I think I may have cervical cancer, please please talk to me

[Greensleeves]

I am frightened

Major, major TMI alert here.... but am not going to namechange as if anyone knows anything I really need advice

And I will go see my GP on Monday definitely, I have just got back from a week's holiday and have been worrying constantly the whole time

background is that I have NEVER had a smear test (serious phobia, two horrific births) and yes I know I am a fucking idiot and this is all my own fault

so basically I had a little fresh red bleed before my last period, two days of nothing and then a fairly normal period

then a few days of nothing, then started to get brownish, blackish discharge

this continued for nearly a week

then suddenly started to get what seemed to be another, really heavy period, with lots of bright red blood and some huge clots

now id just seeming to tail off like a normal period

I have googled it to death and it looks most likely to be cervical cancer, and all the sites seem to say that if it is cancer, it will be very advanced by the time abnormal bleeding occurs

I have hardly slept all week and am terrified

please talk to me

I'll talk to you, but I know nothing about this, sorry.

How old are you?

sunds like a miscarriage t me

Hang on, hang on. Bleeding can mean all sorts of things - from a miscarriage, to hormonal imbalances, depending on your age it can even be menopause related. It can be cervical erosion, a cyst etc, lots of things.

YES go to the GP but calm down a bit. It sounds very much to me like when I had an early miscarriage TBH.

Was there any pain before the bleeds? Or loose bowel movements?

no more googling. maybe phone nhs direct if you are really anxious, they may be able to advise.

Right, a very cursory googling shows dozens of differnet possibilities, most of which are much less frightening than cervical cancer.

Are you sure you couldn't have been pregnant?

tbh i thoguht miscarriage - would this be possible?

Google is NOT your friend, neither is it a trustworthy diagnostic tool.

Please take a few deep breaths. Go and see you GP. There could be MANY explanations for this.

What whomoved said.

I get: two days of light bleed with some brown blood, then it stops for a day, then a normal period.

But have had smear test and bloods and it's perimenopause.

I also have cervical erosion.

Tell them your concerns and ask if they can rush the test at the lab.

If it's anything completely untoward beyond displasia, they'll call you in asap.

You can also ask them to do an internal exam. If they feel any masses, they'll send you right through.

different

Like WMMC said, lots of possible causes -

Are you on any hormal contraception? Could you be pregnant at all? Any pain? Any bowel changes?

And after all this, please talk to your GP about your phobia of smear tests

I'm 33 and there is NO WAY I could be pregnant (no sex)

I am really really panicking, can you tell?

I have been sleepless and inwardly tearing my hair out all the way through a week at bloody Butlins and I am exhausted

it could be a one off strange period, or endometriosis, or a million things...I doubt cancer related bleeding would just "tail off" ..it would keep going....

or fibroids.

I do have (I am sure) a rectocele which makes the whole bowel movement thing rather difficult

but I can't find anything about that causing abnormal bleeding

I am bloody crying now, I have felt really alone this week and it's so good to talk to you lot

I get periods like this.
try not to worry - periods do arse about.

I don't think there will be a woman on here who hasn't had a weird period, or a missed one, or a double one, tbh.

That is rough. Please please try not to worry.

I would think the Butlins thing would terrify me more

If you couldn't have been pregnant you still need to stop panicking. Again, lots of explanations. My SiL had bleeding for six months, on and off again, and they found no reason for it other than it's not cancer. They thought in her case it was related to menopause. And 33 would be early for that but not unheard of.

How regular are your periods? Have you gained a lot of weight recently? And pain, tell me about pain during and before your periods.

It sounds very like the bleeding I have had with endometriosis. Spotting before periods, clots, and what they charmingly refer to as 'flooding' are characteristic.

My mum has had very similar symptoms with fibroids.

I would have thought that if it was advanced cervical cancer you would probably have noticed symptoms over the last few years, pain, bleeding after sex etc.

Yes I think cancer would be waaaayyy down the list of things you could have, seriously.

No severe pain, just twinges and vague period-like discomfort

I haven't gained a lot of weight very quickly but I am overweight

I would gladly have a smear now, in fact they can do it with a pitchfork if it will take away this horrible fear

It could be more or less anything. Do go to the GP on Monday, and try to keep your head. I know it's hard, but if you really can't cope until then do ring NHS Direct. But I think you have to take a deep breath, psych yourself up for an internal exam and perhaps when you are at the surgery, ask them for some help with the phobia of smears and stuff?