All the symptoms but normal smear

Hi Phoebe 

You can have a normal smear and have cervical cancer, I had a normal smear in November 2019 then went to the doctor with bleeding in January 2020.  However if you have cancer it is very likely that your smear would have picked up a active HPV strain. If you are clear for HPV then I wouldn't worry. 

Hi thank you for your reply. I don't know if I'm clear for hpv, while looking this up I've read a few times that in northern Ireland the smears only detect abnormalities, I'm not 100% certain of this, I need to keep looking into it.  It says this..

In England, Scotland and Wales, women and people with a cervix now have a test for high-risk HPV at cervical screening (a smear test). Northern Ireland will also switch to using this test in the future. Your cervical screening appointment will stay the same.20 Mar 2020

Ah ok, I'm based in Wales. Can you ask your GP for a HPV check if you are worried?  It will set your mind at rest, you can't wait for 6 months with that amount of stress

Yes I think I might have to do that, noway can I live like this, having a smear and bloods all come back Normal should have settled me but it just hasn't at all. 

If its any consultation I had terrible problems with polycystic ovaries for years, no periods for months then loads of bleeding and pain as you have described.

When I was diagnosed with cancer which was much later, I only had a slight bleeding between periods, no pain. 

Yes that does help ease my worry, thank you besty3 ️

No worries I hope it all works out for you. 

Hi Phoebe 

I had all those symptoms, i don't have pcos. My smears have always been normal and I spent the best part of 5 years in and out of my docs trying to find out what was causing my symptoms. Smears would come back normal, scans would come back normal, bloods would come back normal, it was put down to maybe the coil, which eventually I asked to be taken out, nothing changed, maybe my age, early 40s, maybe thinning of uterus lining or early menopause.. 

I'd exhausted all options of what to do next then the bleeding and pain started getting worse and I was so tired all the time. Last year I went into a&e because I had a niggling pain in my right side that just didn't feel right. Turned out I had very large ovarian cysts, to cut a long story short, I ended up needing a total Hysterectomy including fallopian tubes and ovaries and the histology came back with tumours found in both ovaries and cervix. The cells had spread so I needed chemo, Radiotherapy and brachytherapy. I was stage 2b adenocarcinoma I'm 6 weeks post treatment now and doing ok apart from healing twinges and aches.

I don't mean to worry you, but if you feel you're not getting the answers you need, try taking a visit to a&e because they will have to do the tests, or keep pushing the doctor for more indepth scans.

I wish you all the best x 

Hi penny, thank you for your reply. Waow  you have definitely been through the wars havnt you. That's just crazy, you knew something wasn't right. I can't understand for the life of me how your cancer wasn't detected, imagine if you had just given up and didn't keep going back. That's crazy scary, I hope you are OK, and I hope treatment worked for you.

No don't worry about worrying me, thank you for this information, I'm worried anyway, I hate having these symptoms and no answers, I know they have told  me I'm fine but I know I'm not. Something isn't right and it doesn't sit well with me to have it ignored. 

I went ahead and contacted someone who I know that works in the maternity / gynaecology offices and she's told me that the reason I havnt received my urgent appointment is because all gynae apps are cancelled due to covid, and won't be back up and running untill a later date, so that's why my gp told me that an urgent referral could take up to 6 months as they are so busy, she lied, it's because they arnt taking anyone in for appointments. Which just blows my mind... Imagine if someone does have cancer and doesn't know it yet, that's going to be left to grow untill they can get an appointmen. Now that scares me.

I read how you're feeling and I could have written it myself. It's an awful feeling knowing something isn't right and the medical profession can't find what it is. I was the same. I went in to hospital end of May when they found all the cysts and told me I'd need a Hysterectomy. I was also told the waiting list was 6 months. I was in the process of making enquiries to go private when I ended up doubled up in pain and needed an emergency op. 

I really do hope you'll get answers soon. Please keep pushing for them and keep us posted. 

Xx