Cervical cancer

[Hastingscastle]

This is more of a rant and handhold please!
Bit of a long one….
Had two babies nearly back to back (18
months between them), both good sizes - first one just under 8lb with second degree tear and second 10,4 with third degree tear - second labour was found he was actually down low for a very long time before they realised - not sure if that had any relevance.
6 week check I said I was having a lot of discharge, tested for infections etc all negative. I've had sti checks too - negative. I was due a smear anyway so had that October 24 which was negative, I’ve always kept up to date with them and they’ve always been negative. I then started getting some bleeding after sex - pink on the toilet paper after I went for a wee afterwards. I also had some spotting before periods etc. I had an US October 24 which was clear. Went back to GP in April 25 due to suddenly feeling like I had a tampon in after being out on a walk, the feeling only last a couple of days and had been intermittent since, less so recently tbh. Had another US April 25 but just over the abdo which was clear. I saw a private gynae consultant May 25 and explained about the discharge, pink blood with wee after sex
and the prolapse feeling, she did an examination and US which didn’t pick anything up, she put it down to mild pelvic prolapse.

During this time my GP had also done an
internal examination a few times and said all looks healthy. It got to the point where I was becoming anxious about possibly
bleeding after sex so I just refused to have it. I went to GP in November who has referred me to gynae, but the waitlist is 20 weeks. Last couple of periods have been slightly longer by a day or two - light pink blood when wiping the last couple of days and heavier with some clots on the second day - I used to have clots before I had the babies and I used to have longer periods then too. GP has tried to hurry the referral along, simply because of my anxiety.
I paid for another private US last week and was told clear again, then had intercourse the morning after and this time had bright red blood afterwards when I went to a wee.
I’ve had ongoing flank pain since my last baby was born, had a private US last night and was told one of kidneys isn’t draining as well (only mild issue apparently) - got home and googled and of course it comes up it can be linked to gynae cancer.

I saw a new GP this morning who said TV
US is no good for cervical cancer and then regarding the kidney issue she said I had good kidney function on bloods recently. i dai to her I was concerned I’d only been offered US’s previously and I’m concerned 18
months down the line I’m no further forward.
I feel so angry, I feel angry at myself for not pushing when the first US didn’t show anything and I feel angry that I went back numerous times and said about the issues but nothing really was done. I can only see how this is going to be bad news now, when I eventually get the gynae appointment and I’ll end up leaving my babies.

Sorry for the long post, I have no one else to turn to with it all tbh.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this and I hope you’re okay. I had a tv us last week for bleeding. It was normal and I’m now waiting for a gynaecologist appointment. I’m post menopausal. I did go through something similar in covid and had a biopsy, and it was all clear. In my late 20’s I had CIN3, which was removed.

I saw gynae due to a viable growth on my cervix. He had a chat, smear tests had no changes so ruled out cancer. I’m waiting for an ultrasound which will be trans Abdo and trans vaginal to look for any other issues.

If your ultrasound and smear is clear then it sounds like they’ve ruled out a gynae cancer? You could push for a colposcopy for reassurance but I’m not sure how liked you’d be to get one with everything clear.

Prolapses themselves can cause bleeding and spotting and irritating due to irritation.

Youve leapt a long way down the road, the GP hasn’t communicated with you well.

This is a lot - sympathy! How old are you?

Thank you all for your replies.
GP keeps saying everything looks healthy down there, smears have always been fine and US’s haven’t flagged anything. Im
in two minds about the US’s, one I think ok surely by now something would have been big enough to show up but at the same time I keep reading US is no good for cervical cancer, new GP I saw today also stated this and said it would need to be a colposcopy - when I said I’m worried it’s been going on 18 months and probably should have been referred when first US didn’t show anything she just looked at me blankly and said she’d chase it up.
im 39 soon, McMillan nurse I spoke to on the phone was saying about perimenopause etc.

Also had a uti in July last year which showed negative on dip stick a couple of times before finally showing blood, sent off to lab and was told it was e.coli infection. I saw the nurse practitioner last week and said shout possible uti again, tested negative again but she had a look down there and said also everything looks healthy and she couldn’t see anything concerning.

Honestly your entire first paragraph describes me in the 9 months of peri down to a T! Then periods stopped apart from occasion random 2 day things. Then they totally stopped. It really does sound like my experience of peri going into menopause. Was about the same age - 39 when things started being weird, early 42 when they stopped for good.

@stichguru did you have bleeding after sex too? Funnily enough my period last month was a week late, I just put it down to being very stressed over all of this. McMillan nurse said peri starts around 37 and about how much more research is coming out about it now.

im just terrified it will be something sinister and I should have pushed more months and months ago.

Hi OP.

I dont really have much experience here but didnt want to read and run. Controversial but I dont have smears. However, I recognise what you are going through is so anxiety provoking and hope you get some answers soon x

Yep after sex and very randomly - often periods would 3 or 4 days and then the gap between would be 10-14! Honestly I was all over the place. Some stinky discharge too which I had swabbed several times but always showed up clear. Really itchy down there too ...

Funny you should say about the itching, I remember saying to the gynae consultant I’ve had some itching, not excessive or anything, she said she couldn’t see anything in the area I said but said to try some thrush cream. I’m really hoping it is just peri and nothing bad. I lost my mum to cancer, it was awful. I keep looking at my two and thinking they won’t even remember me 😭

Instead of paying all this money on private ultrasounds, pay for a private gynaecologist appointment.

Considering your recent smear was clear and there are no masses on ultrasounds, you would not have a solid tumour sizeable enough to be causing a prolapse. My money would be on a prolapse combined with cervical ectropion, which is when cells from inside the cervix start growing more on the outside. It’s not anything to be worried about, it happens more often if you’ve given birth and have used hormonal contraception. Because you’ve birthed a particularly large baby, it’s very likely to be the cause of both. You need a colposcopy, which the private gynaecologist can do in office when you see them to check the cells on your cervix. They should be able to visually identify ectropion even without a biopsy as it tends to be redder (more blood flow in those cells), hence why it causes bleeding.

Thank you for your reply @mindutopia .
Ive had a private gynae appointment, but they only did a visual and TV US (which I’ve heard wouldn’t pick up cervical cancer).
Practice Nurse also looked down there last week and said all looks healthy, which makes me feel more likely it’s something sinister that’s growing inwardly, rather than outwardly if that makes sense.