Watched Holby - now I'm concerned about my smear...

[Coathanger]

I've just watch Holby and got into my stupid head that I might have a problem.

I had a smear test done 3 weeks ago. When the nurse had a look "up there" (before she "scraped") she commented on the fact I had blood around my cervix which I was unaware of, and asked if I had a coil fitted. I said I haven't got one but had had a miscarriage about 7 weeks before. She took the swab but informed me that I would probably be recalled as there was too much blood on the slide.
After the smear, I started spotting (bare in mind this was a week before my period was due) which is unusual for me. The spotting stopped, but the period I have just had, which came bang on time, lasted for 10 days, again very unusual.

Now I'm very worried that I might actually have something wrong. I was very overdue my smear, due to being pregnant, and now I'm scared witless!

Anyone got any advice or ideas? Do you think its anything to worry about? And do you think I could have another test before the results of the first one are back?

could be a few things obviously most unlikely is something abnormal. a lot of women have something called ectropian which is where cells that usually grow inside the cervix are found on the outside. this is perfectly normal but these cells are very fragile and bleed very easily.

I think you need to wait and see what the smear result is chances are it will be inadequate if there was a lot of blood.

The lab won't process another smear until your previous one has been processed and a period of time has elapsed usually about 3 months.

maybe you have an infection? could cause the different bleeding you describe, maybe get some swabs done aswell.!!

Try not to panic

I can't give you any medical advice (not having any knowledge) and I don't watch Holby, but if you are worried then you could either ring up your GP surgery/family planning clinic in the morning and ask the nurses advice (you should be able to get some advice on the telephone) or you could ring NHS Direct this evening. I would have thought that your nurse should be able to find out your result by now, but it depends on how fast your local lab turns around it's results. The differences with your period and the spotting may well be your body settling down after the miscarriage and nothing to worry abou, but no-one is going to be unsympathetic to your concerns.

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Thanks Laylasmum

Got a horrible swimmy feeling in my tummy now with worry (natural born worrier, me!), I'm sure you're tight and it's nothing, but the waiting time for results in my area is 9 weeks! Such a long time to wait to be told to come back again!

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Thanks too, Nooka and BT! I will ring surgery in the morning and make appt to seemy GP. She is great and I'm sure she will sort something out for me.

BT - I know someone who works at my surgery and she told me its 9 weeks!

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Will do that first thing BT. My doc is fab. I wonder if they could swing it for me to have a repeat test now rather than waiting.

coathanger, if the GP or nurse rings up then the lab can do it urgently but yes 9 weeks is more like it.

Out of interest did she use the wooden soatula type smear i'm guessing she did as you mentioned the slide, but its just that a new way of taking smears is currently being rolled out across the country and the inadequate rates of results are much better even in women who bleed alot or have heavy discharge, it might be worth asking when your area is changing over and wether its worth waiting for this system for your repeat( if the wait isn't too long of course!!)

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Laylasmum - it was a wooden thingy! No modern high tech here I'm afraid But soon hopefully. Its worrying enough that our local NHS trust had a lot of trouble a few years ago with giving out wrong results - telling women they were clear when in fact they had abnormal cells.

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But she noticed the blood before she scraped! So I was already spotting

I am beside myself with worry. I hate feeling like this. I know for a fact I won't get a wink of sleep tonight. I get myself in a state thinking that something is wrong

coathanger..every smear ive had they have told me I have bllod on my cervix and the results always come back inconclusive..after having ds I have had one which came back with normal results.

Thanks nemo, thats given me some hope XX

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I will do BT

Bloody Holby! I was fine til I watched that!

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Nahh, see I love it!! You know me - anything medical, and I'm there!

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Just found this very helpful article:

During childbirth or miscarriage, the surface covering of the cervix can be damaged and become inflamed (cervicitis). Evidence of this inflammation can still be found even many years later. Sometimes small mucus filled cysts form on the cervix (Nabothian follicles). Chronic cervicitis may be associated with discharge or bleeding after intercourse. Cervical ectopy and cervicitis are not pre-malignant or malignant conditions.

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But that doesn't explain a 10 day long period...