Tarn Davies was a few years overdue for a pap smear when she finally made time to see her GP. The decision saved her life.
The 39-year-old mum-of-five from Tamworth in NSW kept delaying the appointment due to her extremely busy schedule.
She told FEMAIL she was healthy and hadn’t had any concerning symptoms so didn’t think pushing the appointment back would matter.
‘I have five children and one was only a toddler at the time,’ she said.
‘I was working full-time and I just didn’t have time for health checks. I didn’t have any symptoms and nothing felt wrong, so I didn’t prioritise it.’
It wasn’t until her doctor called her in a panic days a few days after her test, that she realised she should have gone sooner.
Abnormal cells and three lesions had been detected on her cervix, and she was months away from the growths turning cancerous.
Tarn’s doctor revealed that her condition was quickly developing and she’d need to have surgery immediately.
Tarn Davies (above with her husband) was 39 when she was diagnosed with HPV and told it was ‘one stage before cancer’
The mum, left, had put off getting a pap smear for a few years and said she was too busy looking after her family and also felt a bit awkward making the appointment
‘My period was regular, I was healthy, everything was fine,’ Tarn said. ‘No abnormal bleeding, no cramps or pain, nothing.’
The test uncovered HPV-18 and high-risk abnormal cells.
HPV-18 is a common strain of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that causes almost all cases of cervical cancer if left untreated.
Along with HPV-16, both strains are responsible for most HPV-related cancers, which account for a majority of cases of cervical cancer.
Tarn said she was deep in the ‘mum mindset’ before the pap smear and constantly put her children and partner before herself.
‘I was the one booking doctor’s appointments, taking my kids to the dentist, going to the shops.
When she finally made the appointment, the mum-of-five (above with her children) was told she had come close to having cancer
‘I tend to put myself last when it comes to my family.
‘As a mum, if everyone else was all right, so was I.’
But the period of uncertainty after the abnormal result sent Tarn’s heartbeat racing.
‘I was so anxious,’ she said.
‘The stress really got to me. All I could think about was what would happen to my children if I had cancer. How could they grow up without me?’
The mum said she was also ’embarrassed’ by the test itself, a feeling that contributed to her procrastination.
‘I had a mental block when it came to getting pap smears. I’ve never had a bad experience and I’ve given birth five times, but I couldn’t get myself to go through with it,’ she said.
‘But with pap smears – you just feel so embarrassed and shy. It’s a weird thing to go and get done.’
Now 43, the mum looks back on her hesitation with regret.
Now 43, Tarn who is pictured here with her dad, reminds every woman she knows to go and get the test done and to put their own health first
‘It’s a couple of minutes of discomfort to potentially save your life,’ she said.
‘My doctors eased my worries when they told me the illness was contained to a small part of my body. It could’ve been so much worse.’
Tarn shared that she had several biopsies and other tests before a solid treatment plan was mapped out.
‘I could’ve had a hysterectomy if it turned out cancerous. But my colposcopy revealed that one of the lesions was CIN 3, which is the level before it becomes cervical cancer.’
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are changes to the squamous cells that cover the outside of the cervix.
There are three types – CIN1 (mild) CIN2 (moderate) and CIN3 (severe) – which show how deeply the abnormal cells have gone into the skin covering the cervix.
In Tarn’s case, CIN 3 meant the full thickness of the lining covering her cervix had abnormal cells.
‘It’s terrifying know how close I came to having cancer,’ the mum said.
She now advocates for regular screenings and encourages her children – including her sons – to be vigilant.
‘I’ve told them to make sure their wives and girlfriends are putting their health first,’ she said.
‘It’s important to spread awareness and ensure the people you love will be okay.’
Tarn is now HPV-18 free and only needs to get screened every five years.
Cancer Council revealed 80 per cent of people are likely to have HPV at some point in their lives, often without visible symptoms.
Two ways to prevent HPV from causing cancer are vaccination and early detection.
You should have regular screening tests even if you’ve been vaccinated, and the National Cervical Screening Program recommends people with a cervix who are aged 25 to 74 have a cervical screening test every five years.
