Interview 02

Diagnosed with abnormal cervical cells (CIN 3) in 1986. No treatment given but monitored with regular colposcopies. Test results showed CIN2 followed by a second recurrence of CIN3. Treatment’ Cone Biopsy. Annual smears since. No further recurrence. Experience of doctors having difficulty getting adequate cells for smear test.

Regular cervical screening is important in preventing cervical cancer.

Age at interview 52

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 37

A lady who lives across the road she actually died of cancer which couldve been prevented and I think that any woman that doesn’t go and have a smear check every 3 years is insane. Because okay nobody likes being with their knickers off and nobody likes that but it is so important that it’s worth 5 minutes of that horrible feeling of exposure just to know that you’re clear.

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She wasn’t prepared for the pain she felt when the packing was removed from her vagina after her…

Age at interview 52

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 37

Also they didn’t tell me that it would hurt and it was painful and it was. Because they, they sort of plug you up after it with this gauze and you have to lay flat, and then the sister comes round and it was like sort of pulling a rope out of me and it was really painful and nobody had warned me. So you know you sort of, I just had to go through it and nobody had warned me that it was going to be painful.

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She now encourages young woman in her workplace to go for regular cervical screening tests.

Age at interview 52

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 37

Yes I’m quite an authority on cervical smears and so I work with lots of young girls and so they, or we all share experiences and I’ve got the longest tale to tell and I say, and I say “Well look I’m living proof that 20 years on I’m fine, so go and have your smears,” and I sort of say that and pass on my knowledge as it were to young girls in my office. And so I think that’s one of the ways is the going through something like that enables you to give other people the information, to pass on your experience so they’re not so frightened.

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