My daughter's first symptom was bleeding after intercourse. She knew she had had cervical warts when she was younger, and being a trained nurse with a degree in Health Studies, she had a good idea that she had cervical cancer. She had laser treatment at the Kent and Canterbury (not the best hospital in Britain!) and they told her she could go back to work the next day. Her husband drove her and the four young children down to my house in the South of France. That evening, she began bleeding heavily and I called the paramedics who somehow managed to arrive at my remote cottage in 20 mins. They stabilised her and then the helicopter landed on the next door farm and she was flown to Carcassonne - 10 mins by air and an hour by car. There, they re-cauterised the site and kept her in overnight. They were not impressed by the way she had been left. I had followed in my car, leaving my poor son-in-law to look after the children and worry. I stayed overnight on a camp bed in her room - we had a good dinner and breakfast the next morning. I dreaded getting the bill - it turned our to be €23 , just for my meals. She has had no further trouble - of course she had regular checks for several years.
Perish the thought!
