Feeling Nervous...

Cervical screening results
1

Hi Ladies,

I am 24 years old (turning 25 in June) so just after Christmas I received my letter advising me to book a smear test. I booked it straight away as I have always felt strongly about women going or their cervical screenings and I wanted to just get mine out of the way, and hopefully not have to worry about it for another few years… Unfortunately that was not the case.

I don’t know how to describe it, but I just had that feeling. I even said to my partner after my smear test - ‘I think something is wrong’, probably because I noticed blood on the cotton bud the nurse used, and I guess my mind just went into overdrive. I have also bled after sex on a few occasions, but maybe being naive did not think anything of it.

I didn’t find out the best way, not through any fault of the NHS, in fact they were just too efficient!! I was away with work and received a text message just confirming my follow up appointment, before I had received any letters. So of course again my mind went into overdrive and spent the whole day dreading going home and reading my letters.

My results stated I have low grade changes, along with the HPV virus. So again, going into panic mode I then spent the rest of the evening on google and various websites trying to find out what this could mean, reading my leaflets over and over again. I did get very upset initially, and worried but then tried to put it to the back of my mind.

My colposcopy appointment is this Friday - and I am now starting to get very nervous again. Unfortunately I am one of those people who always think the worst, and now I am worried with a more detailed examination what they might find :frowning:
My mum was diagnosed with cancer of the vulva when she was in her late 30s, which was caused partly because of the HPV virus, so I also have that playing on my mind too.

Reading other posts on here, I know a lot of you have been through a lot more, and you are all incredibly brave. I am not sure what I am expecting from this post to be honest, but I think I just need to talk to people who have been through the same. My boyfriend and my best friend (the only people aside from my mum I have told) have been great, but theres only so many times you can hear ‘I am sure it will be fine, nothing to worry about etc’ especially when they haven’t been through the same.

Sorry for the very long message - guess I just wanted to get it all off my chest!

The countdown to Friday begins… x

2

Hi jfoster, I can understand your nervousness. I will try to make you feel more positive. Low grade usually is just mild changes. They'll most likely have you take a biopsy to confirm, but most cases it's still mild changes & will resolve on its own. The more worrisome one is high grade changes (what I have). I find my biopsy results out by next week. Just relax when you go & cough when it's biopsy time, it helps! 

Good luck! :) 

3

Thank you - I know that is probably the case, but I still cant help but worry they are going to find something more serious once theyve had a better look!

Its just a case of me over thinking it I guess. 

Good luck, and I hope your results come back soon and everything is okay :) x

4

Hi jfoster! 

Please try not to worry. Low grade changes are strangely positive and usually resolve on their own :) 

I completely echo what traveler said. I've got High grade changes and am just waiting on results to confirm that so I understand the anxiety with waiting. 

Your colposcopy appointment will be fine. At most it's uncomfortable but the nurses are wonderful and very comforting. 

Try to keep positive and not Google! I think I've had every illness in the world thanks to Google haha :) 

Lots of love xx 

 

5

Yes, don't google, I took think everything is wrong with me now! Haha. 

6

Hi jfoster!

I won't say don't worry because that is impossible for you to do but the colposcopy itself is absolutely fine! In fact I would rather the Doctor who did my colposcopy to do my smear tests in future because I barely felt anything!! Including the biopsies being taken. I was expecting it to be horrendous and I was so shocked at how normal everything felt. The nurses and doctors deal with patients every day and it's nothing new to them - they are honestly so patient and so lovely (in my experience!)

The worrying before the colposcopy and the waiting for biopsy results (5 weeks and counting) is actually so much worse than anything else.

please do not google! Just use this site! If you are tempted to google then just post on here! I did a lot of googling and I was convinced that I had the worst case scenario.

If you need a chat then please just private message me - I totally get the whole thing of friends who haven't been through it not really understanding.

Good luck with everything!