New here & terrified

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I feel so stupid. I thought that I was going through peri-menopause, as I’ve had constant light bleeding for a year. 

I have been to the GP a couple of times, they didn’t seem concerned and said it was probably because I’d come off the pill after being on it for 20+ years, and just hormones levelling out. 

work has been crazy busy and I have 2 young kids, so I’ve just put up with it and before I know it a year has passed. 

this week I finally went to see a specialist who was meant to be looking at my womb to explore why my periods aren’t stopping, and she said that my womb is perfectly normal, after doing a scan. But after a physical examination she said I have a significant “raw” part on my vaginal lining which is causing the bleeding. 

she has referred me to a different doctor for a coposcopy and biopsy. 

I’m absolutely terrified, because now I’m googling Vaginal cancer, and I am so scared that this could have been growing in me for a year! I just can’t see anyway this is going to end well Disappointed

  • Hello beth , i am new here myself.( male) i am not a doc or in medical profession, but if i may say something please.  Please do not google anything it will drive you totally crazy, make you more anxious, and give you a million different answers.  Ask real people , your GP or whoever you are seeing now or in future. Ask questions and they will give you answers.  

    I know a little about the coposcopy and biopsy , my sister had these at beginning of diag. 

    Take care and best wishes. 

  • Hi  and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

    It's natural to google, we've all done it but, unfortunately, it'll never give you the peace you're looking for. Much better, as Mc1964 has said, to speak to 'real' people. With that in mind, can I recommend that you join the vaginal cancer forum, as you're worried you may have that type of cancer, so that you can connect directly with others who can answer your questions and share experiences.

    To join, just click on the link I've created and, once you've joined, you can start a new post in the same way as you did here and join in with existing conversations by clicking on 'reply'.

    It would be great if you could put something about your symptoms and tests to date into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.

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  • Hi  

    Please keep away from Google to diagnose yourself as others have said. You are having tests, but you haven’t been diagnosed with vaginal cancer and a colposcopy and a biopsy mean you need investigation of your symptoms but don’t mean that you definitely have any kind of cancer-vaginal cancer itself is rare at your age and there can be many other reasons to explain your symptoms.

    I help out in both the vaginal and cervical cancer groups, having had cancer in both of these places, and I can understand your worries, but assuming things are “not going to end well” before you have a diagnosis of anything is just panicking yourself unnecessarily. Take a deep breath, please!

    I’m happy to chat to you in the vaginal cancer or other groups, but I’d caution against assuming you have vaginal cancer at this point. Personally, I didn’t google at all prior to my diagnosis, so I think I’m probably different to a lot of people, but I saved myself a lot of additional worry and sleepless nights. I waited until I had completed tests and biopsies and received a diagnosis, and didn’t assume anything. Do you know when your colposcopy will be happening? 

    Remember when you are reading things in the vaginal cancer group that other ladies may already have had a confirmed diagnosis, so their situation is different. 

    Sarah xx


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  • Thank you all for your replies. I know Google is probably my enemy at the moment. I think because I don’t have the dates for the next step yet (awaiting my referral,) I was just in panic and trying to find out more. I’ll try to put it out of my mind until I’ve had the tests, but I know that’s easier said than done. Thank you for your support so far.