Be brutally honest, it's cancer isn't it?

[hopefulmummytobe78]

I had my first smear test today, I'm 24.

I bled during it and the nurse saw a yellow spot on my cervix. She said it's a normal cyst, called a nabothian cyst, but she also referred me for a colposcopy.

She said it was just to be safe, but why would an overstretched NHS do that? She's definitely seen something awful, hasn't she? She said I would be seen very quickly too.

Why would she do that if it wasn't sinister? It's cancer, isn't it?

OP it sounds as though you have cervicitis - a bleeding irritated cervix. I had a colposcopy when I was about your age due to cervicitis (and was seen quickly) which was then treated by laser. That's one likely outcome for you. I have also had friends who have had abnormal smears and they are told this. You weren't told this. Obviously this is all a worry to you, but you are putting two and two together and making 11 rather than taking in what you have been told by a medical professional (and posters on here).

So you have precedent for over-reacting to things. A colposcopy is not for people who definitely have cancer, it’s to get a closer look at the cervix for any reason.

It is normal to bleed a bit when someone has aggressively scraped the surface of your cervix with a hard, plastic scraping brush - that’s quite normal. If they’ve scraped a cyst, then probably even more normal.

Obviously it’s worrying to be called for further tests, but there is no point catastrophising, which is what you are currently doing. Abnormalities may commonly be found at smear and at colposcopy, but the vast majority of the abnormalities are never cancer. The chances you have an incredibly rare form of cervical cancer instead of a an incredibly common cyst are self-evidently very low. That does not mean it is not worth them checking. The speed of checking has nothing whatsoever to do with how likely they think the worst case scenario is (it is highly unlikely), but how quickly they would want to find out and successfully treat you if it is the worst case scenario.

Many posters have tried to reassure you and you're STILL insisting it's cancer. You really do need to try and be a bit more mature!
You don't automatically die of cancer! Wait for your results, like the million of other's of us have to. When you DO get them, any possibility of cancer will be acted on and dealt with urgently.
( Currently awaiting my results after tumour detected, after 14 months sick leave/illness ) This doesn't detract from you or anybody else's illness/diagnosis and I wish you the best
But I do think you need to adult a bit!

Deify 😆 I had the most awful NHS experience and was hospitalised for 6 weeks during Covid and no one to advocate for me, but I have not let this colour my view that on the whole the NHS does a marvellous job and certainly in this case they appear to be following protocol.

I am at a loss to understand...
No, I don't have health anxiety (despite being a nurse for 30 years), but appreciate it can be crippling. Howver, why bother asking anyone (IRL or a forum) for advice, when in the face of that overwhelmingly helpful and positive advice, you still insist these people are wrong and stick to a point.
People go out of their way to help, yet are told, no, you are wrong, or ignored altogether.
So if the advice is to be some comprehensively ignored, why solocit it? Or are people looking for an echo chamber, in which case, why not go to an echo chamber

Threads like this are the reason so many young women don’t get their smear test. It’s quite alarming how at 24 years old you’re so uneducated as to what a smear is and what it tests for and are actively scaremongering and spreading misinformation about what referrals ‘must’ mean etc.

do better.

In case the OP is still reading this thread.

Health anxiety is terrible and makes everything feel a hundred times worse. This workbook may help you:

https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Health-Anxiety

Thanks to everyone who has genuinely tried to be helpful.

Looking back at last night, yes I was a bit dramatic. But I was also scared, and I'm on antibiotics and feeling rubbish anyway, so it al culminated in this shitty experience yesterday. I’m still concerned, but less about it being cancer.

For those asking why I didn't chase the ENT referral - I was too scared. I don’t want to make myself a nuisance to the doctors.

I'll try and stay calm, and wait for the referral letter to come through

It's quite alarming that you don't understand that I lost my mum and nan to cancer when I was very young - my mum when I was 10 and my nan when I was 11. Both had significant gynae issues and in my head, I've equated all gynae issues to that. I am scared, and that's okay.

Good to hear you are feeling a bit better today.
It sounds like you are generally quite anxious? I wonder if you would consider getting counselling for this. As you are young and it would be nice for you to enjoy the rest of your life less crippled by anxiety.
(I an clinically anxious so I sympathise).

There's no need to be scared about chasing up the ENT referral. You just need to phone the department to check that they've got it, and if so you can ask if they can give you some idea of when you are likely to get an appointment. It won't involve the doctors or inconvenience them in any way.

Oh goodness that's so sad. No wonder you were anxious. My daughter lost her dad to brain cancer when she was 18 and I have a colleague who lost her dad as a teenager. It really does mess with your head in ways that you can't really comprehend. You were even younger. I'm sure your appointment will be fine but it might be worth getting some counselling about your losses. My daughter is now 30 and has just done this and it has helped her anxieties. Wishing you well xx

Oh go away

HA doesn't make you a terrible mother. I manage to parent well despite having it. How patronising

I also think you may have health anxiety OP, which is perfectly understandable given your family history.
Please try to spin this in your mind as really good that you'll get checked over, as it will bring some peace of mind once it's all over.

It's so much better to have regular checks so we know exactly what is going on with our bodies.

You don’t need to respond to everyone on this thread who has a different view to you, it’s nice you can empathise with the OP but not everyone feels this way. You don’t have to be a keyboard warrior fighting OP’s corner - she Can speak for herself.

That’s very sad and I’m sorry for your loss but it doesn’t justify being so matter of fact and ultimately spreading misinformation which could be harmful to other young women who are maybe about to get their first smear test.

you matter of factly told people that it was definitely cancer because you were referred and got an appt so quickly - so if another young woman is in the same scenario how might she feel?

I'm free to post whatever I want. You don't have to respond.

Health anxiety and pure ocd are completely different and would be treated as such. OP, in my opinion you have the former as you are determined you have cancer and nothing is going to change that thought. Pure OCD sufferers will usually believe a medical professional when they tell them the facts. I really do empathise and understand. You’ve lost family members to cancer and it can affect your own anxieties. Therapy is a good starting point to learn how to deal with the intrusive thoughts you’re getting. Fingers crossed you don’t have anything sinister, but the likelihood here is it is just a cyst. 💐

In my experience, they refer immediately and you get seen quickly for any abnormalities (and I don’t just mean cancer) for the breasts and the cervix. When my mum was referred at a routine appointment, her referral actually said carcinoma and a “?”. Now maybe she wasn’t supposed to actually read the letter, but it was made very clear from the beginning that it looked very sinister and concerning.

Your nurse told you she saw a cyst. She said it’s a cyst. Another HCP also said on this thread that she performs smears and sees these cysts.

If you think about it rationally, the most likely scenario is that it’s just a cyst. Your anxiety, which is understandable, is telling you otherwise.

Hope you're ok OP?

I believe she posted under another name subsequently saying it was fine (ie, not cancer, a cyst as she had been told at the time), but was concerned about something else - sorry I can't remember more details.

@NeverDropYourMooncup thank you! I was looking up that type of cyst as was told I had one and her thread came up. Even though the nurse said it's nothing to worry about, you do automatically have a bit of a worry!

Thanks for the info 😊