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Original poster

Losing my shit over my smear test

78 replies

LEMtheoriginal · 02/08/2018 15:22

Please can someone talk me down?

Its been 4.2 weeks ffs and im losing my mind. I have severe anxiety and im on AD's.

I called my gp practice. Apparently it was processed on the 31st july and i should receive a letter within the week.

I kniw there is something wrong and im not coping.

Im falling apart here trying to read into the womans tone of voice or the fact that it took so long to process. I know i must be positive for hpv as i was cin3 in 97.

Im back on three yearly smears but i know there is something wrong and im not coping

Please help me

OP posts:
Triskaidekaphilia · 02/08/2018 18:02

I got told there was a major backlog due to switching from the new to old system, so I'd put it down to that. I'm sure you'll be fine, but do hope you get it back soon to put your mind at ease Smile

DaisyDreaming · 02/08/2018 18:34

Half my test results go missing or take 3 times longer than expected to be processed. Bare in mind too everyone’s on holiday at the moment so less staff to process them

Yorkshirepudding1987 · 02/08/2018 18:37

Had smear in May, it took 7 weeks to come back and it was normal. Backlog apparently

kissthealderman · 02/08/2018 19:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cathcath2 · 02/08/2018 19:08

You're not pathetic OP; you have anxiety - it's not something you choose to have! Waiting is unnerving but generally for all health tests 'no news is good news'. Hope they get back to you soon lovely x

ToadsforJustice · 02/08/2018 19:09

We've got a 3 to 4 month backlog. Apparently it's due to the technicians that are leaving the job in droves because of all the upcoming changes to the scheme and the drop in people attending screening.

monkeytoad35 · 02/08/2018 19:43

As pp says, 'no news is good news' if they found something bad you would know by now. Hope that helps. Smile

Original poster
LEMtheoriginal · 03/08/2018 14:32

Came today - all clear Grin i hope all the rest of you waiting get good news soon. Thank you NHS

OP posts:
bluebunnyblue · 03/08/2018 14:36

That's great news LEM Smile

PrivateDoor · 03/08/2018 14:57

Brilliant news Flowers Thanks for updating.

BelaLug0si · 03/08/2018 15:01

Sorry I don't want to upset anyone but PLEASE stop saying no news is good news.
The samples wait to be screened. Until someone looks at them, we don't know if they're ok or not. Therefore not hearing anything DOES NOT mean you're fine.
If you're worried or have symptoms then please contact your GP.

There are massive staff shortages in parts of the country which is why there is such a long wait. It is a very specialised job and as Toadsforjustice says staff are leaving because of the new testing coming in.
It's a really upsetting situation, screening staff aren't happy as they know people are worrying about their results but there's not much more that can be done than already is.

dalmatianmad · 03/08/2018 15:03

We're don't stress about it! It's the summer holidays so they will probably be running on minimum staff.

Mine took nearly 11 weeks Confused

dalmatianmad · 03/08/2018 15:04

*please don't stress

Joobles · 03/08/2018 15:17

I had my smear test on a Thursday morning and they rang me the following Tuesday morning to go in because it was abnormal. Thankfully it was nothing major.

Agree - bad news travels fast.

userxx · 03/08/2018 15:25

HPV can clear itself from your system. Did your smear show as HPV negative?

Groovee · 03/08/2018 15:25

When I had smear issues in 1997-2000, I got phone calls. When I get a letter now I always cry with relief.

AngeloMysterioso · 03/08/2018 16:01

I got a text message informing me of my colposcopy appointment 4 weeks and 4 days after my smear. The letter with more info was waiting for me when I got home. Don't want to panic the OP but people saying she'd have heard about an abnormal result before this point are incorrect.

BelaLug0si · 03/08/2018 19:00

Hi again
Just wanted to try and explain about how the tests are processed and how the results get to you.

You go for the appointment at the GPs The sample is put into a pot with preservative and sent to the lab.
Cells are taken from the pot, then prepared including adding dyes so we can see the details of cells to assess them. The cells are then put onto a glass slide. So each woman's sample = one glass slide with her cells on it.
The glass slides are put in trays, usually in the order of the date they were taken - i.e. when you went to the GP. The oldest samples get done first. The slides all wait their turn as oldest are done each day. The results are produced by at least two screener staff 'reading' the cells on the slide by looking at them under a microscope. It's a little bit like doing a word search but if you had lots of different languages in the word search too!
So until someone reads the sample/slide under the microscope, we don't know if the cells are abnormal or normal. This means it's not possible to pick out which samples are going to be abnormal and report those first - as we don't know.
If there was a way of being able to tell that without looking at them under the microscope then we wouldn't need to do that step.

Vichette · 03/08/2018 19:05

When mine picked up anormalities I was contacted very quickly 1/2 weeks. As others have said no news is usually good when it’s health related

BelaLug0si · 03/08/2018 19:53

@Vichette the lab doing your test was probably up to date with their screening.

I work in a screening lab. There is no way to find the abnormal ones and get the results out quicker without actually looking at the sample under the microscope. If you're getting your results within the 2 weeks then your local lab probably has enough staff for the work they get in.
We cannot tell in advance which samples are going to be abnormal - we do not have psychic powers I'm afraid!
There is no correlation between how quickly you get your result and whether it's normal or not.
IF your result needs urgent investigation, once it's been looked at then you will get contacted quickly because it's on the 2 week wait pathway.
The reason I'm going on about this, is because if it gets past the time you were told you'd get your result, then it's fine to chase it up.
Please don't assume that's fine because you haven't heard anything - sometimes the result letters get lost in the post.

Original poster
LEMtheoriginal · 03/08/2018 20:20

Thankfully my results have come back as clear. I think if i had read the latest posts
Before today i would have had a panic attack. I was grateful to those who put my mind at rest. I have anxiety and i would have thought it blatently clear from my OP that i was seeking reassurance as to why my results took longer. It may have been more helpful to say that just because they are late doesnt mean there is a problem which is what i was worried about.

In all honesty assuming one is ok if it isnt isnt going to change the outcome is it?

But thankyou for your posts and the work you do.

OP posts:
Original poster
LEMtheoriginal · 03/08/2018 20:23

*groovee yes i always have a few tears myself.

Very grateful for my smear tests - i wouldnt be here without them but by christ the wait is torture.

OP posts:
BelaLug0si · 03/08/2018 20:34

Sorry LEM, my posts weren't directed at you, but at the other posters repeatedly saying 'no news is good news'.
Yes, you're right it's better to phrase it the other way round, 'just because it's taking ages doesn't mean there's a problem'.
I'm just worried about people not chasing up a result because they haven't heard anything, assuming it means you're ok. You should always get a result letter either way.
I'm glad your result was clear and sorry you had to wait so long.
Thank you, it's been a stressful week - can't keep up with the work!

Original poster
LEMtheoriginal · 03/08/2018 20:40

Dont apologise Bella. I think i greaked out as my friends test came sooner but i was always gou g to stress. Im just grateful that the screening is there. I had Cin3 cells once so screening really has saved my life

OP posts:
kirinm · 03/08/2018 20:44

If your results are abnormal, you would be put onto a very fast cancer timetable (sorry, I can't remember the right terminology). When my results came back which they did within a week, I was seen for a colposcopy within 2 weeks. I did end up needing some cells removed but I think you should take some reassurance from not having heard.