What a shock, any advice appreciated

Hi all. I am new here. I am looking for advice and opinions and probably some support. I am a 35 year old female with three children. I don't have medical insurance so I had neglected to get routine paps. The last one I had was in 2005. Well, I was able to pay for an exam and decided to get an IUD, because I definately don't want anymore children. My appt was Friday. As soon as she placed the speculum in for the pap, she expressed great concern over this "extremely large tumor" on my cervix and stated that she wouldn't be inserting the IUD as I needed follow up immediately. She stated that my labs would be marked 'stat' and I would need to go to hospital two hours away within the week. I asked was it cancer, she stated that only by her naked eyes that the tumor is too large to be called a polyp and if she had to guess, more than likely especially with my past history. I said, what past history? Now, I do remember (sketchy) that when I was younger the doc would always find a polyp, cut it off and say it was nothing. Then my cells would come back "atypical" and do the cryotherapy.  Then a couple years later, I remember being told it was Dsyplasia, nothing to worry about and did the colposcopy, cryotherapy, etc. But I was always assured that it was NOTHING. Went on to have my three children, no problems, etc. Then in 2005, I lost health insurance and didn't have another check up until Friday. 

Now, I don't know. Years ago, was all of that just being presented to me as nothing to worry about for the sake of worrying? OR should I have been educated more and told that this would become cancerous? As I certainly would have kept a check on my body better than I did if I would have known. I suppose I am feeling that I am either nieve for believing the docs when they said nothing to worry about.  AND Now I am worried because when this doctor stated I had an extremely large tumor and had to be seen within the week at a hospital 2 hours away.....I just don't know what to expect. Does anyone have a story like this? any advice, opinions, etc.  I really need it.

I am so sorry you are addressing something this frightening. I hope you're not seeing the doctor who took your health so lightly, anymore. Please get copies of all of your lab reports so that you can follow what has been happening all along with your health. That will be the first place for you to start. In particular, please make sure you get copies of your current lab reports so you know what you have, right now. That will be your first step in educating yourself.

It's always terrifying when something happens to our bodies. But by getting copies of your lab reports, you'll remove the mystery and get yourself actively involved in what is best for you. Even though what you are potentially facing is scary, it really does remove some of the fear and gets you actively involved because your decisions will be informed. Knowledge is power!