Sonny474
04-03-23, 01:12
I am a 43-year-old female who has been reading horror stories of cervical cancer (why does my health anxiety LOVE to Google?!). I see that it's a common fear on here as well.
I started going to the gyno around age 21 (when I first had sex) and had regular (annual) Pap smears until I was 34. All NORMAL - so thankful. NO HPV or anything of concern.
When I was 34 I had surgery to remove a large uterine fibroid, ended up with a c diff (superbug) infection and got PTSD from the whole ordeal - which made me skip my annual exams. So the last time I was checked was in 2017 (with a 4-D vaginal ultrasound as a checkup for my surgery but not a pap).
I am trying to get back on track with all of my exams...but I am so scared that for some reason that this time the pap will be abnormal because I've waited so long and did this to myself! Ugh. I have no pain during sex, no bleeding after sex, no symptoms other than some occasional mid-cycle spotting usually during ovulation (I've also spotted from the fibroids since my 20s so it's par for the course). My husband and I have been together for 20 years - and I only slept with one man before him. My hubby is very supportive and calming but I can't seem to get out of my head!
Has anyone else waited a while for an exam/pap and had everything turn out okay?
I started going to the gyno around age 21 (when I first had sex) and had regular (annual) Pap smears until I was 34. All NORMAL - so thankful. NO HPV or anything of concern.
When I was 34 I had surgery to remove a large uterine fibroid, ended up with a c diff (superbug) infection and got PTSD from the whole ordeal - which made me skip my annual exams. So the last time I was checked was in 2017 (with a 4-D vaginal ultrasound as a checkup for my surgery but not a pap).
I am trying to get back on track with all of my exams...but I am so scared that for some reason that this time the pap will be abnormal because I've waited so long and did this to myself! Ugh. I have no pain during sex, no bleeding after sex, no symptoms other than some occasional mid-cycle spotting usually during ovulation (I've also spotted from the fibroids since my 20s so it's par for the course). My husband and I have been together for 20 years - and I only slept with one man before him. My hubby is very supportive and calming but I can't seem to get out of my head!
Has anyone else waited a while for an exam/pap and had everything turn out okay?