Fighting Cancer: A Woman’s Brave Journey

Sometimes, you pour your heart into advocacy, sharing posts and fighting for causes you deeply care about – like PCOS awareness and the importance of women’s health.

You often wonder if those small acts even make a difference, if anyone truly notices the ripple effect. Then, something amazing happens. Just recently, an old friend from high school reached out, and her message truly touched me. She’d been following my posts on PCOS and women’s health, and it gave her the courage to finally speak up about her own incredibly personal battle: a journey through adenocarcinoma with secretory and papillary features.

It’s a brave and, honestly, heartbreaking experience.

And then she asked me, in her own heartfelt way: “Gusto mo i-share ko sayo what happen sa akin?” Do you want me to share with you what happened to me?

Wow. Just wow.

Here was a woman who had been quietly facing a significant health challenge. Now, she wants to inspire other women by opening up and sharing her story, her vulnerabilities, and her strength. This isn’t just about surviving cancer; it’s about facing it with such incredible dignity and unwavering faith.

I wanted to give you a glimpse into what her journey has looked like so far:

Understanding Her Endometrial Cancer Diagnosis: Adenocarcinoma with Secretory and Papillary Features

Adenocarcinoma:

A Type of Cancer Affecting Glandular Cells For those who may not know, adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer. It starts in glandular cells.

These are the cells in our bodies responsible for producing vital fluids like mucus. In her case, this cancer originated in the endometrial tissue.

Secretory and Papillary Features: Understanding the Cancer Cells

When doctors examine cancer cells under a microscope, they look for specific characteristics. In her diagnosis, “secretory features” indicate that the cells resemble those that produce substances like mucus.

“Papillary features” refer to finger-like projections within the tissue. This pattern is often seen in certain types of more aggressive cancers, including some forms of adenocarcinoma.

Endometrial Tissue: Where the Cancer Developed

The endometrial tissue is the lining of the uterus. This is where the abnormal cells developed and where the endometrial cancer took root.

Her Clinical Background and the Potential Link to PCOS:

Nulligravid (never been pregnant)
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (a crucial symptom of endometrial cancer that should never be ignored)
Endometrial Hyperplasia with Atypia – a pre-cancerous condition that, if left unmanaged, can unfortunately progress to cancer.

Her biopsy confirmed adenocarcinoma, a clear indication that cancer had developed in her endometrial lining.

But thanks to early detection, the expertise of skilled doctors, and her own immense courage in fighting this cancer, she is taking each day as it comes, living and fighting with incredible strength.

As someone who advocates for PCOS awareness, this part of her story is particularly important to me:

Ang babaeng may PCOS ay maaring nasa panganib magkaroon ng endometrial cancer (katulad ng adenocarcinoma). Lalo na kung hindi ito naagapan o hindi nabibigyan ng tamang gamutan. (Women with PCOS may be at risk of developing endometrial cancer, such as adenocarcinoma, especially if it is not addressed or given proper treatment.)

Women with PCOS had a fourfold increased risk of endometrial cancer compared to women without PCOS.”

“PCOS does increase the risk of endometrial cancer.”

Patients with PCOS are up to 5 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer compared to those without PCOS

Her Powerful Message: “I Want to Share My Story So Others Know They’re Not Alone”

Honestly, my first thought was that she might want to keep this incredibly personal journey private.

But she surprised me, yet again, with her incredible strength and desire to connect with others.

She said: “Sus wag na itago, gusto ko talaga ma-share pare yung mga nakaka experience ng sa akin malaman nila.” Don’t hide it, friend. I really want to share so that those who are experiencing what I am going through will know.

What she is doing is truly brave.

It’s raw, it’s powerful, and it comes from such a generous heart. By sharing her personal journey with adenocarcinoma, she wants others facing similar battles to know they are not isolated.

I can’t wait to share her full story with you soon.

She wants to talk openly about her journey – from the initial diagnosis of endometrial cancer, through her treatments, her fears, her unwavering faith, and the ongoing fight.

Because sometimes, your voice – yes, even yours – can be the very thing that makes another woman facing a difficult cancer journey feel a little less alone, a little more understood.

So, please, stay tuned.

Let’s keep raising our voices for PCOS awareness, for endometrial cancer awareness, for every woman silently fighting cancer, for every friend who needs to be heard, for every sister who needs to know – na hindi siya nag-iisa – she is not alone.

#PCOSAwareness #EndometrialCancer #WomensHealth #PCOSandCancerRisk #RealWomenRealStories #UterineCancerAwareness #CancerSupportForWomen #AdenocarcinomaJourney #PCOSCommunity #NeverAlone

Love,

Reese 💖

PCOS Millennials