Cervical Screening

I think it's a case of taking each year as it comes but the more I'm getting normal smears the more confident I am that everything is alright in that area and I'm quite sure that it will be alright. I'm confident that everything is there that should be there and I'm getting the attention that I should be getting.

So what are the things that make you feel confident?

The fact that I'm having the yearly check-up is the most important thing and I know that if I was at all worried, each time I'm told "If there's anything at all worrying you just get in touch with us and we'll get you back up to the hospital."

When the smears were fine, obviously you just, it's an inconvenience, no it's not even an inconvenience but you are aware that you, every March I have to have a smear. And I'm sort of, I would be making the appointment rather than wait for the appointment to come to me. So I suppose in as much that I'm aware of it. But it doesn't interfere with my life. 

The abnormal smears that I've had had disappointment, especially with the second one thinking that it had been sorted and there wasn't any more problems and it had been quite a long period of time, it was the disappointments of here we go again. Not because it's, it's just an inconvenience really and it does weigh on your mind, I mean obviously it is because you sort of think oh they could be pre-cancerous and as you get older you sort of, you get more responsibilities and you think how it would affect people around you, if only if you've got to go and have an operation. 

And I suppose it's something that's there, you don't, I wouldn't say you live with it, it's not as if it's a huge thing you have to live with, there's far more inconveniences in life really, but it is something that always you're aware of. And as I said I suppose I was aware of it, the fact that every year I knew I was due for a smear and I made sure I'd got my appointment.

I don't think I said much but I think I was anxious yes, I was a bit anxious so I guess you could say when I opened the letter I had a big grin on my face. But it does bring you up short, I mean one of the, to be honest one of the consequences of, of the initial sort of discovery was that I thought long and hard about work/life balance and what I do. And, because I've a fairly stressful occupation and work relatively long hours and I had been thinking, because of my age, I had been thinking about it's time to sort of think about taking it more easily.

But, but that Christmas you know my husband and I we talked over it and at that point particularly I didn't really know what the outcome was going to be but I thought well, you need to, the importance of getting the balance right.So as a result when I went in, back to work in January after that Christmas break I, I told my employers that I wanted to go part time because of what I do that actually hasn't come to fruition, it won't come to fruition until this coming July, but that was definitely something that helped me make up my mind, that I needed to adjust things.

It's made me less, less afraid of hospital procedures to a great degree and also more likely to be able to discuss with women friends. You know I'm of a certain age and a lot of my friends are also and they're now beginning to experience the same symptoms that I did and I feel as though I'm relaxed enough to be able to say "This is what happened to me and sort of don't, don't not go to hospital, don't not go to your GP if there is even the slightest abnormality in your cycle, of any description, just go and see what it is." I feel more confident saying that because I've never, I mean I don't hide it away anyway but I feel more inclined to be able to speak to people about it, to broach the subject myself if they're kind of skirting round it you know "I've got stomach ache," or whatever, I'm more inclined to be able to say "Well is it do with your cycle, whatever?" And lead it on from there.