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

That's such good news so pleased for you 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

Thank you so much, every bit of groin pain, a twinge in my back and even going for a wee I'm focusing on and then I'm on google and it's becoming an obsession, hopefully I can adopt your positive mind set when I know for sure x

I didn’t go on google at all...it’s honestly a way to drive yourself crazy with fear. I’m so glad I didn’t when I see how it affects others on the forum..thinking all sorts of awful things. When it comes  to symptoms, what I can say is that having cancer is painful, so try not to overthink twinges. And I would recommend not googling without a diagnosis, because you’ll honestly make yourself feel more anxious. I’m just trying to advise as someone who has been through this cancer twice twice now, and from learning so much along the way. x

Hi Dawnann,

Sorry I am behind on responding. Yes, I did have pain, it was in the same area as period cramps, but it was more of a stabbing dull ache. It's so hard to compare symptoms, though, we are all so different.

Keep us posted on how things are going.

Laura xx

Hi Laura I had to go to the doctors yesterday as the pain was back and pretty bad, it had eased off while in the antibiotics, when i went for coloscopy on Tuesday the consultant said the infection on my cervix was very angry, doctor gave me another weeks cause of antibiotics last night and the pain has eased a lot already plus I'm drinking loads of water which ha really helped, I'm praying that my cervix looks so bad because of infection and if it is cancer the infection is making it look a lot worse x

Hello Laura can I ask if your symptoms came on suddenly or over a period of time, it's been 8 days now and still no results, I'm working myself in to that much of a state I feel sick when I open my eyes on a morning xx

Hello Laura can I ask if your symptoms came on suddenly or over a period of time, it's been 8 days now and still no results, I'm working myself in to that much of a state I feel sick when I open my eyes on a morning xx

Hi, 

No, my symptoms came on over a period of years. I just put them down to aging, pre-menopause, etc. and ignored them for too long! Try to ease your mind because the more you worry, the more "symptoms" will appear. Anxiety causes so many gurgles, pains/twinges, diarrhea, all sorts of things. You are doing the right thing, getting them checked out. Think of it this way, if it is "something" you will get on the right track to treat it, if it's not, you will be able to move on and treat the symptoms you do actually have. Does that make sense? Keep me posted on how you are doing.

Laura xx

Hi Laura I had no pain or spotting until about a month ago where I had a lot of preasure like period pain then a spot of blood, I went to doctor next day and was given a 3 day course of antibiotics for a water infection, I went back because I wiped a bit more blood away that's when they gave me the smear which was due in 2013, the nurse noticed what she thought was etropian on my cervix so referred me urgently, Ide had no symptoms up until this point, none of it makes sense when the consultant saw it she said it looks high risk and started making appointments for mri and ct scans and said to bring someone next appointment because it would be for staging. Then she said there is a bad infection there which is very angry, and possibly it could be this, surely she should have waited for biopsy results before frightening the life out of me !! Thank you for your support il keep you updated xx

Hi all, I've been experiencing bleeding after sex for the past few weeks since my last period. I was on holiday during my last period and went swimming so I used a tampon for the first time in my life. I thought the bleeding could be related to that at first but over the past week I've been getting a dull ache down there and headaches and since yesterday my legs have been aching non stop. No pelvic pain though. I made the stupid mistake of googling my symptoms and now I'm convinced it's cancer. 
I had my smear test last week, haven't had results back yet. I did tell the nurse about the bleeding and she told me i needed to get it looked at. I've booked in to see the gynaecologist tomorrow. Im so scared. Don't know what to expect at my appointment.