The things they didn't tell me ..

So, I just feel in a rant kind of mood. 

How bullshit is it that women have to go through this? 

Had a dodgey smear - had colposcopy, took biopsy after seeing some abnormal cells (nearly fainted after).

Biop came back as just inflammation and was told come back in 4 months. Only for a follow up call to say they reviewed it & i do need treatment after all-  and then had treatment booked for July 7th - (4 months after my actual smear) - so strike one spending 4 months convinced i have cancer. 

At no point have i been told what treatment I'm having!!

Day of my 'treatment' - pretty sure was a cone but still haven't actually been told - so my paper work says you can have a chaperone wait with you - get to St Thomas' for my fiancé to be told he can't wait, noones allowed chaperones any more - strike two!! So 3 hours waiting on my own!!!!!!!!

Had the treatment under GA, which actually was okay! Woke up asking for a throat lozenge as my throat was sore, call me naive but I didn't realise they put a breathing tube in!!!! 

They said it all went well an they removed 18mm (is that a lot? I mean it sounds a lot - ALOT to me! But no one really explained anything after except it 'went well' but they won't know if it's all been removed until my 6month check up & that I should just wait for my results to come through in approx 2 weeks. Then bye you can go now! 

 

Got home, just back ache to begin with - then 1 night I wake up with the WORST pains - thinking ofcourse I couldn't get off lightly and have no pains - only to find out a few hours later I actually am due a bowt of diarreah !!!! I mean they should tell you that's a side effect because I don't usually have the runs!!!!!!! So all the pain was diarreah related, I honestly thought I was going to pass out! Having your cervix butchered & then followed up with  diarreah is my favourite way to spend a weekend. 

 

& now a full week later, my period is due. I have had light watery pink type discharge atm - only to go loo (sorry to be graphic but i strained a tiny bit) and now I have bright red blood so I don't know if the strain has caused it or it's my period ! &  I don't know about anyone else but I hate sanitary towels. How can you tell if your bleeding more than a normal period when you usually use a tampon which is all nice & self contained!!!! 

Lastly, i just want a poxy bath! Roll on week 5 when hopefully I can have a lush bath bomb & long long soak!!!!!!! 

WHAT IS THIS LIFE!! 

I can relate to no information! 

I went in there and straight away he was saying he wa going to do treatment! hadnt even done the colpo yet and he's saying he's doing treatment! It was fine and all that but Christ looking back now thatbwas horriblw! How dare he spring that on me like that. No sensitivity. and I felt like I had no choice but to go along with iy- he didn't even ask if I was ok to go along with it 

and  couple days afyer my urethra Was hurting and I've been leaking from there and I had no idea that happens. Seems to be healing now though (urethra pain I mean) 

I'm jyst so bloody shocked! I'm shocked at myself for just going along with it but I was sick with nerves, the appt was half hour late and I was just so shocked! I thought I'd have the colposcop and he would say what he could see and recommend treatment and yes if he said I could have treatment there and then I would have still said yes but it would have been my choice. Don't even know how  he removed don't know what CIN it was I mean Christ!! he said after "do you have questions" but I was still coming down from the local!

next time- hopefully there won't be one- but next time I'm going to make bloody sure I'm in charge of All of that and it will be on my bloody terms! I feel silly for ranting as I am very grateful we have all this in place on our NHS and really my appt went very well and he was actually a very nice dr and the nurse was a sweetheart AND I could have had my mum come in with me if I wanted but it's just I'm sat here and realising I know eff all about what's happening! 

 I can totally relate! I was told very little before my treatment, just that they were removing 'a few cells.' It was only years later when I had really bad side effects that I realised that with the LLETZ they remove up to 2cm. 

I was told nothing about the side effects, the risk of premature birth, and feel like I was being encouraged to believe that it was a 'safe, minor' procedure - all of which was not true in my case. 

I hope you heal fast! 

Definately!!! Hugely grateful that smears are even avaliable but they need to work out better explanations and communication. 

Especially when asking if you have any questions when you're still coming round from the treatment.

I had my letter today and have been told cin 3 was 'completely excised with no sign of cancer'. So feeling in a wonderful mood for the first time in 3 months. But still no explanation of what treatment I had or confirmation of how much was removed. For now i'm just going to wait for my 6 month check up and ask them all the questions then.

xxxxxxx 

Totally agree with lack of info, even now my gynae is useless at answering questions at check ups 

x