growth of uterine polyps.

What are cervical polyps?
Cervical polyps are small, elongated tumors that grow on the cervix. The cervix is the narrow canal at the bottom of the uterus that extends into the vagina. The cervix connects the uterine cavity and the upper portion of the vagina. It acts as the passageway for sperm to fertilize an egg, which could result in pregnancy. During labor, the cervix becomes thinner and wider. This allows the baby to pass through the birth canal.

Polyps are fragile structures that grow from stalks rooted on the surface of the cervix or inside of the cervical canal. If someone has polyps, usually only one polyp is present, and two or three at most.

Cervical polyps are usually benign, or not cancerous, and cervical cancer rarely arises from them. Most cervical cancers are due to the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is also the cause of genital warts.

Symptoms of cervical polyps
Polyps on the cervix may not cause any noticeable symptoms. However, see your gynaecologist right away if you experience vaginal discharge of white or yellow mucus, or abnormally heavy periods.

You should also call your doctor if you experience vaginal spotting or bleeding:
after sexual intercourse
between periods
after douching
after menopause

Some of these symptoms can also be signs of cancer. In rare cases, polyps represent an early phase of cervical cancer. Removing them helps reduce this risk.


Why polyps occur?
It isn’t fully understood why cervical polyps occur. Their formation may be linked to:
increased levels of estrogen, which is the female sex hormone
chronic inflammation of the cervix, vagina, or uterus
clogged blood vessels
High estrogen levels

Estrogen levels naturally fluctuate throughout a woman’s life. Your estrogen levels will be highest during childbearing years, during any pregnancies, and in the months leading up to menopause.

Man-made chemicals that mimic estrogen are present in the environment. For example, xenoestrogens are in commercially produced meats and dairy products. Chemical estrogens can also be released into food that’s heated.

So there you have it bloody fucking Estrogen again..... WTF....... god I'm sick of these dammed hormones.

On a plus note I've decided after chatting with the nurse today and with the Polyp in mind that probably the best decision regarding ovaries is to have the bastards out, and whilst they are taking those out they can remove said polyp. 

Home alone

Hi everyone,

So this is my first post on my new cancer blog and like the title suggests I am home alone for the first time in about 6 months as my partner has managed to get a job to bring in some extra money for Xmas, not that Xmas is going to stress me out in fact nothing is going to stress me out from now on (a pact I've made with myself).

Depression and stress are possibly the root cause of my cancer, nothing can be confirmed but I have a sneaky feeling it contributed to my getting cancer. I was healthy although not very happy before the dx I had been trying really hard to make it in the surface pattern industry with little success, my day job graphic design was also experiencing a slump (has something to do with the recession) and even though I had applied and attended lots of interviews I still was not getting anywhere, no money, can't pay bills etc just makes for loads of stress of course as soon as I got cancer all of a sudden my designs sold, something called sods law. Being a perfectionist is part and parcel of being an artist this unfortunately means I am also sensitive (like a raw nerve), easily upset, I would say I was living on the edge of a nervous breakdown but now I'm living with metastatic breast cancer I know which one I would prefer not to have. So if your reading this then realise this DON'T GET STRESSED OUT its not worth it! If you don't have your health you have nothing its as simple as that.

My life changed forever on the 10th of March this year and I will never be the same again, everyday is a gift and instead of living with a plan I now live without planning or organisation of any kind I try to live for the moment and enjoy life, I don't believe we are put on this planet to be miserable. I have been touched by the kindness people have shown me since my dx and it has made me realize that people aren't as bad as I thought they were prior to dx I could not stand the human race quite frankly human beings sucked, now I think slightly differently some us are extremely compassionate.