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Original poster

Abnormal Cells found during my smear test, can anyone help?

83 replies

Tiggly · 19/04/2009 22:02

Hi,
I am scared out of my mind. I got the letter yesterday so I have to wait until tomorrow before I can phone for the colposcopy appointment. Has anyone else been through this? How quickly does the colposcopy appointment come through?
tia
tigglyx

OP posts:
Original poster
Tiggly · 28/04/2009 20:08

I managed to have my Colposcopy today thanks to a cancellation. They took away a significant part of my cervix with loop diathermy and I am in agony. I have taken analgesia and have a hot water bottle for comfort! They said that there were significant changes in what they could see on the surface and showed me the abnormal areas on the screen. They injected me with something (possibly adrenaline) to dilate things and that gave me palpitations! I have to wait for the biopsy samples that they took in order to get a confirmed yes or no that it was cancer and they have taken it all away, or if I may need further treatment. The consultant was vague with her responses unfortunately.

Thanks for all the positive messages, particularly those who have gone on to carry pregnancies and have children. They are really reassuring to me as we were hoping that would be the next step for us once the treatment for the brain tumour had finished.All plans are on hold until this is sorted one way or another!

Thanks again,
Tiggly xxxx

OP posts:
pinksancerre · 29/04/2009 09:30

Hope you are feeling better today. I have my colposcopy today. Hope all your results are good news

ilove · 29/04/2009 09:32

Hope you're feeling better soon. When will you get the results?

Nicky777 · 29/04/2009 18:03

I had my smear Friday 13th March! I got my results back on 14th April saying that I had moderate dyskaryosis. I was told I need to see a Colposcopist.

I'm 33 and it's the first time I've had an abnormal reading, but I did get a shock when I found out that my last smear was in 2003. I didn't get a letter to remind me or I would have certainly gone for one earlier. I didn't think it that long ago, but I have had alot on the last couple of years, so I slipped my mind.

I've had a Colposcopy done today. I was terrified when I first went into the treatment room, my mind was racing. The procedure wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was even brave enough to watch it all on TV screen. I had the LLETZ (loop biopsy) treatment. I had a huge chunk of cervix removed but I was just pleased I was getting this treatment done. The nurse had managed to cut through a vein when doing the Loop but this was quarterised and I have had very little bleeding so far.

I have crampy pains but nothing too bad. Now I have to wait upto 4 weeks to get my results from the biopsy. This is going to be the worst bit for me. I'm going away in 4 weeks for a holiday and I just hope I get the results before I go so I can enjoy myself.

The nurse said only 5% of biopsies taken come back and reveal cancer, so I am hopefull.

I just want also say a big thank you to everyone who has posted on this forum. It really helped me knowing that I was not the only one going through this.

Best wishes to everyone xx

SarahL2 · 01/05/2009 15:23

Just wanted you to know Tiggly that I haven't forgotten you - I just still haven't had my results so I've got nothing to report yet!

Glad to see your Colcoscopy went well, just take it easy and the pain will soon go.

I had my Loop Excision before I got pregnant with my son and I carried him with no problems at all.. I'm sure you will too when the time is right

BellaNoir · 01/05/2009 22:05

Hi SarahL2 unfortunately nearly all the screening labs are swamped with work at the moment - we've had a 80% increase in the number of samples coming in. We don't have 80% more staff to get them done at the same rate.
Before the Jade effect, in the lab where I work. We were reporting 100% (or near enough) in 14 days from the date of test.
Today we were looking at ones taken on the 8th-9th April, so more like 21 days.
Other labs have staff shortages so I'm afraid it will take a little longer at the moment to get your result. Please bear with us and hopefully you will get your result letter through soon.

whispywhisp · 02/05/2009 19:25

I finally found the courage to have my overdue smear test done (2 yrs late) at the beg of April. I must be honest the death of Jade prompted me to go and get it done. I've just got home from a lovely holiday and had the result letter here when I got back this morning...all ok. I'm so relieved to have got the result.

I hope that any of you MNrs who have had abnormal results all do ok with your further tests/treatment and I really do wish you well. xx

SarahL2 · 12/05/2009 14:33

Still no smear test results back! It's been 6 weeks since my test now!!

BellaNoir · 13/05/2009 23:03

Some people I know from other labs were telling me last week that they haven't (or hadn't then anyway) quite finished tests from March; so some will be taking at least 6 weeks unfortunately.
All I can say is everyone is doing their best to get through the work and people are coming in at the weekend to do overtime, but with the extra-ordinary amount of tests we've had coming in, it's going to take awhile to catch up.
Please bear with us
Your surgery might be able to tell you which tests they've been getting back, to give you an idea of how much longer it will be.

yousaidit · 16/05/2009 20:34

Can someone please help me?

i've read this thread and cancer research's pages, s i've received a letter after my smear telling me i've got a result of 'moderate dyskaryosis'.

i've been on holiday for a week and come back this afternon, started going through the post and opened the letter from my hospital with the letter telling me i've got an app for a colposcopy

as dh says, what a sh*t letter to come back from your holidays to!

a lot of the posts on this thread have been very helpful, but nicky777 's post (grr, darn you, young lady! ) has got me worried (even more than ii already am) in that i thought cin2 was a few pre-cancerous cells, but the post seems to me that i might need a biopsy and there could be cancer?

please help, i'm so confused, and like a previous poster on this thread, its a saturday so the office at the hopsital is closed and so is the gp, i'm shaking a bit while typing and haven't had time to really look into this coz i've been unpacking and sorting dc's out. can anyone help?

yousaidit · 16/05/2009 20:45

also, had ds 6m ago but looking on some ld threads it seems a common occurence that vcb sort of 'shoves out' the precancerous cells, so if i have some in my smear, does that mean they weren't present before having ds and they've developed quite fast and is that worrying? sorry if i sound thick, i'm panicking a bit!

yousaidit · 16/05/2009 21:00

bump?

BellaNoir · 17/05/2009 20:55

Moderate dyskaryosis is the equivalent of CIN2. It is a measure of how abnormal we think the cells look. We can't tell in the cytology lab from a smear test how many there are on the cervix or how big the affected area is. This is where colposcopy comes in - they use a special instrument to see the surface of the cervix more clearly.
You may well need to have a biopsy to check the cells - this is really like a faint pulling feeling (I have had one) and is a small piece of tissue, about 4mm. Depending on the changes that they see, they might want to do a LLETZ like Nicky had.
It is unlikely to be cancer, very very few women with this result turn out to have cancer but you do need to get checked out.
NHS direct might be worth giving a ring.
The colposcopists' society website has useful info too.
Hopefully you will be able to talk to someone at the GPs tomorrow, the colposcopy unit may have someone available to give you more advice too.

Mulanmum1 · 17/05/2009 21:38

BellaNoir - you are a star!

BellaNoir · 17/05/2009 23:01

Ta mulanmum! I will probably re-read that at work tomorrow when I'm up to my ears in tests to report & it will keep me going

Mulanmum1 · 17/05/2009 23:11

Bella - I recently had my first smear for 13 years - yes 13! Whilst waiting for my results I got a lot of reassurance from your posts that an abnormal result needn't mean the end of the world - or the end of me! Fortunately, my test came back as "normal". Thanks for all you do - in the lab and on here.

SarahL2 · 20/05/2009 11:50

Finally got my results today! After actually seeing that they were in while I was at the Doctors on Monday and asked the nurse about them. They were typed up on the 11th - today is the 20th!!

I think they may have been waiting as I was in on Monday getting booked in by the midwife.

I am a bit annoyed with them as someone has very obviously just added "after the birth of your baby" to the end of one sentence in the letter after my pregnancy was confirmed. The letter now reads - "Because of your past history the pathologist has recommended that the smear be repeated in six months after the birth of your baby" (I had a loop exision in 2005)

But that makes no sense! I am 8 weeks pregnent so in 6 months I will be 8 months pregnant and unable to have a smear test! Or does it mean 6 months after I give birth?

Does anyone know how long you need to wait after giving birth to have a smear?

SarahL2 · 20/05/2009 12:06

Called the surgery and asked them whether they meant 'in the six months after I give birth' or 'six months after I give birth'

Apparently it's six months after I have given birth.

Assured me they'd send a letter reminding me but as they didn't last time and I had to argue with the receptionsists about whether I needed a smear test when I hadn't had a letter, I want to have it in my own diary!

Will be more like 16 months by the time I can go back but at least I will have had them as close together as I could manage. The last one must have only been done weeks before I fell pregnant

yousaidit · 20/05/2009 20:37

bellanoir , thankyou thankyou thankyou for your post!!, v v v helpful!

kyl8 · 21/05/2009 19:15

hi I had an abnormal smear last yr,(1st smear for about 9 yrs......) and was seen at the hospital within a few wks, i had a colposcopy and loop diathermy all on the same day, I found out a few days lata that i was 7 wks pregnant.....had a few problems throughout my pregnancy and had 2 have extra scans because of the treatment, but everything seemed 2b ok........carried full term but had 2 have an emergency c-section..... that was just ova 3 months ago, then a few wks ago i had another smear and have just been given the results ova the phone by my g.p that i have more abnormal cells, so have been refered bak 2 the hospital again.........i've looked on a few websites but can't seem 2 find any info on what happens after u have a loop diathermy then have another abnormal smear......don't know if any1 on here has had the same thing happen......but i'm now workin myself up in2 hysterics cuz all I can remember is something bout hysterectomy, if i had another abnormal smear......

Mulanmum1 · 21/05/2009 20:27

ky18

You can have further LOOP treatment, many Mnetters have.

yousaidit · 22/05/2009 21:01

well, i'm on first names terms with the lady who deals with colposcopy appointments as i ring every morning to see if i can get a cancellation! looks like i will have yo wait for my appointmnet to get my test done, but still nattered a bit.

can any one tell me, f you have the CIN2, is there a trend as to whether it is more likely that you can have treatment there and then or do you have to come back r does that fact that i is acin2 have no difference in how you get treated?

and good luck to everybody on this thread!

BellaNoir · 22/05/2009 23:49

yousaidit:
There are some colposcopy units which do 'see and treat', others 'select and treat' and others which assess at first visit and treat at a second. The third I guess is more of a triage.

Even if the colposcopy unit you go to does offer 'see and treat' whether you are offered treatment depends on (in no particular order):

  1. the colposcopic appearance
  2. previous smear history
  3. age
  4. fertility options
  5. having/just finished period
  6. about to go on holiday/honeymoon

So it's not entirely a certainty that you will have treatment at your first visit.
HTH

yousaidit · 02/06/2009 21:16

you are a fountain of all things colposcopy related, bellanoir!!, thanks again!

mlewis · 10/06/2009 20:50

I had a smear test 9 weeks ago been waiting for the results since then got that letter in the post yesterday saying I have to go for a Colposcopy examination tomorrow so soon so still in a bit of shock. I rang my GP today and they said all they know is the results have come back as sever. Do I need to be worried in April I was bleeding for around 3-3.5 weeks put on a couple of pounds, get back and sometimes stomach pain and sometimes bleed after sex. unsure what to think. x