8 months late for smear test- panic

[Carrie8484]

I’m having a bit of a tricky time with anxiety at the moment due to some health related issues (been referred under the 2 week pathway to see a dermatologist about a skin lesion )

Anyway I’m also panicking about my upcoming smear test which I’m ashamed to say is 8 months late. I’m now convinced that I’ve left it too late and I’ll have some serious cell changes when I get the test results. Many years ago I had a colposcopy for low grade changes but nothing further happened and no treatment etc. The last couple of smears were clear.
I’ve had some abdominal /pelvic pain recently which has been more noticeable than usual and I also had what I thought was a small amount of mid cycle blood recently.
I’m 100% not pregnant or have any STDs.
I’m now focusing on the pains in my abdomen and thinking the worst.

I feel terrible that I’ve left this so late. I honestly hadn’t realised how many months had gone by. It doesn’t help that coronation street (UK soap opera) has just had a huge cervical cancer storyline and I was reading so many comments from ladies about how they’d caught their cell changes ‘just in time’ etc.

Does anyone have any similar stories , I feel so anxious about it all.

[Sunshinegirl82]

Hi... I just had my smear last week and got my results this week and was negative for hpv. I’m 36 and never had a smear and I was thinking the same thing as you that I’ve left it to late. My whole Health anxiety spiralled from that Coronation street story line last year it was around the same time I had spotting and irregular cycles and because what was happening to me and what was happening in the soap was running parallel to each other I convinced myself I had something sinister happening . I had a scan done as well nothing was found and that was just the start of the pitfall and then it just got worst ... finally went for a smear I thought this is it I’ve left it to late but results were normal, it’s best to get it over and done with and be assured and then to not do it and you’re only 8 months late I was nearly 12 years late I hope this help

[Carrie8484]

Thank you so much for replying!
It’s such an anxious time waiting for the test and then the results. Mine is on the 5th November. They had nothing sooner because my GP surgery is full of students.
I’m dreading the actual smear. not the procedure Itself but the look on the nurses face if she sees something sinister and can’t tell me because it has to get sent off.
I’m sick of hearing all the horror stories even though I know it’s just people trying to raise awareness.
Glad yours was nothing to worry about in the end x

[Sunshinegirl82]

I know what you mean I actually imagined all different scenarios, even after the procedure I asked the nurse did I bleed does everything look ok. With regards to the results obviously it’s depends where you live but I went for my smear Tuesday evening and on the following Tuesday I went to doctors for an appointment and she told me my results were updated on Monday so less than a week, didn’t get a letter until Friday though so if you’re worried about waiting for results wouldn’t hurt to give your doc a call after a week or so . I know what you mean by these horror stories and I understand why they’re done but it becomes a hell of a lot harder for people like us to deal with it