Hi, my name is Kathy, and I am a 33-year-old uterine cancer survivor living in Vernon, Texas. This is my story.

About 10 years ago, I was in a car accident. Thankfully I was able to walk away, but the ER doctor told me to not ever expect to have children. I didn’t take it too seriously. But I didn’t have a period the next month after the accident (it had come like clockwork every month since I was 11), and I didn’t have one for the next 5 years. I didn’t seek help because I was not wanting to know what was wrong. In hindsight, I should have. Hindsight is 20/20, I suppose.

I started to have periods sporadically for 3 years after getting that first one in 2009. I didn’t care that this wasn’t normal; I was just excited that I had one again.

Then in 2012, my life changed.

The day was July 20, 2012. It was my first day of vacation, and I was getting ready. I noticed I started flowing. I thought it was the most inconvenient time to get a period, but I thought nothing of it. However, when I was still flowing 9 days later, I began to worry a little. Still, I put off going to the doctor, because I didn’t want to know what was wrong. I think August 14, 2012, was particularly bad for me. I was at work, taking a break. I changed my pad because my flow was VERY heavy. I went back to work after that, but 30 minutes later, I literally felt and heard something “pop” down there. I ended up bleeding through my pad, my underwear, and my shorts. My boss let me go home without asking me any questions. To this day, I don’t know how I made it to my bathroom, because it was in my bathroom that I blacked out, perhaps from the blood loss. I sat down on the toilet, and flowed for 5 minutes before I stopped. I got up and looked down at the toilet, seeing nothing but bright red water. I happened to be texting my friend Ashley during this time, and she begged me to go to the ER. Come to think of it, she probably saved my life that day. At the ER, the doctor did a pelvic exam and some bloodwork. I left with the stern warning that I needed to go to a gynecologist ASAP, and that the appointment I had scheduled that following October was not soon enough. Dr. Winfrey, my gynecologist, saw me 2 days later and did a Pap smear and uterine biopsy. Thus began the wait.

August 24, 2012, is a day that’ll forever stick in my mind. It was a Friday, and I was getting ready for work. It was exactly 1:57 p.m., and I was putting on my eyeshadow, when I got a call from my gynecologist.

To this day, I can still remember, verbatim, what she told me: “well, we got the results from your Pap smear, and it was normal. But we got your biopsy back, and it shows that you do have uterine cancer.”

I almost dropped my phone, and I immediately began crying. How could I have cancer? No one, NO ONE, in my family ever had cancer. I had just turned 32 two weeks before, and cancer was not on my agenda. But I had to collect my thoughts and continue speaking on the phone. During this call, I was given the option of going to Oklahoma City or Dallas for treatment. I ended up choosing Oklahoma City, and I was sent to the Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma.

My first visit with the amazing Dr. Moxley was on September 10, 2012. She was short in stature, and I was nervous about meeting her, but she had the most peaceful and calm demeanor of any doctor that’s ever treated me. She took the time to answer any and all questions I had. She made me feel human, and it was something I needed during a time of uncertainty. She explained that a hysterectomy would be the best option to fight this disease. Not having any kids, this was hard to digest. I wanted kids badly, just like my sisters and my brother, and having that option taken from me made me angry. But I made the choice to do the hysterectomy, anyway, because I was 32. I wasn’t done living yet…so much left for me to give!!

My surgery was done on September 19, 2012, at OU Medical Center. Dr. Moxley took out everything—uterus, ovaries, tubes, and cervix, as well as 18 lymph nodes—and in doing so, removed the cancer. I was diagnosed at Stage 1a, Grade 2, and no further treatment was needed! I am extremely blessed that my cancer was found so early. For the first 2 years, I make the drive to Oklahoma City every 3 months. Starting this November (hopefully!), those visits will be every 6 months for 3 years. The drive is 3 hours long, but it’s worth it to know I’m still cancer-free.

I’ve been cancer-free since September 19, 2012.

As silly as it sounds, I have my pathology report framed. It reads: “endometrial adenocarcinoma, endometrioid type with squamous metaplasia, FIGO Grade II, nuclear grade 2.” It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come in my journey. When I first started this journey, I had to admit I knew nothing about uterine cancer. The only thing I knew was that Fran Drescher had it. So that’s why I’m always telling my story to anyone who will listen. I want to raise awareness for this deadly disease. If I can save one woman—even if it’s just the one—from going through what I did, then my fight will have been worth it.

Kathy Rodriguez
Survivor, endometrial adenocarcinoma
(The little boy in the photo? That’s my friend’s grandson Christopher. We took this pic at this year’s Relay for Life. He’s always got an infectious smile!)