Hello Laura,

I know this is an old post but I could really do with someone to talk to, I've been for a coloscopy today and the doctor saw what she said was very suspicious with a high risk of it being cancer, she said there was a nasty infection there as well, she sat me down I was in total shock, she did the biopsy and said the cells just fell away, I need mri and ct to see if it has spread, I'm so frightened, the only symptoms I've had is a few spots of blood on the toilet roll, and a bit of pelvic pain , I'm frightened to death x

Hi Dawn, 

I understand that this is a frightening time but you are doing the right thing in taking care of your health. Like Minska said, cervical cancer is treatable. Take it one day, one appointment, and one treatment at a time, if it comes to that. You can do it! Let us know how you do.

Laura xx

Thank you so much Laura hope you don't mind if I keep talking to you both x

Hi Dawn, 

I'm in a similar position to you. Waiting for an MRI. Seems the guidance is 2 weeks wait max, then 2 weeks for results.

I was told my diagnosis today, cancer for sure, but not telling me the grade..... worrying. 

Let's keep fingers crossed it hasn't spread. 

Xxx

Hi Rachel sorry your going through the same thing, it's the not knowing isn't it, I hope everything turns out ok for you, thank you so much for replying to me, please keep me updated and fingers crossed for us both x

No, don't mind at all! Please do keep in touch.

Laura xx

Hi Rachel

Welcome-I’m sorry to hear you’ve had this diagnosis, I know how horrible it is to hear those words.  It’s not that they are not telling you the stage of cancer at this point-the doctors won’t know this until scans establish the size and location of the tumour. Grade would refer to the level of cell abnormality within the tumour, but the stage is the most important thing to establish to decide on the treatment plan going forward-typically whether the stage is early and can be dealt with by a hysterectomy, or whether the treatment will need to be chemo and radiation. The toughest time is waiting for scans, results and a plan.  xx

Best wishes Rachel. I've got my appointment with gynae at 11am and with the pains and what the doc saw, I just know deep down what I'll hear. 
 

x

Hope the appointment is ok Sooz and things are not as bad as you assume. xx

Hi Laura did you have lots of pain with your stage of cancer ? X

Hi Laura did you have lots of pain with your stage of cancer ? X

Hi Dawnann

I know you addressed your question to Laura, and I had a slightly different stage of cancer, but I definitely had a lot of pain. x

Hi minska what stage was your cancer at x

I was stage 2b, and Laura was stage 2a. x

Hi minska I was in pain last week with period like cramps but since the antibiotics have kicked in for the infection in the cervix the pain has really eased just a slight ache in the bone above the vagina I'm not bleeding all the time just a spot about twice a week, so I'm holding on to that hope it couldn't have gone far, although she said it did look like high risk x could I ask if they know the grade after the biopsy or the scans x

Hi Dawnann

The nurse saying something looks high risk doesn’t mean it’s necessarily cancer. A biopsy confirms whether something is cancer or not, and grade refers to the level of abnormality in the cells. The stage of the cancer is determined from scans, and the size, location and spread of the tumour-I’m assuming you are asking how the stage is established? The stage will determine the appropriate treatment plan.  x

Thank you that makes things clearer xx

Hi Minska,

I have just created an account here and this is my first post. I have read most of this thread since the beginning and wondered if you could help answer some questions I've not seen covered yet?

When you say you had a lot of pain, can you elaborate on this please? I have been having symptoms since July of pain in my pelvic area, often worse at night and quite severe. Always there sometimes dull sometimes very bad. I have also had very watery, brownish discharge with a foul odour. A lot of it. Wearing bladder pads to absorb it but does not mask the smell, it's just awful. (Sorry for too much info) I had swabs done which came back no bacterial infection present. I have had irregular bleeding for the last 12 or so months. I have blood in the discharge too. I get slight back pain in my lower back at the sides. I know it's there but it's not severe enough to want pain relief. I have had a smear test in July and the results only came back yesterday. The hospital messaged me today to book a colposcopy and biopsy next Wednesday. I also have an ultrasound scan booked this Saturday due to ongoing symptoms. This was made before the smear results came back.

I'm a one parent family and my daughter is 8 and fully dependant on me, so I am worried sick. Do these symptoms sound familiar to you? Thank you x

Hi Sophie and welcome. 

I’m not sure that it’s always helpful to compare symptoms, as it can increase anxiety where you have no diagnosis and might be tempted to self diagnosis with cancer when it’s something completely different and much less serious. 

To be honest, your symptoms are different to mine-I had no foul discharge for example and when I say I had pain, I am talking about bent over in pain, take your breath away pain because I did actually have a tumour there. Also heavy bleeds of bright red blood. 

Having a colposcopy will allow your cervix to be examined in greater detail and any abnormal area can be identified, and biopsies will be taken and analysed. To be honest, although it’s hard not to worry when you have unexplained symptoms, there really is no need to automatically jump to thinking you have cancer. It’s way more likely to be something much less serious. The ultrasound may be helpful in identifying what’s going on but isn’t used normally as a diagnostic test for cervical cancer. I hope your appointment goes well next week and you get some answers which will put your mind at rest. x

Good morning minska, I'm so scared I've been crying for days while I'm waiting for these biopsy results, could you run me through your symptoms please, it really helps to talk, I'm frightened it's gone past the stage of no help even though my symptoms are very mild, you never know x

Morning Dawnann

I’m sorry you’re getting yourself in such a state about this, without a diagnosis yet. I was post menopausal, so my symptoms are going to be different to someone who isn’t. I said to a previous poster that I don’t think it’s very helpful to compare symptoms, especially as you are so anxious. I’m not here to frighten anyone further or help them to self diagnose-I’d rather be positive along the lines of no news is good news! Until someone tells you that you have cancer, it isn’t cancer.

Let me first reassure you that there is no stage where there is no help. You seem to be already writing yourself off here! Even advanced cancer is treatable, and I am not for a moment suggesting you have advanced cancer or even cancer. The nurse has already told you that she believes what she saw is something treatable, so I honestly think you should hold onto positive statements like that.

The mild symptoms you are experiencing are not indicative of advanced cervical cancer-I know what that feels like because I’ve experienced it and it’s very tough. You will only scare yourself further reading horror stories and I really don’t think that would be helpful for you. I just don’t want to be a source of further anxiety for you-it’s not that I’m not trying to help, but if you’ve been crying for days already it wouldn’t be useful to make that even worse for you. We have all had to wait it out for biopsy results and it’s not easy, but personally I didn’t make any assumptions until the doctor told me my diagnosis. From then on, I adopted a positive mindset, and was determined to be well. Tomorrow is 3 years from my diagnosis, and I’m here enjoying life! I don’t want to minimise your fear in any way as I understand it, but you don’t know what’s wrong yet, so try not to overthink everything at this stage.x