Bumps on cervix

• By joann5454
• Reply 344800
• April 7, 2009 at 10:35 am
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haylley: good morning! First of all, please, relax and have confidence in your doctor. Unfortunetly, women are "blessed & cursed" with the need to see the doctor more frequently then men----especially during child bearing ages. So-------get used to that. I understand its not as easy to change doctors in Canada as in the US. Try to establish good communications EARLY ON!!

I am an RN and I have to agree with your doctor, I find it difficult to understand how you could feel your cervix. a doctor or nurse, espescially when you are in labor, can feel your cervix to determine how dilated you are and how far along in the birth process you are.
But to feel it yourself would be a little difficult.

BUT---none the less----you need to see your doctor about the unsual discharge. Depending on whom you talk to ----- Pap smears should be done ever yr, and then IF you have had several "Normal" ones, your doctor "MAY" advise that you only need to have one ever 2-3yrs.

In the US, I believe women have PAP smears on their first OB/GYN visit and then after the baby is delivered. So-------hopefully it hasn't been 5yrs since you had a pap smear.

Regardless, I wish you the best news and that everything is fine. BUT please, do see your doctor and follow up on everything. You are young, and have a young child to consider as well. Its not just about your comfort level anymore! You need to be here for your child.

You have come to the right place, we are all willing to share information and offer support, share experiences, etc.

• By Meghan21
• Reply 345016
• April 7, 2009 at 12:43 pm
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Haylley,
I can definitely feel my cervix as well. In the fall of 2007 I noticed two small, hard bumps on my cervix while TTC. I had recently had a normal pap so was not overly concerned. After the birth of my son in August of 2008, I had an ASC-H pap followed by a colposcopy. Both biopsies came back CIN I and a f/u pap three months later came back completely normal. I mentioned the bumps to my doc at the f/u appointment. He wasn't concerned. He said that you can't feel dysplasia and that the bumps were probably Nabothian cysts. One of the bumps has disappeared with time. The other has not. I plan to ask again at my appointment next fall. I'm glad that you have scheduled a pap and would love to know what your doc says at your appointment.

• By Haylley
• Reply 345059
• April 7, 2009 at 1:11 pm
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Hi Joann5454

Thanks for your reply. I definately can feel my cervix and am very in tune with my body so I feel that the doctor should have listened to my concern a little more. I live in Canada and the Dr. I saw through my pregnancy recently retired so I am seeing a new doctor. It has indeed been at least 5 years since my last pap. I did not have one at all while pregnant or after I delivered my son.


Meghan21:

Thanks for your reply too. It was very helpful. I am hoping that it turns out to be nabothian cysts. I have an appointment for next Tuesday and will keep you updated on what the doctor finds. Thanks again for your support.

• By monroej
• Reply 345651
• April 7, 2009 at 8:47 pm
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Haylley,
Once you get this looked at and get the "all clear" we will all pray for please don't ever go a year without a pap again. It's such a simple thing for us to do in order to protect our lives and the precious children we bring into this world.
I, too, can feel my cervix and find it interesting that some don't find this possible. I know that I have a tilted cervix due to having a difficult first delivery and the doctor saying the tilted cervix is what made it so difficult. Maybe that is why I can feel it.....not sure. But, it's definitely reachable for me.
I had three bumps on my cervix as well and had an abnormal pap. Then, I had my colposcopy which showed that I had severe levels of displasia. You may not can feel dysplasia but you can feel the lesions, which is what my bumps were.
I ended up having a cone biopsy on March 20th and a week later was informed that I have CIN III (carcinoma in situ) which is cancerous cells that are in the cervix but have not spread. Hence the word "in situ".
I will go for my 6 week check on April 16th but my gynecologist has pulled in a gynecologist oncologist and they both feel I should have a hysterectomy since I am done having children and the cancer cells are all in my cervix, which would then be removed.
Please make sure to keep your appointment and get your treatment rolling. My sister is a oncology RN and told me not to waste any time because cervical cancer is very invasive and fast spreading. Not to scare you (I know it scared me when she said this) but to inform you of just how important it really is. She said she has had young women come to her for the treatment(s) and tell her that they were told by their gynecologist to come back in 3 months and by that time the cancer had spread.
Lengthy, I know, but you are important to many people I'm sure so please take care of yourself and put your trust in the Lord. He can do All! I will pray for you and look forward to hearing your "all clear!"

• By shevaun
• Reply 416409
• June 9, 2009 at 1:50 am
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I also have not had a Pap test in just over 5 years. The last vaginal exam I had was some time durring my pregnancy with my youngest child.
And, I deffinately can feel my cervix.
I went to the ER last Monday morning with what I thought was a burning UTI. I was quickly diagnosed by the exausted doctor and sent on my way, without examination, with a perscription for an anti-biotic and pain killers.
The pills made my pain ans symptoms MUCH worse and on the 4th day I went back.
This time I had X-Rays done and was diagnosed with having cronic constipation (which incidentally, the symptoms are all listed as side effects of the first set of pills).
New perscription, laxative, and new pain killers.
More pain! I took them for one day.
Then, I had some spotting and I felt my own cervix and found Three hard lumps.
I am currently on anti-biotics and awaiting my Pap and biopsy this Friday...
and I am terrified!
I hope all has gone well with you ... <3

• By Haylley
• Reply 416429
• June 9, 2009 at 4:18 am
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Just an update on the situation.
I went in for the Pap and the doctor could see the bumps I had felt. He said they were cyst caused by blocked glands and they were normal. I went home and thought nothing more of it.

I got a call about a week later from the hospital saying they wanted me in for a colposcopy as my doctor was concerned about my Pap. This was fairly shocking to me as the doctor literally told me everything was fine and nothing to worry about. So I went in and had the colposcopy done and asked this doctor why my GP was worried and he informed me that my cervix was bleeding while he swabbed it during the Pap.

It turns out that its not really that uncommon and not something that needs to be treated until after I am done having children, but I was very angry that my GP never told me about it. Also during the colposcopy the doctor found a "suspicious area" and did a biopsy. I got the results from that back and it turns out that I have mild squameous displasia.

I am definately relieved to know I am not in the throws of cancer, and am now scheduled to have a routine colposcopy in 6 months and if anything has changed I may need a LEEP.

But overall its good news. I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and send them all back to you tenfold. Take care.

• By shesasourgirl
• Reply 416676
• June 9, 2009 at 10:00 am
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Im glad to hear of your results, and as a side note, I also am able to feel my cervix, all the way around it in fact. Not sure if its because I have a tilted uterus, but i can definately feel it. Just had to make that point.

• By Haylley
• Reply 416974
• June 9, 2009 at 2:04 pm
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Thank you. Yeah it surprises me the way some people insist its impossible to feel your own cervix.

• By KLS123
• Reply 526911
• September 2, 2009 at 6:51 pm
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I recently felt bumps on mine too. Two periods ago. Then, in between periods I couldn't feel my cervix any more. Now I have my period again and I can feel the hard bumps. I think the cervix drops during mensis. Check this out: www.beautifulcervix.com for great photos throughout the cycle.

My annual pap is coming up so I'm not overly concerned but already had VIN III on my vulva. Perhaps I should rush the appointment?

• By dazednconfused
• Reply 527447
• September 3, 2009 at 8:01 am
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Ditto - I can feel mine too --
I mentioned it to my doctor several years ago and he seemd surprised that I would have even tried to (hey, it;s MY body, fella). I also felt a couple bumps, or at least felt it's shape was a bit different. They did not go away, and several normal paps and several years later (now) I was diagnosed with high grade dysplasia.
Whether or not my 'bumpy' cervix was related I don't know, but DO feel my doctor should have done more than the usual paps and checked it out.

• By marsha123 (Inactive)
• Reply 528079
• September 3, 2009 at 4:10 pm
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How are you feeling your cervix? I'll understand this better if you explain the logistics to me. Thanks, M

• By justme09
• Reply 543037 · In reply to 416429 by Haylley
• September 15, 2009 at 9:59 am
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I can feel my cervix also, and recently have felt a hard bump. I had a pap smear 3 months ago and it was normal. I really want to talk to my dr about the bump, but worry that he will think I'm crazy for feeling my cervix. Glad to know I'm not the only one. I'm going to give them a call today...better safe than sorry...right??

• By corellin
• Reply 543084
• September 15, 2009 at 10:23 am
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I have a hard bump on my cervix also (and, yes, I can feel what's left of my cervix since the LEEP and could feel a much larger version of my cervix pre-LEEP). The LEEP did not remove the bump and, in fact, it has gotten bigger. The bump is harder or less hard depending on the time of the month. My GYN says it's probably a nabothian cyst -- but I know I have more than one and I wonder why this is the only one I can feel. The nurse told me it was not a good idea to stick my finger up in my vagina -- that it would spread bacteria -- so I try not to do it too often, but I'm really worried about (and feel I need to monitor) that hard bump. The bump is on the long side of my cervix (since the LEEP took it off at a diagonal and I now have a short side and a long side). I think the long side is the side that's difficult for the GYN to visualize. At the International Papillomavirus conference one clinician suggested that biopsies be taken from each quadrant of the cervix regardless of whether something shows up with the vinegar solution because one side of the cervix is harder to visualize than the other and is where abnormal cells are more often missed. I hope it's a nabothian cyst, but I still worry and the GYN looked with the colpo and couldn't even find it. I'll be really interested to hear if any of you get something definitive on those hard spots. Hopefully they are just cysts...

• By arthistorygoddess
• Reply 544257 · In reply to 543084 by corellin
• September 16, 2009 at 8:59 am
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I too felt three bumps on my cervix in July (09). It's really not that hard to do... you just reach in with a finger and move it up till you feel a soft or hard (depending on the time you are in your menstrual cycle) knob, with a dent like the tip of your nose. It's actually kind of liberating!
I had an ASCUS pap result in April 07, which my doctor suggested was just inflammation from a yeast infection (which I seem to have a lot of lately... bcp? I want to go off them!). So I didn't have the 6 month follow up because I had recently moved to a new city for school and hadn't informed my provincial health service back home (stupid reason... I could have still gone to my university's clinic). Fast forward to me finding three hard bumps on my cervix this July and I freaked out. Booked an appointment with a doctor at the uni clinic for two days later.
I told her the whole story about the 07 pap result and the bumps and she proceeded to do the exam. I had never her before and she was rather standoff-ish which didn't bother me too much, but when she was doing the exam she seemed to disagree with me... saying she couldn't see the bumps at all. I said "They are there!!" and she eventually found them. She asked if they were hard or soft and I said hard, to which she replied, "That's not good" :S WTF?? She didn't manipulate them at all, just looked. Lazy? Then she did the worst pap I've ever had done with one of those mascara wand/scraper type things (first time with one of those used) and was really rough. She informed me my cervix was bleeding and that wasn't a good sign. She told me that my results would probably come back abnormal and I'd have to get the colposcopy and biopsy. Great. Really reassuring and compassionate. I think she was trying to make me feel worse for not getting the 6 month follow up. I can freak myself out enough on my own. Results in two weeks. Meanwhile I went home to bleed and cramp the rest of the night away, which I've never had happen post-pap (although a couple friends have since noted that that is their usual pap experience. Makes me miss my old doctor in Nova Scotia!)
In fact, it was more like 6 weeks (Ontario) and I called twice a week hounding the office. The nurse finally called me back two days ago and said the pap came back normal with some inflammation due to yeast (again, I was fighting off a yeastie... i'm allergic to all the OTC and prescription stuff so I treat them naturally and wasn't treating at the time of the pap because you aren't supposed to insert anything and I thought plain yogurt wouldn't be appreciated).
I've been reading everyone's stories about repeated 'ok' paps then a diagnoses of high grade dysplasia. Should I get another pap soon? Another opinion? What do you ladies suggest? The nurse said I should get my next one the same time 12 months from now.
Relieved yet still anxious.

• By corellin
• Reply 544637
• September 16, 2009 at 12:40 pm
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Hi Arthistorygoddess -- you're getting to that age where, in the U.S. (at age 30), they'd recommend screening with an HPV test. Since HPV infections are supposed to clear within 6 months to 2 years and if you're either in a stable relationship or say 12 months outside of your last new sexual relationship, I'd suggest getting an HPV test, because those are the most sensitive at detecting lesions that aren't being found by the pap test -- for example, lesions that might be higher up in the cervical canal. If you test positive for high risk HPV, it doesn't mean you do have a lesion that's being missed, but in the U.S., they recommend followup with colposcopy just to check.

As for the bleeding during the pap test -- it's my understanding that stiff endocervical brushes are more common now, and used to sample endocervical cells which are inside the cervical canal as opposed to the less invasive brushes that sample the outside (they usually use both). Those newer brushes are actually somewhat traumatic to the cervical tissue and are, what I think, cause the bleeding -- although it's possible that a chronic HPV infection has made us more susceptible.

I had a yeast infection at the time that I was positive for high risk HPV and also had an LSIL pap (low grade). I always thought that yeast infections or any infections create a climate that's condusive for HPV and might have contributed to persistence/progression rather than clearance. But I've heard so many women say they had yeast infections at the time of their HPV infection, that I'm beginning to wonder whether it's the HPV infection that makes us more susceptible to the yeast and other infections rather than the other way around. I don't know...

Anyway, if you do have an HPV infection, but no dysplasia, then now's the best time to work especially hard to clear it. Unfortunately, there's no evidence-based protocol sheet for clearing HPV, so we've all garnered some things from reading and talking to each other that may help, although I wish there were more rigorous studies. But these things probably couldn't hurt, so here's the collective wisdom -- basically anything you can do to support your immune system and vaginal/cervical health including eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, etc.), getting plenty of rest, don't douche or use tampons, take care of your sexual health by avoiding any new infections and it might perhaps make a difference to use condoms during the first six months or so after discovering the infection or dysplasia because some evidence indicates that if you share the same virus type with your partner, limiting further exchange of virus between partners might speed clearance. There are also various supplements that people have taken and recommend, and you could read other posts for those.

I'm curious why your nurse was concerned about "hard" bumps. My bump is hard too!

Good luck to you!

• By justme09
• Reply 545806
• September 17, 2009 at 10:37 am
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I got an appointment with my GP in about 2 weeks....wanted a refferal to my OBGYN....but he would do that without first seeing me. Really makes me angry. Anyway, I'll let you guys know what I find out. I suspect that they will do another pap smear. If it comes back negative, I think I will just let it go until next year. I just want to make sure that everything is ok....we really want another baby.

Also, I had bleeding after my pap test and my dr wasn't concerned. He thought it was caused by a polyp.

• By gadawgfan
• Reply 697808 · In reply to 344800 by joann5454
• January 12, 2010 at 6:01 pm
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I cant understand why you think you (referring to women in general) cannot feel their own cervix? I have always monitored mine and was advised by by gyno to monitor it for changes to aid me in getting prego. Especially as a nurse and a woman yourself you should know that you can feel your own cervix. Perhaps some women have a very high cervix and could not feel it? Idk... but I can feel mine well and know that most women can.

~ Just my 2 cents

• By triqusy3
• Reply 789736
• March 16, 2010 at 3:52 pm
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Ok, I signed up for an account just so I could comment on the doctor and nurse who said you couldn't feel your own cervix. What the h*ll! Haven't they ever heard of a cervical cap? How do they think one puts one of those on? You don't just throw it in and hope it lands in the right place. Perhaps for some spaced out reason they both misunderstood you to be saying that as you walked around during the day you could feel it like one feels an empty stomach or a headache, but it still seriously puts their credibility at issue if this was the scenario they jumped to and couldn't move away from. If a doctor said that to me, I would be getting a new doctor as fast as my insurance allowed. I was reading this thread because I just felt a bump - darn it! And I just had a normal pap not more than 2 months ago. I'll be keeping an I on it and checking with my doctor. I would like to keep everything I have, working well, for as long as possible.

• By triqusy3
• Reply 789777 · In reply to 789736 by triqusy3
• March 16, 2010 at 4:17 pm
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Since, I don't know if they even make cervical caps anymore and since some of y'all might be younger than I, I wanted to point out the cervical cap is/was like a diaphram used to prevent pregnancy only it is/was smaller and fit directly onto the cervix.

• By ell273
• Reply 841922
• April 20, 2010 at 4:39 pm
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Hi,
I just signed up to get in on this conversation. I can definitely feel my cervix, and I know a lot of other women who can too, and it annoys me that doctors are telling people that it is impossible. I had an ob/gyn let me see mine with a mirror once, so yes, I'm certain that is what i'm feeling. Anyway, I recently found a bump/weird region on the end of my cervix, and possibly another bump thing on a vaginal wall, so I've got a dr's appointment tomorrow to get it checked out. have spotting a few days before a period sometimes, never been pregnant, and had one abnormal pap years ago which was never confirmed (they've been ok since then). I'll let y'all know how it goes, but really I wanted to respond to the advice that corelline got:

"The nurse told me it was not a good idea to stick my finger up in my vagina -- that it would spread bacteria"

That's absurd, and any nurse that would tell you that should be sent back to school. I'm so sorry someone misinformed you like that. Just wash your hands well before and after, and be gentle with your body so you don't irritate the tissue. I mean, sure, don't put anything up there that hasn't been thoroughly washed, but if it is clean and not pointy go right ahead. Oh, if you have long nails but want to keep tabs on the cervix, here is a good way to protect the sensitive tissue: get latex (or nitrile) gloves, put a tiny bit of cotton ball at the tip of each finger, then put your hand it. The cotton ball will cushion the long nails, and you can still feel through the glove. don't re-use gloves, of course.

good luck everyone!