Women's Health Issues: LadyGardening for Dummies

smeal · 05-03-2019 2:50pm

smeal wrote: »

Hi ladies,

Got my letter from Cervical Check to say to contact my nurse or GP. Nurse isn’t available over the phone until tomorrow afternoon. However online it says that my next smear isn’t due for 3 years. Anyone else any experience with this? Very nervous.

UPDATE apparently I have minor cell changes but no HPV so don’t need to come back for three years. Relief!

Hillybilly4 · 13-03-2019 7:20pm

It's now 27 weeks for results from Cervical Check. Appalling.
I, for one, have emailed my local TD and Simon Harris about this situation.

Sunny Dayz · 14-03-2019 12:48am

Hillybilly4 wrote: »

It's now 27 weeks for results from Cervical Check. Appalling.
I, for one, have emailed my local TD and Simon Harris about this situation.

That’s desperate! Disgraceful. How are women meant to wait that long for results?! It’s a nervous enough wait, that long would drive you spare.
How have they gotten so long? I got mine done last June and was waiting about 8 weeks.

sullivlo · 14-03-2019 4:50am

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

That’s desperate! Disgraceful. How are women meant to wait that long for results?! It’s a nervous enough wait, that long would drive you spare.
How have they gotten so long? I got mine done last June and was waiting about 8 weeks.

A few reasons:
- Massive spike in samples after the cervical cancer scandal.
- Staff training.
- Re-validation of the method of analysis and reporting.

Still no excuse.

Addle · 14-03-2019 6:19am

Hillybilly4 wrote: »

It's now 27 weeks for results from Cervical Check. Appalling.
I, for one, have emailed my local TD and Simon Harris about this situation.

Do you think he isn't already aware?

jordata · 14-03-2019 10:45am

I have now been 21 weeks waiting for my results. In the meantime my younger sister has been diagnosed with Cervical cancer. I am concerned as I have some symptoms - bleeding after sex and bloating - so I made an appointment with the GP this week. My own GP is away so I met a gentleman from New Zealand. He said in his country you can get a test done and get the results THE NEXT DAY. He apologised for the state of the Irish health system and didn't charge me as he can't do anything for me. I have to wait for my results.

Hillybilly4 · 14-03-2019 11:48am

jordata wrote: »

I have now been 21 weeks waiting for my results. In the meantime my younger sister has been diagnosed with Cervical cancer. I am concerned as I have some symptoms - bleeding after sex and bloating - so I made an appointment with the GP this week. My own GP is away so I met a gentleman from New Zealand. He said in his country you can get a test done and get the results THE NEXT DAY. He apologised for the state of the Irish health system and didn't charge me as he can't do anything for me. I have to wait for my results.

I wish your younger sister well.
I'm already waiting 26 weeks here.
I read yesterday (a FB post) that you can pay €80 to have your sample sent to a lab here in Ireland instead of joining the queue at the labs in the USA. Maybe that could be an option for you?

Hillybilly4 · 14-03-2019 11:49am

Addle wrote: »

Do you think he isn't already aware?

Maybe he is aware, maybe he isn't. But he certainly needs reminding on a regular basis IMHO.

jordata · 14-03-2019 12:15pm

Hillybilly4 wrote: »

I wish your younger sister well.
I'm already waiting 22 weeks here.
I read yesterday (a FB post) that you can pay €80 to have your sample sent to a lab here in Ireland instead of joining the queue at the labs in the USA. Maybe that could be an option for you?

I asked about private tests as that was my intention. The private tests use the same lab as the public tests so the wait is the same.

Hillybilly4 · 16-03-2019 9:19am

jordata wrote: »

I asked about private tests as that was my intention. The private tests use the same lab as the public tests so the wait is the same.

I think your doctor is wrong about this. I'm now reading about plenty of women who have paid to have their smear tests done privately. Their results are coming back in a couple of weeks.
There are other labs - it's just that they are not contracted to the HSE/Cervical Check.
Eurofins is one such lab I found from a quick google. You can even go on their website and download a cytology request form, print it off and wave it under your GP's nose.

amdublin · 16-03-2019 7:04pm

My doctor told me her experience has not been good with some of the private labs. She does a smear, sends it off and then gets it back from them saying the sample is inadequate or wrong etc

The wait is horrendous. I am still tempted to use the private clinic and pay

Twee. · 16-03-2019 7:20pm

I just had one done privately with Well Woman Clinic, they said 3-4 weeks for results. €85 I think, for the nurse. More with doctor.

Addle · 16-03-2019 7:37pm

Just €85?
Public tests are probably costing many multiples of that.

jordata · 15-04-2019 12:51pm

Got a call this morning from my GP regarding my smear test last October. There are low grade changes but I have the tested positive for the papillomavirus (HPV). Now I have another wait for colposcopy appointment. I asked how long will I need to wait? Ah sure a few weeks I guess.
Like it doesn't matter. IT MATTERS TO ME

Hillybilly4 · 23-04-2019 11:05am

jordata wrote: »

Got a call this morning from my GP regarding my smear test last October. There are low grade changes but I have the tested positive for the papillomavirus (HPV). Now I have another wait for colposcopy appointment. I asked how long will I need to wait? Ah sure a few weeks I guess.
Like it doesn't matter. IT MATTERS TO ME

Sorry to hear this. This whole fiasco is totally unacceptable. Keep making a noise, complaints, emails, whatever. We should not be putting up with this and if we keep quiet the HSE, ministers, CervicalCheck etc will think they're "getting away" with it. I had my smear test back in September 2018 and still haven't had my results (MedLab apparently). I hope you get a colposcopy appointment soon and that all turns out to be OK for you.

RacoonQueen · 25-04-2019 3:43pm

I got my smear test results back in about 10 weeks - end of Jan was test, April 15th was on my letter.

Noo · 30-04-2019 4:16am

Hillybilly4 wrote: »

It's now 27 weeks for results from Cervical Check. Appalling.
I, for one, have emailed my local TD and Simon Harris about this situation.

I knew the situation in Ireland was dire but this is disgraceful. I had a test in Australia this morning (hence why I ended up looking at this thread because it got me thinking about the situation in Ireland). Doc says I should receive a text in about a week if all clear, if I dont hear anything by 2 weeks then give them a call. 5 times the population of Ireland, no excuses!!

Graces7 · 05-05-2019 1:16pm

jordata wrote: »

Got a call this morning from my GP regarding my smear test last October. There are low grade changes but I have the tested positive for the papillomavirus (HPV). Now I have another wait for colposcopy appointment. I asked how long will I need to wait? Ah sure a few weeks I guess.
Like it doesn't matter. IT MATTERS TO ME

That is scandalous. shocking. Would your TD intervene?

NeonCookies · 16-05-2019 9:24pm

I was one of the women invited for a repeat smear due to my previous one being tested for HPV outside of recommended time limits.. got the letter 2 days before my regularly scheduled smear (aka 3 years after my last one), helpful. All of my smears (3) have been low grade abnormal (2014, 2015, 2018) Yet when I got my results the other day after waiting 20 weeks, despite STILL having low grade abnormalities I've been advised to be seen again in 3 years due to no HPV being present.

Thankfully my doctor (moved to her last year) is great. She said she wasn't comfortable with me waiting 3 years and advised me to get a repeat done in a few months time and when we have the results of that we can see about next steps, but most likely she'll recommend a yearly smear. She said she has lost complete faith in the public screening programme - she has had quite a few women advised to remain on the 3 yearly checks when after private smears and subsequent colposcopies they were advised to be checked yearly. I have no problem prioritising the money to be seen every year if necessary, but not everyone has this privilege. It's ridiculous.

Lashes28 · 16-05-2019 9:28pm

How long did you wait for your coloscopy appointment?? I got a call three weeks ago from my gp that I needed to get one done from the results of my smear and I haven't hear anything since.

Caranica · 16-05-2019 9:30pm

Sorry to hear about your experience. I had abnormal cells a few years ago and it went, repeat ASAP after receiving the letter. Smear 3 months later, then 6 months then 12 months x 2 and then the one I had late October was 3 years later. I should point out that only the first test showed abnormalities. Also I got the results from the October one at the start of January so only took 10 weeks.

Maybe there's something my doctor isn't telling me but compared to your story it sounds like two completely different programmes!

NeonCookies · 16-05-2019 10:36pm

Caranica wrote:

Maybe there's something my doctor isn't telling me but compared to your story it sounds like two completely different programmes!

It is so strange! Had my first smear in 2014, told to repeat in a year so had one in 2015. Then most recently end of 2018. So back on 3 year cycle despite all having abnormalities? I think it's because I'm HPV negative (doctor said if I was positive I'd have been referred for colposcopy in 2015 and now) but even still at this point it's clear the abnormalities haven't resolved on their own so surely worth investigation? I'm going to get the private smear and depending on the results of that I'll be contacting the screening programme, TDs etc if necessary. I don't have trust in it at all anymore.

jordata · 17-05-2019 11:45am

Lashes28 wrote: »

How long did you wait for your coloscopy appointment?? I got a call three weeks ago from my gp that I needed to get one done from the results of my smear and I haven't hear anything since.

As I understand it, if you have low grade changes you will be seen within 8 weeks. If you have high grade changes they will see you in 4 weeks. I had the appointment on Wednesday of this week. It was in Wexford General. They team there were absolutely fantastic, very reassuring. They took a biopsy so now I have a 6 week wait for those results. I am hoping I well then get the all clear. By then I will have been 36 weeks since the original smear back in October.

SaltSweatSugar · 20-06-2019 6:28pm

Had my smear done at the start of December last year and just got the letter today saying all is ok. I’m glad (obviously) but it’s ridiculous that it took 6 months.

Lashes28 · 15-07-2019 9:23pm

Just got letter in the door that I've cin3 abnormalities and to go back in the first week of August for treatment. Anybody been through it? How painful is it? What will they actually do?

Morby · 18-07-2019 5:23pm

So I've gotten back my smear results, about 5 months later, and thank god no abnormalities, everything was fine.

However I've been told I have HPV.

My doctor rang me to tell me and she mentioned something about clearing it up, but I thought you couldn't clear HPV, once you have it that's it, for life, like herpes?

I'm not looking for any medical advice on here, I know that's not the remit of boards, and I'll be seeing my GP in a few weeks anyhow, but I just wanted to hear from other ladies who have HPV and what their experiences were like?

Is there any course of treatment? I didn't think there was now but confused since the GP mentioned "clearing it"

Any info or advice at all would be appreciated as I've gotten a bit of a shock hearing this and I'm still waiting on a gynae and colposcopy appointments for irregular mid cycle bleeding I get every month.

Thanks all.

jordata · 19-07-2019 5:34pm

Morby congrats on the all clear. I got my results in May - low grade changes and HPV positive. Had to go for a colposcopy and biopsy. In the colposcopy clinic they told me to boost my immunity to fight off the HPV virus - recommended green tea. Don't know if that might help you - I have to go for LLETZ end of the month to remove the abnormal cells but nothing else has been said regarding the HPV.

Morby · 19-07-2019 6:23pm

jordata wrote: »

Morby congrats on the all clear. I got my results in May - low grade changes and HPV positive. Had to go for a colposcopy

Hi there Jordata,

Thank you so much for taking the time out to respond and for sharing your experience, it's greatly appreciated

Thanks for the tip regarding green tea, I'll look into that for sure.

Best of luck with your LLETZ procedure at the end of the month, I hope it all goes well for you and you get the all clear

Lashes28 · 03-08-2019 9:38pm

Lashes28 wrote: »

Just got letter in the door that I've cin3 abnormalities and to go back in the first week of August for treatment. Anybody been through it? How painful is it? What will they actually do?

Anyone?

jordata · 05-08-2019 10:51am

Lashes28 wrote: »

Anyone?

Hi Lashes. Sorry you got that result. My result showed CIN1 so I don't know if the treatment is the same for CIN3. My results included a leaflet on the LLETZ treatment. This can be carried out with a local anesthetic. The offending cells can be removed by laser or frozen. The doctors I spoke to were lovely and could tell how anxious I am so I am going back to have the treatment under general anesthetic in September. Hope it all goes smoothly for you.

Women's Health Issues: LadyGardening for Dummies

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