Sandra – Interview 35

Sandra was diagnosed with CIN3 first in 2007, aged 48, and again in 2008, aged 49. She was treated by LLETZ on both occasions, and would have liked more information about her results.

Sandra had had gynaecological problems since she was in her twenties and was trying to conceive. Tests showed she had endometriosis. Sandra said she had her first child through IVF in 1991, after eight years of trying for a baby. She got pregnant naturally with her second child. She had regular cervical screening throughout this time and later went onto three yearly screening on the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.

After a routine smear test in 2007, abnormalities were found and Sandra was referred to a colposcopy clinic. In a following appointment, she was treated by LLETZ for CIN3. After surgery, she had pain, cramps and bleeding. She took two weeks off work but said she would have liked to have had longer in order to recover fully before returning to work.

Shortly after treatment, Sandra said she was told that her results were clear and that she would need to attend a follow-up appointment in six months. At this appointment, however, she was told that her results had not actually been clear but borderline and, in a further appointment, she would need to have another LLETZ. Sandra was upset and disappointed at not having been told this from the start. When she was given the news that her results were clear, she had been relieved and celebrated the good news. After her second LLETZ, Sandra was told that her results were clear but she said she now felt unsure whether she could believe this. She also felt apprehensive about her next smear.

Since her second LLETZ, Sandra had a lot of discharge and was referred to a gynaecologist. In order to get an appointment sooner, she decided to go privately. At the time of interview, she was waiting to attend this appointment. She was concerned about what could be wrong and felt strongly that women with a history of gynaecological problems should have regular cervical screening rather than three-yearly.

The local anaesthetic was a bit uncomfortable. Sandras blood pressure dropped after the…

Age at interview 50

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 48

If someone was going for their very first time, and they don’t know what to expect and they’re a friend of yours, how would you describe what happened?

I think I would just tell them it’s a bit like having a smear, but a bit more uncomfortable. But I don’t know if I’d tell them exactly how it did feel because it was, it was quite painful.

The whole thing? Or

No, no. Just the anaesthetic I think. That was just the part, unfortunately I did, I fainted. So, it was a bit of a shock yeah.

So when they put the anaesthetic on, that’s when you

No, it was, it was actually, that was fine. They did the anaesthetic and I had the colposcopy done, the loop biopsy done, and that was fine. I think it was just, and after that I was still lying down, and then they obviously, they bring you up and as they brought me to sit, I just went. And they just said my blood pressure dropped. So I think it was a bit of a shock. I think that’s what it was.

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Sandra was disappointed to have LLETZ again because shed been told by a nurse that her results…

Age at interview 50

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 48

They said I would hear the results of the biopsy, what they took away, and I would get a letter to tell me the results of that. And in fact what they did, they sent me another appointment to go in to speak to a nurse to get the results. And she told me that it was clear and to come back in six months for another smear.

I went back in six months for another smear, and that was still under the hospital and when the results come through for that it was abnormal again. When I went, when I was at that appointment they told me then that the first biopsy result wasn’t clear, that I was told.

Right.

It was actually borderline, but they don’t tell you that, they tell you it’s clear. So I was quite annoyed about that because I’d kind of come away from that first appointment feeling very relieved, thinking that’s it, they’ve taken it all away. So I was very upset that second time I went back to find out that I was lied to, well not, perhaps not lied to, but not quite told all the truth.

So after having the second smear abnormal, I then had to go back in for a second loop biopsy, when they said they had to go in deeper. It was, they didn’t go in deep enough. So I had the second one. That was last year, and I’ve had one clear smear since. But obviously, because of what happened before, I don’t know if it was clear or not. So I still feel very apprehensive about my next smear, which is due next month.

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Sandra was relieved when her results after treatment were clear. Later, when she was told there…

Age at interview 50

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 48

They said I would hear the results of the biopsy which they, what they took away. And I would get a letter to tell me the results of that. And in fact what they did, they sent me another appointment to go in to speak to a nurse to get the results. And she told me that it was clear and to come back in six months for another smear.

I went back in six months for another smear, and that was still under the hospital. And when the results come through for that, it was abnormal again. When I went, when I was at that appointment they told me then that the first biopsy result wasn’t clear, that I was told. It was actually borderline, but they don’t tell you that, they tell you it’s clear.

So I was quite annoyed about that because I’d kind of come away from that first appointment feeling very relieved, thinking that’s it, they’ve taken it all away. So I was very upset that second time I went back to find out that I was lied to, well not, perhaps not lied to, but not quite told all the truth.

So after having the second smear abnormal, I then had to go back in for a second loop biopsy, when they said they had to go in deeper. It was, they didn’t go in deep enough. So I had the second one. That was last year. And I’ve had one clear smear since. But obviously, because of what happened before, I don’t know if it was clear or not, so I still feel very apprehensive about my next smear, which is due next month.

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