Sorry if this isn't the correct place to post, but I need to get this out my head, my symptoms started mid November when i was on my period ( i have the contraceptive implant and tend to bleed monthly on and off always have) i had a pain on my right lower side, thought it was due to my period, looking back the period was slightly different to others, lasted longer, slightly thicker discharge, finished that and pain continued, diarrhoea for a short while, and no appetite at all for 2 weeks spoke to doctor and ended up in a&e 3 times and they thought kidney stones, anxiety, IBS, gave me buscopan and beta blockers for anxiety. i still wasn't convinced it was just ibs so I asked them to check my CA125 levels to put my mind at rest which it did for a while as they came back level 10.
Then I had some spotting pink watery discharge and bloody discharge for about 5 days only when I wiped myself, accompanied with lower back pain and stomach cramps, sometimes feeling sick, this has continued for a while now. i spoke to the doctor yesterday and asked for a scan, which he is going to book in for me, he said 3-4 weeks, I'm not sure i can wait that long, and don't know whether to have a private scan sooner? the anxiety is terrible, i cant stop googling and have convinced myself its something bad, although i know if could be a number of causes, my mom died 6 years ago from mestatic bladder cancer very suddenly, I am late having my smear test (stupidly) so that's booked for tomorrow
I think I'm just after some reassurance and wanted to vent. all of this has happened very quickly and I'm terrified Sorry. x
Hi Kellyl and welcome to our group
It’s absolutely fine to be posting here, but I’m sorry to see the level of anxiety which comes through in all of your post. However, that’s quite understandable when you’re experiencing symptoms which are troubling you and you are so worried.
Although I can’t take your worry away, perhaps I can help to make you feel a little calmer about your situation? I’m not sure what scan you have been referred for at this stage? Do you know? 3-4 weeks is actually not a long time to wait for any scan, but of course if you feel you cannot wait that long then a private scan might be quicker, though not necessarily so. And of course it will be expensive.
One thing I would recommend to everyone, particularly ladies who don’t have a diagnosis, is NOT to use Google. It absolutely cannot tell you what is wrong, but it can give you lots of very scary, sometimes inaccurate, information which will not be relevant to you. It will increase your fear and anxiety but cannot give you answers. Please try your best not to use Google to try and give yourself a diagnosis as it will potentially lead you down all sorts of rabbit holes.
The CA125 test is not a diagnostic test for cervical cancer-it’s a test which can identify inflammation of some sort in the pelvis but it doesn’t actually give a diagnostic result. Your results are well within normal, so that’s a good start! A pelvic ultrasound can also identify issues within the pelvis, but again would not be typically used in a diagnosis of cervical cancer, if this is the type of scan you are having. As you rightly say, there can be many reasons for your symptoms, and not necessarily cancer of any sort.
While it’s useful to have your smear test, this is primarily a screening test for the hpv virus which can cause changes to cervical cells, and if the smear test identifies the virus then you would be sent for a colposcopy test to check for any abnormal cells with a closer cervical examination. Having the virus does not mean you will have abnormal cells, far less cancer, but it is not a test to diagnose cervical cancer. There will likely be a wait for your results from the smear, so you will not have any information quickly after you have it done.
It seems that your mum’s passing will have heightened your anxiety, and your googling will have fuelled your fear but there is no way of knowing at the moment if there is anything seriously wrong. I would gently suggest trying to keep calm, as anxiety can in itself produce physical symptoms, especially tummy troubles and diarrhoea, nausea.
You don’t have a diagnosis of anything yet, so try not to let anxiety rule and cause your thoughts to run away with themselves. The answer is more likely to be something other than cervical cancer, but of course if that were to be the case there will be support for you here. Please feel free to use the group to ask any questions or simply vent and express your worries-it’s what we’re here for and we all understand the worry of unexplained symptoms.
You are very welcome to be with us.
Sarah xx
Sarah thank you so much for replying to me, I have read your story and you are an inspiration and the help and support you give to everyone is invaluable. I know you are right about google and that I need to calm down lol, and for some of the day I am then bang it hits me again, i didn't realise my moms passing had given me this health anxiety until I had these symptoms, and i know anxiety heightens some of the problems, every little niggle I'm thinking what's that!
the reason I had the CA125 test was to rule out ovarian cancer as my symptoms were pointing towards that at first.
They are booking me in for a abdominal ultrasound scan and a transvaginal, so I'm guessing this will look at my cervix.
Hi Kelly
Anxiety can be a very difficult thing to get control of, and health anxiety can be particularly debilitating. It’s not always easy to be calm!
I have suffered generalised anxiety, although never health anxiety and tried numerous self help techniques like Mindfulness (free app on my phone), counselling and even medication. All helped me, and I no longer take any meds. I found it helpful to listen on my headphones to relaxation stuff like the calming sounds of the ocean to help me get to sleep. Every little helps!
The scans you are having will have a good look at your pelvic area and hopefully will show up any issues for you. If there is anything, it can hopefully be easily treated. Remember these types of tests are to rule out anything nasty as much as identify it, so it can help to see them as a tool to getting answers, but not necessarily bad ones. Stick with us though if you need any help or support as you go through this. What I will say about using the internet if you really can’t stop, is to stick to reputable sites like this one, where the information is both relevant and accurate. As cancer patients, we can only give our own experiences but our aim to to try and help you if we can based on that. I hope you can feel a little less anxious now, and feel more able to cope with your worry.
Sarah xx
I’m around every day Kellyl and happy for you to keep in touch whenever you want to. It can be good to have a safe place to offload your worries and sometimes it can be very helpful just to get things out of your own head. I’m glad you have some medication to help with your anxiety-I certainly found mine took the edge off and made things more manageable.
Sarah xx
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