To be ridiculously scared about my smear tast results?

[ledkr]

I have just had the letter saying i have "borderline" changes and not to worry but need further test in 6 months. I had breast cancer when i was 27 (16yrs ago) so i am a bit cancer paranoid iyswim. I had my dd2 by c section 17 wks ago and i also found the smear test extremely painfull this time,i am worried if that is significant at all,ie cancer ridden cervix more sore
I am sure this is common,can anyone offer me positive experiences to get me through the next 6 months. Thanks.

bumping for you...I would go and see your GP for a chat if you are worried. They will be able to explain the results more clearly.

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all, goodness knows having had breast cancer at 27 you are going to feel rather more paranoid.
HOWEVER I also absolutely don't think you need to worry. Borderline changes are extremely common, rarely sinister, usually revert to normal and do just need following up. If you did have cancer that was making your cervix sore the nurse would also have been able to see it when doing the speculum exam to get the smear in the first place.
Even if you have another borderline result in 6 months time you will just be referred for colposcopy to have a more detailed look at your cervix and remove any worrying cells.
The whole point of cervical screening is to pick up pre-cancerous changes so that they can be dealt with before they ever become cancer - so please please try not to worry tooo much. I do understand though that this is easy for me to say and hard for you to do!
Do you get on with your GP? If so please make an appt to go and see him / her to talk this through, I am a GP and would be very happy to chat this through with you and reassure you in any way I could.
Big hugs for you xxx

I had a smear last week and this is what the lady told me.

You can get borderline changes like yours - repeat smear in 6 months. If that smear was not normal, they'd send you to a hospital clinic type thing where they would take a look at the cervix and remove any cells immediately and send you home afterwards. These cells would not be cancer cells, they would be pre cancer cells and the point is that they remove them before they have a chance to turn into cancer. Cervical screening is effective becuase this cancer is very slow to progress, can take 20 yrs, and they can zap it before it can even start.

It must be really scary having had breast cancer though.

Thankyou you are so kind,i feel silly being so ott but its just so horrible as was just starting to feel better after my section and my dd has to have a cleft palate op in a few months too,it sometimes feels like its one thing after another doesnt it?
smileyhappy thanks i may well take you up on your kind offer,oneof my main worries is that i am a huge baby with smears,internal exams etc,so the thought of culposcopy or laser fills me with horror!I couldnt even have a coil as too tense.It weird cos chemo and double mastectomy was a cynch in comparrison.

You are definitely not being silly - I can completely understand why you are scared so don't start being hard on yourself for being frightened.
Most people find that colposcopy is no more uncomfortable than a normal smear test, and can in fact be a better experience - firstly because it can provide a lot of reassurance (either because there is nothing abnormal to see, or because of the knowledge that any abnormal areas are being dealt with) and also because usually there will be a nurse to hold your hand (literally if helpful!) as well as the person doing colposcopy. They would also use local anaesthetic if needed.
It's funny isn't it the way we are all irrationally scared of different things.... I can put up with most things but am terrified of dentists - so you are not being silly at all, just something you are scared of.
It will all be fine one way or another, honest.

I had a very similar letter OP, I was concerned and made an appointment to see my GP. His explaination was just as bluebobbin said. He also said it was nothing to be concerned about unless there was anything else going on with my body and gave getting pregnant as an example. When I told him I was TTC he said because of that it would be sensible to address the suspect cells straight away to be on the safe side, I was referred, cells zapped, job done.

This was over 20 years ago so not a recent experience but I second the above advice to speak to your GP and raise any particular concerns you have with regard to your history and any other personal circumstance. No point in carrying any worry with you when a short appointment should give you all the information you need to put this out of your mind for the next six months.

Thanks for taking the time to reassure me,more rational now.
smiley Can you be my gp?Mine are rubbish tbh. Would they give me a ga or at least sedation if i have to have further procedures? Also when i had my last smear it was very painfull,i have a retro. womb so someone mentioned a longer speculum,i was wondering about a dr doing it instead, a gynea did one once and it was pai!less.

My DD is 4.5 now and I have had borderline changes since she was born. Two things: 1. sometimes the changes are simply hormonal, nothing to do with cancer, just the hormonal inbalance causes the cells to form differently and 2. athe moment we are at stage 1 - they keep an eye on it in case it moves to stage 2. If it moves to stage 2 (still not cancer!), they can easily zap the dodgy cells and this has a 100% success rate.

I still get scared too, but there really is no need.

Goodness me, you have had bc and recently a c-section. No wonder you're feeling wobbly! Others have offered sensible reassurances - I just wanted to squeeze you in moral support. They would whip you straight back in for more tests if there was something to worry about.

i had an abnormal smear and a colposcopy and loop excision on friday, that was for moderate dyskaryosis. though it wasnt much fun and i now have an infection it is still all pre cancerous at this stage thats the whole point of smear tests they find the cells before they go any further and get rid of them. i am still waiting for my test results to come back and like you there is this tiny screaming voice in my head saying you are going to be riddled with cancer. but in reality the likelihood is very small otherwise my smear would have said cn3 and i would have need a biopsy etc. you are borderline which means it will prob go back to normal on its own so try not to worry your self unnecessarily just go back in 6 months and hopefully it will be all back to normal, and even if its not its all sortable so you dont need to be freaking out.

i had CIN 3 cells removed last year. i put having smears all my life then on my first one i had changes. 6 months later i was at the hospital clinic. i had the loop treatment and it really wasnt too bad, just very embarrassing. the doctor assured me i didnt have cancer, i didnt need a hysterectomy, but that if i didnt have treatment it could possibly turn into cancer.
i beg all thos who dont go for smears to make an appointment. my cousin had never had one. She had cerviical cancer last year, then secondry lung cancer (and others we think) this year. she died in february leaving behind 3 kids.

its a few minutes embarrassment every few years to save your life