Hi Laura. 

I keep seeing replies from you on many posts. It's very reassuring.

I am 26, I have two children 9 and 5. My periods have always been weird due to being on the implant. But I think in December it lasted a few days longer than normal. Fast forward to this month, I had my period as normal. It lasted around 10 days which is normal, then 4 days later I started bleeding again and bled for a week. Classed as spotting as it was never enough to wear a pad or anything. I phone my GP, explained everything and she didn't seem too worried. She booked me in for my first smear (haven't had one due to Covid) and also said she'd take some swabs 'to be on the safe side' (don't know what they're for?) 

Since speaking to her I've noticed I have lower back pain in a morning which eases off throughout the day. I have groin pain pretty much constantly, it's just a dull ache and I also noticed I had stomach cramps the day after having sex. Te cramps were pretty painful. They eased off in the evening. 

I don't have any smelly discharge, no bleeding during or after sex, no bloating, I'm not off my food and I don't think I've noticed any changes in bowel movement either.. 

Just looking for some reassurance really. My smear is booked for 10th March but I'm ringing to ask if they can bring it forward. I'm due on on the 10th march and all this worry is really affecting me. 

Hi, sorry I didn't see your post until now! I hope you are doing well and you've found out what is going on. At your young age I wouldn't think your issues would be cancer related but it is always good to follow up and keep tabs on things.  Please message me if you need to. 

Laura xx

Hi beau

Did your doctor not refer you on the 2 week pathway? If not, then I imagine there will be a long wait to be seen.

You are obviously really concerned about your symptoms, so I would say it’s worth pursuing. Tests are not always 100% guarantee that there is nothing wrong, but with cervical cancer you can’t rely on a smear or an ultrasound. Not that I’m saying I think you have cervical cancer! It might well be something like endometriosis or something else. 

If it were me, I would check how long the nhs referral is likely to take, and if it’s a long time then I would go private for peace of mind in terms of getting a diagnosis of your symptoms. Good luck-hope all will be well. x

Thank you for reply so quick. 
 

The doctor asked if I had private healthcare, she hasn't done a 2 week referral and said the waiting time is long. I get clots in the blood sometimes and streaks of dark blood, and when I had a more of a bleed I pee and it looks like my pee is blood in it (but this is normal for me). 
I just worry as we kept thinking oh it's okay the doctors aren't worried, but then I read what you have all done through and I worry. I just want confirmed answers, surely this isn't normal and okay for women to bleed most of the month, I bloat loads now as well on the run up to a period, but then I said a run up I have no idea now really. Can I call my local hospital and find ont the waiting list for gyn? 
 

Thank you for your advice, I hope you are keeping well x 

Yes, you can call and check on likely waiting times. It is likely to be long because your doctor doesn’t suspect cancer. 

It frankly isn’t normal to bleed so much, and in my opinion and fro my what I know after nearly 4 years of speaking to lots of women, doctors are too quick to fob us off by saying it’s normal.

Hopefully you have something that is not cancer of any sort and can be easily resolved, but if I were you I would borrow the money if you need to to see a private gynaecologist and be thoroughly checked for all possibilities. I can’t go back in time, but if I could I would have been far more proactive about my own health and might have avoided cancer. No doctors were at fault in my case, just me, and there’s no point in me wishing I had done things differently now, but you need answers for your symptoms and reassurance that this is nothing serious. x

I just checked on their website and it's at least a 44 week wait ‍♀️ I can't see why the doctor didn't do it as a 2 week one, as even she said I shouldn't have to just keep waiting and bleeding without answers, I will be so angry if it turns out to be the worst as this could of been prevented sooner. Everyone keeps telling me it's nothing, it was something the doctors would be worried and would be rushing things. I just want to know what it is, as I said to my friends and family if this was you would you honestly just leave it and be happy with spotting most of the month and not knowing why ‍♀️
Also worrying as when it's that time of the month, as I think it's stopping I have a bowel movement and the blood starts again. I never mentioned this as just thought nothing of it, but just seen a post about it and now I'm freaking out. 

will call a private hospital tomorrow to get quotes 

thank you xx 
 

The doctors need to follow set guidelines when making an urgent referral, so that the cases they consider may be cancer or are urgent get seen quicker. As your doctor doesn’t suspect cancer, you are unfortunately not considered urgent but that wait is very long.

I hope you get on well with your calls re private healthcare and can get something organised. xx

Hi beau, I'm sorry to hear you've had such an ordeal. It's awful when doctors don't listen to us or take us seriously. We know our own bodies and when something is not right. Have you been to colposcopy for cervical biopsies? I would recommend really pushing for that, even if you have been already as they do miss things sometimes. It's really reassuring to hear your ultrasound was clear though. There was an area 34mm at its widest point on mine, which is why I finally got a 2 week urgent referral.

It does sound like you could possibly have endometriosis. Unfortunately it's not the easiest of things to get diagnosed. The only was to get a definitive answer is laparoscopy. I was referred for suspected endo last year, but was told the waiting times in my area are 49 weeks. I'm just so relieved to have gotten my new gp or I likely would never have gotten an ultrasound and still be none the wiser as to whats wrong.

Keep pushing your doctors. Don't let it go. I work with someone who paid for private scans (she has previously been diagnosed with fibroids so doctors are not interested) and they mixed up her results so she is currently waiting to have them done again. So don't be too quick to spend money, especially if you can't really cant afford too.

I really do hope you get some answers soon. There's nothing worse than being stuck in limbo with doctors totally unwilling to help. Please do keep us posted on your progress. X

I will keep pushing as I just need an answer, fed up of bleeding all the time and bloating, thankfully the pain is eased by the pill but fed of just being left. 
So pleased you think it sounds like endometriosis, not that it's a great thing to live with but the thought of cancer scares me like it would anyone. I keep telling myself it can't be cancer of it was surely the doctors would be pushing for more and more tests, but they have all said they don't think it is. But if they don't then tell me what it is, as I have always been regular on my periods then out of the blue this happened xx 

Hi I just come across your post and thought firstly I'd say I hope you're ok and thank you for sharing your experiences and secondly to ask you opinion on my own symptoms please?

I haven't had a smear for 7 years due to carious reasons my periods and bleeding have been very strange since 2020 but I put it down to having my youngest son in 2019, I have 5 children.

I bleed at random whenever my body feels like it sometimes once a month sometimes twice but I went for a snear because sex is painful during and after and I bleed every time after sex, I also get pain in lower back and lower pelvis the pain in my back almost is a mirror image of the pain in pelvis if that makes sense the nurse did swabs as well and they've come back clear another nurse today looked at my cervix abs has done an urgent two referral due to my cervix being inflamed and having spots, she said they could be cysts but an urgent referral is needed she said it's not black so she wasn't taken aback but it needs further investigation what do you make of this and does it replicate anything you went through please x

Hi Shiv087

I’m not a medical professional, so I don’t feel it would be appropriate to give an opinion on your symptoms-I’m just a cancer patient. Our circumstances are also very different in that I was post menopausal when I received my cancer diagnosis, so in a very different scenario to you. In that respect, I didn’t have similar symptoms, but in any case it can be less than helpful to compare symptoms with others, as we are all so different, and not every cervical issue or bleeding indicates cancer.

The nurse has made the 2 week referral, so you will be seen by a gynaecologist who will be able to examine you and decide if further investigations are necessary. I know it’s hard to wait for this, and it’s tempting to consult google and look for similar experiences, but it’s not actually helpful in my opinion to try and diagnose yourself with something on this basis. 

I hope you get your appointment through quickly and can be reassured. x

Hi, hope you don't mind me messaging you. But you seem to be very well informed when it comes to cervical cancer. 
I had treatment in January this year for cinn3  (loop). All good with biopsies taken and clear margins.  I thought that was the end to it. But over the last three months symptoms having come back again.  I seem to be bleeding most of the month, my periods are coming every two weeks and my last one was abnormally heavy.  I had a smear test last Sunday as I've to have them every six months. Nurse said my cervix looks ok but I bled on contact. I am a little worried as I have all the symptoms along with a new one. Im suffering with a lot of watery discharge. Do you think maybe it's just the cinn3 returning? 
my Pap test up and till my diagnosis for cinn3 have always been good. So im abit nervous how quickly it can go from normal to cinn3. 
thanks hayley xx

Hi, hope you don't mind me messaging you. But you seem to be very well informed when it comes to cervical cancer. 
I had treatment in January this year for cinn3  (loop). All good with biopsies taken and clear margins.  I thought that was the end to it. But over the last three months symptoms having come back again.  I seem to be bleeding most of the month, my periods are coming every two weeks and my last one was abnormally heavy.  I had a smear test last Sunday as I've to have them every six months. Nurse said my cervix looks ok but I bled on contact. I am a little worried as I have all the symptoms along with a new one. Im suffering with a lot of watery discharge. Do you think maybe it's just the cinn3 returning? 
my Pap test up and till my diagnosis for cinn3 have always been good. So im abit nervous how quickly it can go from normal to cinn3. 
thanks hayley xx

Hi Haylz

I'm afraid I can't answer your question as I went straight to a cancer diagnosis rather than CIN.

If you're having symptoms you're worried about, I'd make an appointment with your gp to be checked and referred to a gynaecologist if it's felt necessary. 
 

I hope it works out ok for you.xx

Hi Minska, 

thanks for your reply. Yes I'm definitely a little worried, I will wait for the results of the smear test and go from there. I am 44yrs old so thinking it could just be the start of menopause! 
I was told after cin3 treatment there was only a 1O% chance of it reoccurring I have definitely got some weird symptoms again and had enough of constantly bleeding  

hope your still well and enjoying life! 
thanks hayley xx

Hi Hayley

It's horrible to have continuing symptoms, and especially bleeding. The chances of CIN3 recurring after treatment are low as you said, but unfortunately it sometimes happens.
 

Hope you don't have too long to wait for your results and that you can get to the bottom of what's happening. 

I'm well thank you and yes, enjoying life! xx

Hi minska, 

just thought I'd let you know I got my results today, I'm hpv negative so know need to check for abnormal cells. 
strange that I'm still having symptoms though. I think I will make an appointment with the doctor, I'm thinking maybe I have ectropian again or the menopause as hit early! Feel a lot better now! 
thanks for reading 

hayley xx

Hi Hayley

Good news that you're currently hpv negative, but you're right to get checked out as not all of the different types of cervical cancer are caused by hpv and as you're having symptoms it's wise to get checked. Hopefully it's nothing sinister at all and you can get your mind at rest. Hopefully just an ectropion! xx