Anyone have experience of cervical or ovarian cancer? Please help

[wrenster]

I am becoming Ill with worry and really need to hear anyone else's experience.

I had spotting at the wkd, mid cycle, which has only ever happened once before. There is sometimes a tiny bit of blood after sex and it is also sometimes painful.

These coupled together sent me into a major panic and went to the docs yesterday. She gave me an internal examination, said everything looked fine, just a small cervical ectropian which could have caused the bleed. She took swabs for infection (but wouldn't do a smear) and the results will be here on Friday.

In the meantime I have become eaten up with fear it is something more serious. I have googled both types of cancers and now think I have some of the other symptoms, but now don't know what I'm imagining and what is real I.e. I have felt so sick today I have hardly eaten anything (nausea is a symptom), yesterday I had bad diarrhoea (another symptom). I'm sure I have bloating today but I guess is could be from the exam. I haven't been particularly hungry before I bled (bloated ness and fullness is another sign). I read that the internal exam is largely useless as the chances of cancer cells being spotted are very minimal.

I have been onto the local private hospital to get an appt with a gynae for every exam possible and I'm happy to pay as I cannot bear this. I am still waiting for them to call me back.

I am normally a very rational pragmatic person but for some reason i am simply unable to control my fear and the thought of leaving my children without a mummy is torturing me.

Can anyone give me any advice? Thank you

Hi
Just wanted to reassure you as you seem to have got into a bit of a tizz.

You went to the doctors with spotting and that seems to have triggered your fears. My Mum died of ovarian cancer, she did not have spotting . She did have bloating, but it was constant, not intermittent and once she started to have nausea and stomach problems the cancer was so large that the doctor could feel it through her abdomen.
I have also had the same sort of bleeding you describe, it was a small ectropian which I eventually had cauterised. However, a lot of ectropians just resolve and do not need cauterising.
I think it sounds as if you are developing a touch of health anxiety, I think once we are Mums we are all more prone to this , part and parcel of worrying about our children ...... by all means have the tests if you think they will put your mind at rest, but perhaps also speak to your GP about your spiralling anxiety? i have in the past suffered from health anxiety and depression and I really feel like my brilliant GP helped me immeasurably.

This sounds like Health Anxiety to me. You do NOT have the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer < and it is very rare in women who are not post menopausal anyway > and you have had an explanation for the cause of your bleeding.

Try and relax and let the rational side of your brain take over. If you really can't do this then it may be an idea to look into some form of CBT counselling.

Totally agree with Minnie and Blog The symptom you saw your GP with was primarily the spotting. I'm sure that reading up on ovarian cancer websites will be contributing to your nausea/loss of appetite and other symptoms. It's well known that medical students think they have just about EVERY condition/syndrome they are studying because so many illnesses have everyday symptoms and it is very easy to convince yourself you have just about anything.

If your GP had been worried he would have fast tracked you for a gynae appt immediately. I have had polyps and an ovarian cyst along with grossly thickened womb ining, over the last 2 years and the main symptoms of both were bleeding between periods, pain after sex and a pinching/nipping pain around the ovary. I was seen very very quickly indeed and was worried why the urgency (I am in my early 50s though). But after inter-vaginal ultrasound and removal of polyps I was fine. For the cyst back in November, I just had a scan and then a follow up 6 weeks later which showed it was shrinking and didn't need removing. The thickening was because I was near my period when they scanned.

There are so many causes of your symptoms - cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, cervical erosion, hormonal changes and it is EXTREMELY EXTREMELY unlikely that you have ovarian cancer. And at this time of year diarrhoea and stomach problems are doing the rounds. Though I would think this is more likely to be panic right now. Please try as hard as you can to put ovarian cancer out of your mind. My aunt died of it in her early 70's and she didn't have any spotting. Just years and years of constipation and no other symptoms at all till very near the end.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and your kind words.

I really don't know what's got into me, but I am trying very hard to control my fear. I felt sick all day yesterday but I think it's stress and nerves. I'm going to try and eat a little today and distract myself as much as I can.

I'm sorry to those of you that have lost loved ones to this, and thank you for sharing your experiences. Maybe I might feel better when I know when I will be able to see a gynae, but they just won't call me back. I will chase them again today.

Thanks again

On the really positive side, the fact that you are having to chase the gynae appt, sounds as if no-one is too concerned. I was shocked by how quickly things started moving when my GP was worried. And because they couldn't reach me on my mobile, they sent a letter in the post that arrived next day. They can't afford to miss anything in this litigious society. I think your biggest worry sounds like the fear of leaving your DC motherless. That is an understandable fear (not unusual for women who have never been scared of flying, to be petrified of it when they have a baby, for instance) but please try anything that will relax/calm you down because it is 99.9% likely to be something very common and very sortable (if it needs any sorting, that is.) Distraction and eating little and often today is def the way to go.

BUT .. Do chase your appointment and be sure to have an internal ultrasound for your peace of mind. Last year my doctor told me I had fibroids and basically told me to live with my bleeding and mild discomfort. I knew something was amiss and paid for my own tests. I had early ovarian cancer. Two operations appear to have fixed it, but my consultant told me that if I had not been so proactive and insistent, things could have been very different. I am in my early forties and my children are very young. It was a a worryingly close shave. Please please use all the energy you are building up through your anxiety to be proactive and demanding. It saved me. I don't want to scare you, but I have learnt that how important it is to take control in these circumstances.

I know a 37 year-old who had pain, but GP said it was period pain. Her pain got so bad and stomach swelled to look like 6 months pregnant - it was fluid she later had drained, she went to A&E and Ovarian cancer was diagnosed. She is still alive a year later.
I think you are doing the right thing, as worried. Ovarian Cancer often has no symptoms in the early stages, but is essential it is caught early.
Hope your tests will all prove negative, and your worries can be put to rest.