hi all, does anyone think this country is backwards? why is the cervical screaning age 25, when it is 18 in scotland. to me that makes no sense. i feel completely let down by my doctors. i have been back and too to gp pretty much since having my son in 2011, having abdominal pains. and they just kept putting it down to ibs. i have had ibs a few years before having a baby and although it did get worse i knew this wasnt the cause of the pain. we know our own bodies and i have had abnormal bleeding and pain in my back too so anyway after constant back and too and feeling fobbed off i booked myself in for a smear test. this hadnt been ofered to me as im 24, not 25 till march. its not too far off and with symptoms you would think they would just get it done.
so went and had smear test and put it to the back of my mind. then 2weeks later result came an it had abnormal changes. they thought low grade and needed colposcopy and hpv virus was present. had to wait at least another 4weeks for that appointment. and although i feel my gp had let me down the nurses at the colposcopy clinic were lovely though and showed me the changes and took a punch biopsy while she was there.
Another 2weeks wait for results and they have said it isnt low grade CIN1 like they thought it is high grade at least CIN2 maybe CIN3. So i now have to go for loop excision. but appoinment came through and it isnt till early feb. just under 2months! wait is killing me. they are going to remove all abnormal cells and test them. i think everything will be fine once its gone but there is definately a part of me that is worried because if i hadnt have took it upon myself to get tests i would still be none the wiser.
thanks for listening anyone had similar experience or want to comment?
Hiya hun, my smear also came back low grade but my biopsy showed cin2 too. My appointment for colp was the 19th of nov and my loop appointment wasnt until 31st dec, which ive had to change because of a holiday, its now the 8th of jan. I expressed my worries over the phone about the wait and whilst she seemed understanding, woudlnt budge :( but i am sure theres obviously other women waiting for their appointment too. I'm just going to try looking forward to xmas and my holiday as there really isnt much we can do! i keep popping on here when it enters my mind which helps.
Like you i'm also on my first smear and feel if the age was lowered it wouldnt of made it to cin2. Lots of questions entered my mind, how long has it been cin2 how far off am i been cin3?? I dont think the waiting would be half as bad if everything wasnt so vague and more information was given to us!
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Hi my names dawn its been quite a few months since bein on this site but I completely know where u r coming from I was 23 when I was diagnosed with stage 2 b cervical cancer. I had to fight to get dignosed because al gps wouldnt giv me a smear and I believe to this day that if I hadnt kept goin time after time trying to make them listen id be dead now because the cancer would of kept growning . I am now having to live the side effects of the radiotherapy. My life my not be like this if I had jus been listen x age should defo be lowered x
Hello girls. I believe the age should be lowered also, I think it's also 25 here in Northern Ireland where I live.
I've seen so many young girls on here who are being diagnosed with this horrible disease. I am always amazed that so many ladies are still getting cervical cancer - I think doctors are not acting quickly enough and are sending us for repeat smears 6 months apart, when they should refer us on to colposcopy after first smear shows any kind of changes.
I believe I was let down by my doctor as she made me come back 6 months after first smear showed 'mild changes' . 2nd smear also showed mild changes then she put me on 6 months internal hormone treatment! 3rd smear after hormone treatment showed abnormal cells - only then did she refer me for colposcopy but by then it was too late.
Not wanting to frighten anyone but I found out when I was diagnosed, that 15 - 20% of cervical cancers are higher up the cervix and are sometimes not detected by smears anyway. When I asked the doctor if they knew this, why don't they do something that can get a smear taken from higher up the cervix. He said 'oh like everything else, we're 5 years behind here in Northern Ireland' WTF??
thanks for replies. yes i think its very silly that they dont refer us or offer a smear especially when we are going in showing symptoms. even if it turns out to be nothing. i was and have been really tired as well. like unusually tired. but cant afford to be as have 2year old little boy. i havent been this tired since i was pregnant with him and no im defo not pregnant. i am very careful and dont even have sex much coz of cramps lol. plus on implant. x
