of cervical cancer. “Cancer is already bad, but
throw those words in and it’s quite shocking. In
hindsight I had symptoms for six months, possibly
longer, before I was diagnosed. I had constant
irregular bleeding and I was really fatigued and
not recovering. I dismissed my symptoms as I
thought I was just training hard and I knew training
could affect your menstrual cycle and just figured
that’s what was going on. Eventually, I made it to
a gynaecologist. I should have gone a lot earlier
and I should have been going for regular pap tests,
which you are supposed to do from the time you
are 20 and I hadn’t been going – I had a tumour
the size of a small hen’s egg on my cervix.”
>
All treatment was essential but caused Fiona’s
ovaries to fail and the onset of premature
menopause. At just 23 the reality of never having
children was a difficult reality to face. “That was
probably the hardest part. I always knew I’d love
to be a mum and wanted to have children. It took
a bit to get my head around it. But there are other
ways and other options. I come from half biological,
half adopted family so I know it doesn’t really make
any difference in how much you are loved.”
Worldwide, cervical cancer is the
second most common cancer in
women between 15 and 44 years of
age after breast cancer, and the third
most common cause of cancer-related
mortality in women, after breast and lung
cancer. There are nearly 500,000 new
cases of cervical cancer every year and
each year, an estimated 270,000 women
die from cervical cancer worldwide,
which means that one woman dies
of cervical cancer approximately every
2 minutes. Cervical cancer is the number
one cancer killer in developing countries.
© 2010 Phil Walters/Getty Images
Six weeks after the diagnosis Paterson underwent
surgery to have the tumour removed and a radical
hysterectomy. This was followed by five weeks of
daily radiation and five rounds of chemotherapy
to completely eradicate any cancer cells.
It was physically and mentally a tough treatment,
which she approached much like her training:
“I kept training lightly and kept thinking like an
athlete. My “sessions” changed somewhat but I
treated them the same, I ticked them off one by
one – they just made me better instead of fitter.
Putting your head down and just getting the job
done was an attitude from rowing that helped me
get through the treatment. But letting cancer beat
me was never an option and letting it decrease
my quality of life wasn’t either. I didn’t let cancer
rule my mind or my life.”
Paterson made it through this all with a strength
of mind and determination that has also helped
her succeed in her rowing pursuits. The day the
treatment finished she got back into the boat and
was determined to build her strength and slowly
get fit again. She made the eight in 2007 and 2008,
but took time off again in 2009, realising she had
to give her body and mind time to recover, refocus
and take time to rebuild her life. “Getting back into
shape took a lot longer than I expected, it was all
complicated and prolonged due to menopause. I
would say it is only in the last year that I have returned
to the athlete I was before cancer.” >
Pap smear tests are considered the most
successful cancer screening technique
developed up until now.
