Life stress and now my cervical cancer fear is back full strength...

[artist12]

This time I think I've at least recognized what has happened on my latest HA spiral.

I've had a lot of personal stress the last few weeks (I have decided to leave my part time job to become fully self-employed .... THAT in itself is not what I'm stressed about, it's actually a wonderful thing, but I have a lot of social anxieties and don't do change well regardless of what it is)

Anyway, I've been dreading giving my notice to my boss this Thursday. Physically my anxiety has been sky high this week. My eyelid has been twitching for days. I feel like the anxiety in my bones.

So what pops up again? The dread in the pit of my stomach that I KNOW I have cervical cancer.

I don't know why this in particular is my latest fear but I think because I am terrified of the OBGYN above all else and haven't had a pap in probably about 7-8 years. I had one abnormal pap around 20 or so and it reverted back to normal after further testing. I know I'm an idiot for not getting screened but I've moved a lot and made a lot of excuses for not getting an appointment, and I'm just plain scared of it.

I don't really have any classic symptoms aside from an aching pain in my pubic bone area/hip a few days before my cycle each month on one side only and maybe another symptom or two. But that's the problem, I am afraid I've let it go too long and I have silent symptoms and now it's too late.

This is totally irrational and probably brought on my the regular anxiety I'm feeling. I know I need to go have a wellness exam with an OBGYN.

But I can't shake the weird feeling that THIS TIME is the time that something is really wrong and that nothing bad has ever really happened to me like this so it must be about time. Which is nonsensical.

It's so frustrating.... :(

[WiseMonkey]

After 7-8 years you should have a pap/hpv test. Burying your head in the sand will only make you feel worse.

Gather up your courage and get tested, then you can put your troubling thoughts to rest.

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your issue.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

Please also read this post:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213239

[O_O]

I too have fallen victim to the cervical cancer fear! The difference is I have had regular smears, and also HPV tests, and I'm apparently fine... though I have more symptoms than you do!

You are in all likelihood totally fine. Cervical cancer isn't actually very common compared to other cancers. It gets a lot of publicity I think because it is so easily preventable (normally) with the right tests, so some women die from it needlessly. So, even though it's scary, take your doctors up on the tests!

It's a win win situation. You probably don't have anything wrong, in which case your mind will be put at rest. Or, there is a small chance you may have abnormal changes, in which case you will either be monitored or treated to prevent any unwanted development. Or, worst case, and very unlikely, if you had cancer the sooner you found out the better! Cervical cancer is very treatable. Imagine if by some fluke you did have it and you only found out in another few years... you'd be kicking yourself for not just getting tested and treated earlier!

Obviously getting tests done unnecessarily is a symptom of health anxiety but a simple, painless and effective screening test recommended by doctors should absolutely be taken advantage of. Please just get it done and I'm sure your mind will be eased.

[artist12]

Obviously getting tests done unnecessarily is a symptom of health anxiety but a simple, painless and effective screening test recommended by doctors should absolutely be taken advantage of. Please just get it done and I'm sure your mind will be eased.

Thank you so much for your kind words. You are absolutely right...I feel that I fall into the camp of HA sufferers who DON'T get appropriate screenings or testings (as opposed to more frequent than normal doctor visits) because I am that afraid of the process, the waiting for results, the unknown...

I know it makes literally no sense to be afraid of having a disease and then avoiding proactive screening for it and that is a really frustrating aspect of HA for me personally, and something I know I really need to confront and work on.