I’ve read this forum for some time now, trying to wrap my head around everything.
I’m 22 (as of today) and I know it’s young for these issues- though my situation feels a bit different to others. My mother was diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer (Due to DES, not HPV) because she was pregnant with me - they found it at her first checkup. Because she didn’t want to abort me, she waited to have me (early) and then treated immediately. The cancer had spread to her uterus, where I was cooking away, and her lymph nodes. This was a hard battle and she survived, and now lives with severe lymphodema in her leg and abdomen.
So I went for my first pap a few months ago. It came back abnormal, and I was recommended for a colp. My GP said don’t worry, it’s likely to be nothing. At the colp, they mentioned a trial (after research it turns out that women under 25 with CIN2, they wait and see). They did two punch biopsies and insisted that it was all fine and normal and ‘unremarkable’ in appearance, and that it would come back with nothing. I was never asking for assurance through this whole process, which only concerned me more.
So weeks later, I have an appointment to come in and talk about this trial, which I knew already because of my mother’s history that I would opt for treatment. The day of, after taking time off of work, I end up getting a call from a doctor telling me that I didn’t need to come in - though I was already in the parking lot on my way in. So we go in and he says that the appointment was for the trial, which I wasn’t suitable for. I expect for him to say it’s not CIN2, it’s CIN1, but it turns out to be CIN3. He says they are still needing to discuss it, as the pathologists can’t agree on my results, so it is being taken to a board (on the 15th). After insisting that I don’t wait needlessly, I’m booked in for a LLETZ on the 17th…
This whole process has been really long and taxing already. So far, the care I’ve received has been awful. I’ve had the receptionist call me ‘accidentally’ and hang up while awaiting results from my biopsies, offered placement in a trial, asked for a follow up and then told I didn’t need to come in… It’s been difficult to say the least. My mother had CC when she was just 26, while I was in the womb. They refuse to even take this into consideration, and instead keep telling me it’s nothing to be concerned about and I’m too young to have any issues.
Sorry for the lengthy post, I suppose I’m just looking to vent to people who may be able to relate.
