Hello,
I don't yet have a diagnosis but am looking for some support.
As a background, I am 33, I have never been sexually active. Foolishly, I have never had a smear test as I have never had sex and advice 10 years ago or so did say that a smear wasn't needed if you'd never been sexually active. This is a decision I am now hugely regretting and feeling so foolish about. I'm trying not to beat myself up too much about it as it can't be changed as much as I wish it could.
My symptoms started back in October, a couple of days of very light spotting after ovulation. A similar thing happened in November and December but with some other symptoms such as mild cramping and lower back pain. I should have gone straight to the GP then but was scared. For the last couple of weeks, I have had bleeding most days, ranging from light red bleeding with discharge to discharge that is completely light brown. The lower back pain has got worse and I am in pain most of the time, it's not excruciating but bad enough to stop me wanting to do things - heat is the only thing that really helps, paracetamol isn't touching it (I am allergic to ibuprofen.) I have also had some cramping in my lower stomach and pain specifically on my left side, just below my hip.
I know this could be cancer but after an initial GP appointment, I am not sure what will happen next.
What tests? How quickly this could have developed? If it is cancer, do the symptoms mean it is likely to be later stage? The fact that it has suddenly got a lot worse this month - is that a sign of something more sinister?
My mind is racing. I know I won't know anything until I have had further tests but any advice/guidance/experiences that can be shared would be really helpful.
Thank you.
Hi EvieRain08 and welcome to our group.
It’s really hard to stop your mind racing when you have symptoms which have not yet been diagnosed, and sometimes you assume a worst case scenario-but that’s just natural fear talking.
You mentioned a gp appointment, but not what is expected to happen next. What did the gp say, and did he/she refer you to a specialist? Did he/she mention any type of cancer on the basis of your symptoms?
The symptoms you have mentioned can have many causes, so please try not to assume there is anything sinister going on just yet, nor that these symptoms might mean you have advanced cancer. You have said that you have never been sexually active, so I can understand why you didn’t feel a smear test was required-most cervical cancer starts off with changes to the cervical cells caused by the hpv virus, which can be transmitted through any kind of genital contact(not necessarily penetrative sex) so the chances of you having this are unlikely if you have never had any kind of sexual activity in your life. So please don’t beat yourself up about not having had testing.
Your symptoms definitely need investigating, so have you been told how this will be done? Meanwhile, try to distract yourself with other things to stop the racing thoughts. You’ve done the right thing by going to the gp initially, and if you can give a little bit more information about what’s been suggested as next steps, I’ll try to help you further.
Sarah xx
