Georgia Tennant urges followers to 'never miss a smear test' in cervical screening week awareness post

David Tennant's wife has re-shared the story of her cancer diagnosis for cervical screening awareness week
Instagram/georgiatennantofficial
George Fenwick16 June 2020
The Weekender

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Georgia Tennant has urged her followers not to miss their smear tests after her cervical cancer was detected early.

Tennant, who is married to actor David Tennant, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2018, but doctors “cut it out before it had a chance to make it out of the starting gates”.

In an Instagram post for Cervical Screening Awareness Week, Tennant directed her fans to a blog post she wrote at the time encouraging women to get regular smear tests.

Sharing a photo of herself in a hospital gown, Tennant wrote: “Here I am on 22nd February 2018. Although ‘tis indeed a fetching look, if you’d like to learn more about why you should never miss a smear test please read the story attached in bio.”

In that story, Tennant revealed she became nervous after receiving abnormal results from a smear test.

“‘Borderline changes’ to be exact,” she wrote. “Before I’d made it up upstairs to tell my husband, I’d started planning my funeral.”

Tennant revealed she had a Colposcopy, writing: “My results finally come through. I have what’s called CIN 2. ‘Pre-Cancer’. (I remember watching a brilliant episode of ‘Catastrophe’ about that very thing)

“So today I’ve had what’s called a ‘Cervical excision’. This removes a section of the affected cervix which should in the 97% of all cases, solve the problem. Fingers crossed, I’m fixed. Sorted.”

Co-stars: David and Georgia Tennant feature in Staged together
BBC/GCB Films/Infinity Hill/

She continued: “What if I hadn’t made that appointment? What if I hadn’t responded to the 2 letters I received from our NHS telling me I was due a smear? What if I’d read ‘borderline’ and believed Yahoo? This story may have had a different ending.

“I want that one person who has been putting off making that appointment, to make it. That partner of that woman who has been to scared to go, to encourage her.

“Those parents of teenagers, to look into the HPV vaccine. Or just to know when you see ‘borderline changes’ on your piece of paper that, whilst it’s not necessarily the whole story, it’s ok and this has happened before. Many times to many people and now you’ve got a first hand story that ends ok. Don’t be scared. Please get checked. Just, please.”

In a later update after it was revealed Tennant had had cancer, she wrote: “If the first part of the story didn’t hit home, I hope this bit does. From borderline changes to cancer to cancer free in mere months.

“It really could have been a different story. One I will be forever grateful I didn’t have to tell.”

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