Mum-of-two thought symptoms were 'no big deal' before harrowing diagnosis

Like many women who are diagnosed with cervical cancer, Amy Jordan didn't recognise her symptoms for what they were at first.

Things like unusual vaginal discharge, bleeding after sex and spotting between periods often seem like harmless irregularities to busy mums like her.

Not thinking it was "that big of a deal", Jordan went to her annual gynaecologist visit hoping to be told there was nothing to worry about.

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Instead, her doctor told her there was a five-centimetre mass on her cervix that needed immediate treatment.

An oncologist visit soon after confirmed the worst: Jordan had a form of cervical cancer so rare that only 100 in every 11,000 cases of the disease are like hers.

"My oncologist had looked me in the eye and said, 'There is no reason why you should have gotten this,'" Jordan told Today USA.

Diagnosed with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix, she was immediately started on an intensive treatment plan designed to wipe out the cancer and prevent it from ever coming back.

Told by doctors that they had to "throw everything at" the cancer, the first roadblock came when Jordan was told the tumour was too large for surgery.

Instead, she had to undergo three sessions of chemotherapy that left her weak and sick, followed by surgery.

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To avoid the cancer ever returning, Jordan had to have a radical hysterectomy, meaning her uterus, cervix and part of her vagina were all removed.

More radiation and chemotherapy followed, and by the final weeks of treatment Jordan told doctors they had "pushed her to the brink of death."

Her hair began falling out and soon she was totally bald, as well as almost seven kilos lighter as a result of the rigorous treatment.

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Fortunately, Jordan's history as a Pilates teacher meant she was as fit as could be when she began treatment, and it helped her survive the weeks of radiation.

So too did the support of her friends and family, though she struggled with the time away from her two children.

Still, the cancer and battle to rid her body of it took its toll on Jordan, who was exhausted by the end of her treatment.

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She was told those "unspeakable" weeks of treatment were the only way to clear her of cancer, which could have taken her life if it went untreated.

"They just had to really make sure that this never had an opportunity to come back," she said.

On November 11, Jordan finished her treatment and was officially declared cancer-free, and is now using her story to support other women going through similar struggles.

Sharing photos of her treatment and recovery on Instagram, Jordan encourages other women to prioritise their health and know the signs of cervical cancer.