Cervical cancer concerns

[cookielover17]

Hello mums I just created my profile so excuse any mistake I might make. I’m in a bit of a panic here.

Im 22 years old 23 in November. My partner is a female too (no judgment please) and she had our baby. So I’ve never been with a man ever and had my hpv shots. I have never had a smear test as I’m not of age yet?

We use toys, we always wash them and they’re made of body safe silicone. Well 4 days ago we used toys and the following day over 24h later I noticed the tiniest bit of blood mixed with regular mucus.

I had been brutally sick during December so we hadn’t done anything in over a month… 4 days ago I had a cramp that felt like a diarrhea cramp…. The following day there was brown discharge on my toilet paper. Not bright brown but it was light brown. The next day it was back to normal. But the pelvic pain is still there. It’s not too painful. Dull. It goes from one side to the other, then up to much stomach and now on my back. It was not spotting because there was nothing on my panties it was so little I could barely see it. My partner is a bit concerned but told me not to think much about it… I’m frantic… want to cry. I want to have a baby and now I’m overthinking 😭😭😭 My periods are like clockwork… perfectly timed… no bc… last time it was a day longer and it smelled weird but I was under so much stress and on several different meds that could’ve affected it. I thought ovulation but it’s been 4 days and it’s still cramping. My partner has never had HPV either. the pain is not severe nor debilitating but I’m extremely worried… I’ve been gassy too and pooping a lot… I’m so scared. Can anyone talk to me? I’m terrified

How I can relate to this - a twinge here, a bit of discharge there, and your mind is racing to all the worst possible outcomes. However, given everything you've said, your risk of having cervical cancer (or something equally serious) is remote.

How are you doing now?

Everything you've described is readily explainable by innocuous causes. The first bit of blood could be a slight amount of trauma caused by the toys. The pelvic pain might also be related to a bit of bowel inflammation or a minor bug, if you're gassy and pooping a lot. Finally, brown discharge is very common before and after your period - it means it's some old blood that's coming out - plus I think some women get implantation bleeding. (It was a bit hard to follow the timeline - could it even be toy-related?)

It may be worth getting an appointment with a doctor or gynaecologist to chat about your concerns, and perhaps also asking about a cervical smear. HPV vaccination has meant cervical cancer rates have dropped, but HPV can be passed on by lots of different types of sexual activity (including between two women), so it would be useful to find out what the recommendations are for screening.

I hope you feel better

@SpeedReader hello! Thank you for your lovely response. The pain seems to be getting better but comes in waves if that makes any sense. I’m not the slightest bit bloated. I then started to worry about ovarian cancer and we all know how it goes when you start googling symptoms.

My partner pushed me to get an appointment with my GP but I’m afraid it’ll take some time so I scheduled with a gyn. I have no family history of breast / uterine / ovarian / cervical cancer ever.

The blood came out around 24hours after we had sex, it’d totally make sense. There was no pain. I got those cramps after I went for a jog.

Now I’m having more bowel movements a day but it’s not diarrhea and it seems like the discomfort and pain go away once I relieve myself. I’m starting to think the antibiotics I took messed up my gut. I do feel this weird sorta pressure on my bladder. It’s not painful, it’s just uncomfortable. The brown discharge came a little over 2 weeks after / before my period which should be coming on the 20th.

As for HPV, my partner is 28 she gets Pap smears every year (private clinics) and she has always been clear for HPV, she’s never been with a man either and is vaccinated as well. Of course there’s a possibility.

Im planning on asking for a pelvic or trans ultrasound just to make sure. I spiraled because one of my biggest dreams is to carry a baby in the near future as we’re already making arrangements. I went for a jog yesterday and I had the sudden urge to pee halfway through, but it could’ve been because I drink a lot of water for muscle recovery. My mum reassured me that I’d be fine but my head won’t let me even though the chances are slim to none. Better safe than sorry I’ve been avoiding going to the gynae since the pandemic started but it’s time.

Again thank you for your reply. I’m just scared I will be brushed off because I’m so young. I’ve been brushed off 3 times already for another issue 😕

You aren't in the UK are you?
Just making sure as over here it's not possible to make an appt with a gynae usually without a referral from a GP and it would be unusual for a woman (your partner) to have annual smears at 28. Why is she having those when she is clear of HPV, by the way?

An ultrasound won't diagnose anything wrong with your cervix. That needs a smear test and a visual examination.

It's also quite common for women to get some mid cycle spotting with ovulation so that sounds more likely to be what you have had.

At 22 with no sexual contact with anyone with HPV (assume from what you say) the risks of cancer are pretty much zero.
Also, women your age don't usually get ovarian cancer. You have none of the symptoms for that.

It sounds like mid cycle spotting or mild damage with a sex toy.

I don't honestly think I'd see a dr for one single episode of this at your age, but would leave it for a couple of months and see if it happens again.

HPV vaccination has meant cervical cancer rates have dropped, but HPV can be passed on by lots of different types of sexual activity (including between two women)
Yes but her partner is testing negative for HPV @SpeedReader and the OP is vaccinated.

She gets them for peace of mind. I’m now more concerned about ovarian cancer since I seem to have all the symptoms except bloating - pelvic pain, lower back pain, lots of gas, my periods are still regular (I assume) I’m not on birth control since I was advised not to (due to another health issue) and that weird bleeding/ dry blood mucus. I just can’t carry on with this weird discomfort when it has never happened and my mind is all over the place 😭 yes I’ve never been with a man ever. My partner is vaccinated as well. Better safe than sorry I guess. My bladder feels “funny” too. Something feels wrong… We are currently away from the UK.

Worth mentioning Her family has an history of Breast cancer and she once panicked and thought she had bc because of a lump. Went to GP GP said it wasn’t BC and it wasn’t, she had scans done 1 week later and it was all clear. Her aunt and cousin both had BC when they were fairly young, I believe 30-40s I’d have to ask her. so she has regular checkups or else she gets nervous about the matter specially when her aunt starts talking about it. The paps are exclusively for peace of mind, really. She’d get them every 3 years but she doesn’t want to wait that long in between tests.

I'm being kind when I say this @cookielover17 but do you or your partner suffer from health anxiety?

Cervical cancer when you are HPV vaccinated and not had a male partner (or a woman with HPV) is almost impossible. If your partner had sex with someone else after her negative HPV status, that would put her at a slight risk, but not at the moment. I'm surprised any dr is not telling her this and suggesting she stops the smears?

The vaccine pretty much stops all CC and as almost all CC is caused by HPV, she's nothing to worry over.

Your worry of OC- it's pretty much unheard of in someone aged 22. It's a cancer that affects mainly women over 40.

You don't have all the symptoms, really. You have a lot of symptoms that are signs of a gut upset and perhaps IBS. You said you have recently taken ABs for an infection. Have you thought about taking some pro-biotics to sort out any upset in your digestive system?

I don’t take offense very easily, I do have healthy anxiety! Her not so much she’s just scared because of family history so anything involving reproductive organs + breast sets off her alarms.

I know I have health anxiety because of a traumatic event that happened a couple years ago. Had I gone to the hospital earlier none of that would’ve happened.

And now I worry about it. When it comes to regular stuff (headaches etc etc) my partner downs 2 pods of coffee and carries on without worrying.

Yes I’ve now come to that conclusion, there have been rare instances, I’ve heard of a 18 year old who never had sex died of cervical cancer. Not at all, we’re pretty much together 24/7 and we’re very faithful to each other. You’re absolutely right we’ll sit down and talk about it. Even with our child we always talk about it and think things through before making assumptions.

I took 8 antibiotic pills a day for a MRSA infection that almost took my arm! If it wasn’t for my health anxiety I would’ve lost my arm or even developed sepsis. I’m a scaredy cat and that comes in handy sometimes 😅 my gut is probably absolutely destroyed, I took probiotics but i felt the effects 3 days after I started taking the meds. I can put the bleeding and brown discharge down to ovulation as it happened exactly 15 days before / after my period. I get some relief when I poo, and I’m pooing a lot. Mum suggested C diff or colitis, very common with the abs I took. And it checks out.

I think your gut is just messed up by all the meds you took! It can take months and months for the right bacteria to recolonise the gut.
Maybe take your mind off the unlikely 'bad stuff' and have a look at the foods you can eat to make your gut more healthy? You could also maybe think about trying the FODMAP diet for a few weeks to calm down your symptoms. Ideally this has to be done with a qualified dietitian, but it's worth trying it for a few weeks to see if it helps.

You have been very poorly and it's bound to have affected your gut. Look after yourself and stop worrying

If you want to use a helpline to allay your fears of OC, this is where to go.

www.ovacome.org.uk/Pages/Category/symptoms

I'm sorry you were previously brushed off. Many of us have health anxiety (including me), although it doesn't seem as bad when you're dealing with other people's problems:

Other people = some bowel issues caused by a course of antibiotics, plus some entirely normal menstrual / gynae events

Me = definitely terrible news, time to get my affairs in order

Of course, you should still see an actual qualified medical practitioner, including to discuss what you should be doing regarding cervical smears and the like - but there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to be worried about in the meantime.

Hello quick update. I’m feeling even more anxious, went to GP GP palpated me felt something “hard, like a cord”. I cried my eyes out then and there. She sent me to A&E right away to do a pelvic ultrasound and take bloods. Doctor there palpated me felt nothing but said it was poop. I feel like she thought I was too young to be concerned about cancer. The waiting time was grueling. I almost had a panic attack when the doctor preforming the pelvic ultrasound remained silent I had to make him speak. I saw my own ovaries they look perfect. He said one of them had a tiny cyst. And it was indeed tiny. Other than that all my other organs look good. I was at the A&E for 7 hours, on an empty stomach, crying silently. My symptoms won’t go away I have to idea what I should do. I will Schedule with a gynae asap, I’m terrified that something is seriously wrong.

Kindly, I think you ought to be seeking advice for your mental health and your health anxiety.

You have had a scan, and an examination, and nothing has been found.

I know you are not in the UK but maybe ask your GP (or equivalent) to refer you to a NHS(equivalent) dietitian. You need help to sort out your guts, after taking all those drugs for an infection.

There is nothing wrong with your cervix or ovaries, so you must start accepting that.

The issue is that ovarian cancer often goes undetected and external scans aren’t the best at picking them up. Meanwhile symptoms remain which isn’t normal 🙁 I recon i need to go to a psych but I can’t brush this off with so many horror stories

Please look at the website Ovacome which I mentioned in previous posts.

They state that OC is a rare cancer (and it's almost never diagnosed in someone aged 22.)

You have had a scan.

Please seek help for your anxiety. You do show the signs of health anxiety, because although you have had an examination, you still think you have cancer.

Where are you living? You said it wasn't the UK so the medical system may differ.

Meanwhile symptoms remain which isn’t normal

You're not listening, are you :)

The symptoms you have are most likely the result of all the antibiotics you had. This can take months and months to improve.

See a dietitian to help you change your diet, and see a counsellor or use cognitive behaviour therapy to sort out your mental health.

I know I don’t have cervical cancer. But OC worries me because I have most of he symptoms and now I can’t eat and I’m nauseous but I can put that down to anxiety.

I understand my own fears because I love my little one more than anything in the universe, even though I did not carry him. He’s my child. I want to see him grow up! Talked to a nurse who said if the ultrasound didn’t pick up anything there’s nothing.

I have a gut feeling. A gut feeling I’ve never had. A gut feeling that was right when my brother told me he was experiencing some symptoms and I told him that’s kidney failure (without googling) and it was. Unless what I have is endometriosis (possible, my mum has endo). I just scared because the GP looked really worried and when she mentioned the “hard spot on my belly” and “mass” it all went down the drain and I spiraled. I request the GP to call my mum to explain and she said I’ll send her to A&E for an ultrasound and bloods because I don’t want to order no urgent scans so your daughter doesn’t hang around for 3 weeks without knowing results (this scared me a lot too).

It’s not the rareness, it’s the possibility that terrifies me. It’s possible. The pain isn’t worse but it’s not better. Pain killers do nothing. My little one and dw have noticed how stressed I am.

I will go to a gynae regardless or I won’t be able to function until this is over. We’re in Germany you’re not stuck with a GP if you don’t like them or are unsatisfied you can go to other doctors like GI or gynae without a referral. Which is great. We have mandatory insurance. I want to believe the doctor who saw me and did the ultrasound is right that there’s just a very tiny cyst on my ovary and that if there was any fluid or big mass it’d be visible. I really do.

The GP is convinced this is gynae issues, I mean yes it hurts right where the ovaries are. And the bladder pressure. The A&E doctor kind of fobbed me off. I know young people are robbed of all the time.

One of my closest friends died after a visit to A&E in the UK. Poor girl had a pulmonary embolism was fobbed off TWICE and died at home. This is not the first time I’ve been right about something.

I suffered a severe injury when I was younger, went to A&E they did an x day they said there was nothing but my injury was visible on x ray.
That same day I told my mom I’d need surgery and I was absolutely right! This is why I’m scared because I’m usually right. I recognize my anxiety but it never comes without a reason. I know I sound paranoid and that it’s rare but teens and young adults get diagnosed with ovarian cancer often.

But OC worries me because I have most of he symptoms and now I can’t eat and I’m nauseous but I can put that down to anxiety

But you have HAD A SCAN!
If you had an ovarian tumour they would have seen it.

No, you have all the symptoms of IBS and an upset gut because of your antibiotics you took in massive doses.

Please call Ovacome and talk to the experts on the helpline, to reassure you.

I don't know what anyone else can say because you are convinced you have cancer, and you won't have.

Please get help for your mental health.

The GP is convinced this is gynae issues,

Your GP sounds useless. They didn't even know how to diagnose a full bowel, with poo in it, and anything more serious.

And I have never heard of a GP sending anyone your age to A&E in the middle of a pandemic for an investigation immediately just because they 'felt something' in their abdomen (which turned out to be poo.)

My GP is one of the best in the city very throughout! Several of my friends go to her and she usually gets to the bottom of it. This was the first time I saw her so it’s possible she’s alarmist as it is. She had my dw do 2 colonoscopies because the first one was blurry.

She sent me to A&E because she feared a mass. The A&E was jam packed. The corridors were FULL of people. She knows oc can happen in young people that’s the reason I believe. She plays it safe which I like! So I’ll stick with my plan and visit a gynae. Pain in pelvis and back and hips sometimes legs cannot be normal 😓

I had a scan indeed however pelvic ultrasounds (not TVU) sometimes don’t pick up on tumors. I hope you’re right.

Hi op. Have you had any joy with the gynae? Just wanted to mention cervical ectropion because your symptoms sound very similar to that. It's very common in young women and isn't linked to cancer or anything like that. Have you have a cervical exam? This should have been one of the first things your doctor suggested. If not I would request one to put your mind at rest.

Hi! Thanks for your message. A lot happened. Still having pelvic pain but my back pain is mostly gone now and my pelvic pain is somewhat milder. I do have an hemorrhagic cyst. I had a CT scan without contrast, not sure if they scanned my pelvis but positive they did since they saw my bladder but the report doesn’t mention my ovaries or uterus. After that I went to a gynae who did pelvic and Transvaginal ultrasound. The cyst was still there so she ordered a repeat scan in 6 weeks time. The weird feeling on bladder is also mostly gone too. My period was 6 days late and slightly lighter and longer but I’m guessing stress played a roll. I was bloody stressed. I haven’t had anymore weird bleeding like that again. I haven’t had a cervical exam yet because I’m vaccinated for HPV and never had sex with a man!

Cysts can be a nightmare, but they often do clear up on their own so hopefully you're on the mend and it'll have resolved by time your next scan comes around. I'm glad you're getting somewhere though!

Still concerned about cancer as stupid as that sounds!! I’m not bloated not have my periods been irregular at all, just a bit late. Reading up on stories messed me up big time! Horrible isn’t it,

I think Doctor Google is the worst thing. I freaked myself right out. But it's great that your symptoms are lessening. It's only natural to be a bit worried, just don't let it swallow you up, as hard as it is