Looking back, I can see that there were some signs. But getting cancer was not something on my calendar. It wasn't even something I was especially worried about, since no one in my background had ever had cancer. I had a family to take care of and a lot of work to do, and going down for the count was not an option.
Different cancers have different signs and symptoms. If you have breast cancer, you may feel a lump, or have irregular mammogram results. If you have ovarian cancer, you may not have any noticeable symptoms. In my case, I had occasional spotting, which I assumed was related to being peri-menopausal. I mean, we're at that age when, in terms of menstruation, anything can happen, right? Occasionally I also experienced a tremendous urgency to pee, but I assumed it was some kind of low-level bladder irritation - nothing to get excited about. I made a mental note to buy cranberry juice. After peeing, I noticed some shadowy material in the bottom of the toilet, but I assumed that had to do with the bladder thing, whatever it was.
Now, just take a second to note all the assumptions I made. I was certainly too busy to be seriously ill. We all are. And it clouds our judgment.
What finally got me to go to the doctor was not any physical symptom or discomfort. It was cancer dreams. I had several very clear dreams in which there was something wrong with my uterus, and I was running from doctor to doctor, desperate to get the right cure. These dreams were terrifying and very specific. I had never received information from a dream before, but this was unmistakable.
