Interview 07

Age at interview: 35

Age at diagnosis: 34

Brief Outline: Experienced symptoms of abnormal bleeding. Referred to colposcopy clinic in 2000. Diagnosed with abnormal cervical cells (CIN 3). Treatment given; cone biopsy.

Background: Housewife; cohabiting, 7 children.

The colposcopy examination and biopsy was different to what she expected and she felt traumatised.

I didn't approve of it but because the consultant, well I think you've got no choice. I was in there for about 45 minutes and then things the consultant said to me they was going to do turned out wrong. Because what he said to me was I didn't see what I had done and I had to get undressed behind the screen and then there was three consultants in the room and one nurse, me and my partner. He said he'd give me a little spray to numb the area which also was a lie because it turned out to be an injection which I'm not keen on but it was done anyway. It lasted about 20 minutes, he took a biopsy and told me to stay off my feet for a couple of days, come and get the result in 4 weeks which I was so traumatised by I didn't turn up for the results.

She believes it is important to overcome fear of an anaesthetic in order to have abnormal...

I've been anaesthetised a lot of times for certain things to do with my cervix quite a few times, I'm not too keen on it, I always get upset, to be knocked out. So my partner came down with me to the anaesthetist room, they wouldn't allow him in but it's worth it to get things done. It's easy to get the anaesthetist to knock you out than to find out you've got cancer, all they do really is just put a needle in the back of your arm and by the time you count to 7 you're out, before you know it you're round, it's worth taking the anaesthetic. Because the treatment I got you have to be knocked out because there's no way they could reach that area while I'm awake so it's not as bad. Some women get nervous to be knocked out because they've never had an operation before. I explained to this lady I said "It's alright, there will be a bit of discomfort when you come round but it's worth it."

Describes what it was like having the packing removed from her vagina after her cone biopsy.

The nurse came round and said "Oh I'm just going to take your pack out," and I didn't have a clue what she was talking about. That means, it's like cotton wool but a large amount, they pack the cervix right back, that stops you from haemorrhaging which no one told me about. It took about, say about 5 minutes, 4 minutes, quite discomfort, but then after that was taken out they said "You've got to stay on the bed for an hour, you're not allowed to walk around, then we can tell if you're haemorrhaging inside or not." So I stayed in bed for an hour and they took my blood pressure every 15 minutes to make sure there's no pressure, bleeding.

How were you feeling at that point?

I felt alright, I felt alright. A bit sore when it came out but it felt alright so, they checked me again every 15 minutes, 15 minutes and then they said, the doctor approved me I could go home but no lifting or straining, nothing at all.

She developed a fever and had considerable pain the first week after her cone biopsy.

My GP, phoned my GP tell her "I'm in a lot of pain," she's quite a good GP, she came round three days on the trot said “I'd got a high fever now the pack is out, because it's the raw flesh now you feel the pain” so I was on some strong pain killers which helped, made me sick but it helped.

And how long did that pain last for?

About a week. I've still got the pains now, especially when you go to the toilet you get the pains but it's not as bad as the first 7 days.