Hi Holly

It’s good that you are getting properly checked out with the colposcopy but an ectropion isn’t serious, and isn’t cancer. It just means that cells from the inside of the cervix are growing on the outside, and this can cause bleeding sometimes.

The doctors are just being thorough in their tests, so try not to be too concerned at this point and I hope that your appointment goes well and you can be reassured. xx

Hi Holly,

I'm glad you found this thread and hope it will provide you with some peace of mind. There are so many other issues we can have that aren't cancer and it is good that you are getting yourself checked out. That is the most important thing, I think, taking charge of your health and following up. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Laura xx

Hi All,

sorry to jump on the post but I have read a lot of your thread and feel like it would be good for me to reach out and speak to people.

I am a 27 year old mum of 2 boys (aged 3 years & my youngest is 5 months), both children were born by c section, first was emergency and second was elective. By 6 weeks post partum I felt back to normal and was no longer experiencing any pain. Fast for to around 2 months ago I started to feel pain in my lower stomach/pelvic area, the pain was so bad if I even leaned on against the kitchen side, whilst standing washing the pots for example, it would really hurt. The pain now is pretty much 24/7, like dull achy period cramping pain, I had the implant fitted around the same time I started experiencing the pain and have bled constantly ever since which I know the implant can cause, I have had implants before and had no bleeding whatsoever.
 

Other symptoms I've had is painful sex, this has been ongoing a lot longer than the rest of the symptoms (I'd say probably since my first born), the pain is more like I'm really dry? but I'd initially put that down to the fact I'd dilated to 5cm before requiring an emergency section and the fact we'd attempted sex quite soon after birth of my first born so I kind of thought maybe because I was expecting sex to be painful it was causing it to be, if that makes sense so I thought it might have been more psychological.
 

i do suffer with severe health anxiety which deffo doesn't help matters, this is something I have CBT and counselling for. 
 

I had a smear not long after my first son was born and I'm due another in August this year. My first smear was normal which is good. Before I had the implant put in this time, I'd noticed an increase in watery discharge, however no strong odour and more recently I have had itching and pain similar to thrush, however I have used thrush treatment and had no improvement. I also don't have any STDs.

In addition I have had lower back pain since my youngest was born, I thought it may have been caused by the spinal block I had or maybe sciatata, I suffered really badly with SPD during my last pregnancy. Today I am bleeding so heavy, put a tampon in and it was sooo painful, the same pain as I feel during sex, took it out more or less straight away and had the most intense cramping in my stomach afterwards. When I went to see my gp she didn't examine me because of my heavy bleeding but put me on an urgent referral for a pelvic ultrasound and transvaginal scan which I have tomorrow, I think I can feel raised lymph nodes in my groin but my anxiety also plays tricks on me! So scared this is going to be cancer of some sort! My Nan is currently suffering with ovarian cancer and I can't help but think i could end up with some sort of cancer in that area.

Hi Laura,

thanks for getting back to me, im trying so hard to focus on the 'positives' like that but then I also can't help feeling that all the pain im in across my stomach, the constant heavy bleeding, the pain during sex and inserting a tampon and back ache together is just not going to be good. The only thing I'm trying to cling on to is hoping that it may be endometriosis, as although I think it's quite rare, I believe c sections can increase the risk of that but I have no idea. Dreading today, do you think they would tell me any findings there and then or will I have to wait for them to tell my doctor and then wait for my doctor to get back to me? The waiting (like I'm sure it does everyone) is just the worst thing for my anxiety and it puts me in such a low place, I have been prescribed anti depressants for my anxiety but am yet to take any as it says on it that it may impair my driving reactions etc and a huge part of my job involves driving so I'm just having CBT and counselling which at the moment doesn't seem to be improving anything yet. It's just so exhausting feeling like this all the time. I will update you all later my scan is at 12 so not too long to wait now. Xx

Hi Elma

I'm not sure if you will be told anything at your scans or will have to wait. These are not the types of scans used in a diagnosis of cervical cancer specifically so it would seem like your doctor wants you to have scans which will give a good look at the area in general to try to identify what the problem is. For the scans used in a cervical cancer diagnosis-ct, mri, petscan,you need to wait for results, but the scans you are having might be different in terms of what they are able to say at the time you have them. 

There are so many gynaecological issues which can affect us which are not cancer. Has a doctor mentioned cervical cancer, or is this something you have focused on from your symptoms? Your anxiety must be very debilitating, and it can manifest itself in lots of physical symptoms. xx

Hi Minska,

she didn't specifically say cervical cancer but was asking about my last smear and looking up when my next one is and asked me about history of cancers in my family, she said she was concerned but that the pain in my stomach could possibly be linked to scar tissue from my C-section but because of the other symptoms I have she wasn't sure so said she was booking me an urgent referral to look at my pelvic area, cervix and ovaries. 
 

Also this might be because I couldn't answer certain questions like whether I bleed after sex etc as I literally bleed 24/7 which is probably linked to my implant being put back in, sometimes I bleed so heavy with clots but then the next day can be a lot lighter. There's no real pattern or anything to it and the bleeding also makes it more difficult for me to tell what my discharge is now like as before I had the implant it was very watery and I was having to wear liners in my pants but I assumed that was just because I'd not long had a baby I didn't really think into it much at the time.

my anxiety is definitely deliberating, it's caused me so many false symptoms in the past but the pain im in at the moment is just ridiculous so I really doubt it is caused by my anxiety. Paracetamol and ibruprofen reduce the pain but it never fully goes xx

Hi Elma

You really must be exhausted by everything you’re going through right now-I really feel for you. 

The good thing is that your scans today might finally give you some answers, and the fact that it was an urgent referral doesn’t automatically mean a cancer diagnosis, it just means you are seen quicker than normal because your doctor cannot be sure what’s going on. I really hope that it’s something less sinister and you find out quickly so that you can get whatever treatment you need. xx

Hi thought I'd update, got to my appointment early and managed to get seen before my slot. Couldn't have the abdominal ultrasound as they said my bladder wasn't full enough which I seriously don't understand as I'd drank 1.5l of water and was dying for a wee! But they did the transvaginal scan, I asked at the end if there was any concerns she said everything looks okay on that and that I'd hear from my gp in a couple of days to discuss what they advise next so not really sure I just feel abit in limbo, obviously I know ultrasounds arnt normally used for cervical cancer so could it still be that? I just feel abit all over the place anxiety wise xx

Hi Elma

Gosh-I would have thought that would have been enough water for a full bladder! Good that nothing of concern has been seen so far though. 

I think the most appropriate thing would be for your gp to refer you to a gynaecologist for a pelvic examination, not a smear though as you are not scheduled for one currently and that’s not the most appropriate test. In the steps to diagnose or rule out cervical cancer, you need your cervix to be examined and go from there. But keep in mind it it may well be a much less sinister issue than cancer so try not to be fixated on that as an outcome at this point. xx