I REALLY don't know where to start! I was recommended this forum by somebody in the hope it might help me to talk things through.
To give you my background...
- I had my first routine smear on 10th October (a year later than I should have, which I now regret)
- After this appointment I was out of the country for a week or so and came back to a letter explaining my smear showed severe dyskaryosis.
- I was referred to the local hospital for colposcopy and this took place on 13th November.
- During the colposcopy it was confirmed that the cells were abnormal and I had the LLETZ treatment under local anesthetic.
- I was told that the results would be sent to me in the post in around 4 weeks but I could call the hospital in 2 and they should be able to access them.
- I received a phonecall from the hospital on Thursday this week (22nd November - 9 days after my colposcopy appointment) explaining the results were back, there was something 'suspicious' and would I go straight up to see them.
- Obviously expecting the worst, I went straight to the hospital to meet with the nurse practitioner who then explained there was a very small (1mmx8mm) section of cancerous cells right in the centre of my biopsy.
- I've now had my case referred to another local hospital (a centre of excellence, apparently) and I'm waiting for a telephone call (expected Monday afternoon) to discuss the next steps.
To give the nurse and the hospital credit, they have acted very fast and I feel as though I've had things explained well to me but it still doesn't stop you worrying. The way things have been described to me is that the cancerous cells were right in the centre of the biopsy and the cells surrounding were abnormal but not cancerous, suggesting they've already caught it all. In terms of the next step, there might be no need to do anything else or the specialist hospital might request another biopsy just to be 100% sure.
Has anybody else been in this situation, or have heard anything similar before? I'm trying to be positive because the hospital sounded quite confident and seemed to be being as honest as they possibly could but it all seems to have happened so quick, done and dusted. I really don't know what to think right now. Did I have cancer? Do I still have cancer? Do I even want to think about that word? I'll be honest with you all - I'm only 26, just got married this year and had big, big hopes of starting a family soon (we'd actually started trying just before my smear and everything is now on hold) - I'm very afraid and upset that my life plans of being a mum are now completely up in the air.
Sorry for the mammoth essay, I just hope to hear from anybody who might know how I'm feeling.
Thanks for listening (reading!)
K x
