02/01/2026
Greetings,
I really struggled with the decision to make this post. I don’t usually share personal information publicly on FB, and this is about as personal as it gets. I was very recently diagnosed with endometrial cancer, and much of this story is still challenging to open up about. I hope my opening up about getting diagnosed can be a reminder of how important it is for all women, at all stages of life, to please get seen and checked out if something doesn’t seem right. I had gone 7-8 years without seeing a Gynecologist. I’m 47, and well past my child-bearing days. Did I sometimes think in the back of my mind that I should probably get a check-up? Sure did. But I put it off because everything was fine. Or so I thought. Then, last June, I started spotting in between periods. I was tired, achy, moody, and didn’t feel like myself. Dr Google said it’s peri-menopause symptoms. I decided I wasn’t going to suffer silently, and found a Gynecologist who specializes in menopause. She took four months to get in to see, but I just had a feeling she was the doctor I wanted. I started myself on progesterone to stop the irregular bleeding, and counted down the days until my appointment.
December 8th, I finally had my appointment. She did a pelvic exam, some labs, and I thought that was it. Come back to get started on hormone therapy for perimenopause symptoms. December 19th, the call came from my doctor that they found uterine cancer cells. I cannot find the words to describe the absolute devastation and shock my husband and I plunged into, sitting in a McDonald's parking lot listening to my doctor on speakerphone say that I have cancer. By Monday morning, my husband and I were meeting with my gynecology/oncology team, still trying to figure out whether any of this was real. I still feel like I have been in a fog for the last 6 weeks, trying to convince myself this is actually happening. I have had a port for chemo placed, and will start chemo in the next week. Maybe radiation, maybe a hysterectomy, multiple chemotherapies. My course and treatment are still being determined; it has spread to my lymph nodes, and there is a tumor on my femoral artery. I am considered an early diagnosis; probably the cancer began about 6-7 months ago. My symptoms could have been easily dismissed, but I found the right doctor who was thorough and took my symptoms seriously.
So I’m at the beginning of my journey, and with today being Imbolc, I felt prompted to open up and start telling my story from the beginning. I hope that for any woman who has had any symptoms, or has had symptoms dismissed, keep advocating for your body. Ask your grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and even the grocery store checkout lady if they have had a recent pelvic exam. I just want to normalize the conversation between women: share and ask questions about any female symptoms; ask if it’s abnormal; don’t give up or dismiss anything that doesn’t seem right to you; and listen to your intuition and your own body.
I’ll be posting updates, and welcome any questions!
I plan to find my way back to my witch shop soon to keep creating and working on new projects, as my health and time allow.
Blessed Be,
Jenn
