[sunnshinne]

Today I have a heightened sense of anxiety and have no one to share my fears with. I have had 3 abnormal paps for awhile. My Dr. had me return every 3-6 months for a new one. Thus the last one was also "Bad" so they said I need a biopsy done. To add to my fears I was remarried on Oct 18 and we would like a child of our own. With this all happening I wonder if something will be too wrong and prevent that from happening. My fraternal Grandmother died of cervical cancer and my mind travels back to all she went through....I am really freaked out to say the least. I am 38, and I am a mom of 3 girls...I also think of what this could potentially mean for them. Am I too panicked for no reason at all? Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[1scaredmom]

I feel your pain....so to speak. Congrads on your recent marriage! Thats a great thing to be thankful for. I am 43 & in Sept ended a 3 1/2yr engagement. Unfortunatley, it ended about a month after my diagnosis. He went through the Colposcopy with me because it was done so quickly after my abnormal pap test. You asked about the proceedure. I am a huge chicken & about had a panic attack on the table while waiting for it to start! I did'nt have a great experience. I had an Intern at first. After he made a valuant effort to get the biopsy but could'nt, the original Dr took over & it was over in about 1 minute. By the time I felt the pinch, it was done! There 'is' some prep work that they do before getting their piece of it but none of that was painful either.
You have 3 daughters? God help you...I had 2 future step daughters. They were 12 & 14 when he & I got together. WOW what a handful!!!! I only have one biological son who is 19 and in college.
I'm going through this alone! I, too am very scared! They said I needed to have another biopsy, 6mnths after the first....thats suppose to be this month! I have'nt scheduled it yet.
My biggest feer is that I dont know what happends in the 'long run'. Surgery? continual biopsys? And I've read some of the other posts and heard of proceedures that are totaly forein to me. Do you know or have read about any of them? By the way, my name is Teresa & i really hope to hear back from you! Good luck in your travels through this scary journey!

[goingforward23]

Well I am the same type of person, I worry too much about things, did you have a colposcopy yet? If not I already had one due to two abnormal pap smears, it isn't painful at all, you maybe feel a little discomfort and cramps but that's all. I recently was diagnosed with mild dysplacia and low grade HPV and I am scared to death because I think so many things. I already have children and we wanted to have more but with this situation it would not be wise to have another baby. Don't be scared of the colposcopy because it's nothing major, I wish you luck!

[cherylg]

Don't be afraid of the colposcopy - I had an endo bx done and that was much worse! The colposcopy wasn't really any different from a regular pap. Just got results back today and is showed mild dysplasia but neg for HPV. I have elected to have a Leep in two weeks, I want those cells gone! Of course, they can always come back but no need to worry until if and when that happens. I am a pathology coder and I see what other women go thru, it's really a matter of choice but I'm kind of a deal with it person not a wait and seer.

[1scaredmom]

Hi,
I just read your message. Please tell me what a...endo x is and the 'leep' proceddure. I've heard people mention the leep term but without a discription of what it is. I guess most people here, know & are familiar with these terms. I, unfortunatley, am not one of them. I am slightly over due for my 6mth 're-due' of my colposcopy. I don't like haveing these 'abnormal' cells! I too, would like to have them gone!!! I had no idea that there were ways of being 'pro-active' in my own care. Please fill me in on the proceedures that you've had done so far. Personaly, my colposcopy was a 45min. ordeal, lots of bleeding & far from a regular pap. Anxiously waiting to hear more 'specific' details!!

[cherylg]

My doctor did the endo bx (endometrial bx)during my pap - she just went in while doing the pap and cut out a few pieces of endo tissue (the endometrium is the uterine lining) -she had to take a few samples and I almost jumped off the table. The leep (Loop electrosurgical excision procedure) is very similar to the colposcopy. A colposcope is used but a thin electrode is inserted also to cut away the lesion(s) to be sent to for futher eval. and to make sure all the dysplastic cells are removed. The area is anesthetized first and it's not supposed to be painful however if you've had a problem with the colposcopy this might not be the answer - guess it'd be something to discuss with your doctor. As I said I'm a pathology coder and I see women getting these done regularly. I'm getting it done on friday so I'll let you know what happens.

[1scaredmom]

Thank you sooo much for responding & answering my questions! So, let me see if I understand....the endo x is 'preformed' the same way as the bi-opsi i had with the colposcopy, but instead of just a 'sample' of the tissue, they 'remove' the abnormal tissue they see?
If courious, my colposcopy was 'unnecessarily' lengthy & painful. My Dr.'s office is a 'teaching' office also. They asked me if I minded if "Dr. so-n-so" did the proceedure verses "Dr. so-in-so". I really didn't care 'which' Dr. did it, as long as they would just get to it & get it over with! After the 1st Dr. dug around for a while, making my cervics look like hamburger (they had a camera in there so I could see) but there was so much blood, I couldn't make anything out. Aparentley the Dr. couldn't either & was embaressed to admit it. Finally, the 'experienced' Dr. took the scope from him & had a sample of tissue in about 5mins.
The Endo x, the Leep '&' the colposcopy all sound like the same thing. To take a 'sample' to be sent off for eval. So, which of these, if any, are the 'final' proceedure to get it 'all' out? Or is 'any' of them designed to do that?
I'm going to be here Friday or Saturday looking for you. I will be thinking of you & praying its quick & as painless as possible for you!!! :) Good luck!!!! :)
Until Then...Teresa

[cherylg]

Hi,Teresa (and everyone else!)
Had the LEEP done on friday - no big deal, a little pinch here and there but no real pain at all and it was over very quickly - just waiting for the results to make sure the entire lesion was removed. I also have DUB (dysfunctional uterine bleeding )which my doctor says is premenopausal and completely unrelated to the dysplasia so now she's treating me for that. She suggested the Mirena IUD but I've read horror stories about it on line and I'm not sure about it, then she suggested the cryosurgery but I know someone who had it done and it only lasted about 2 years so for now I opted to take low dose birth control - at least I can stop that right away if it doesn't work and it will give me a little more time to think about my other options. Getting really tired of all this though! Cheryl

[Buster02]

I have been reading about your experience with abnormal pas and hpv. I have been diagnosed with the same thing. beginning in 9-07 my gyno diagnosed mild dyspasia and positive hpv. she recommended a colposcopy then and i was scared to death and asked for a second opinion. thinking it was premature to go directly to a colposcopy. the dr was offended and recommended i go to another doctor. Since then I have been going to another docotor and have had 4 abnormal paps consecutively since 10-07. My doctor attempted to do and endo (inside) cervical pap test but said that my cervex opening was closed off and could only do the exo (outer cervical pap) the last one in 1-09 confirmed abnoprmal pap with mild dyspasia and positive HPV.
Now THE DOCTOR SAYS I SHOULD HAVE THE COLPOSCOPY.. GEEZZ.. I should have had it done over 1 yr ago when my first doctor recommended it. I hope i didnt wait too long and I have not advanced to precancerpus stage... Please share any experience you may have with this..
Concerned..

[cherylg]

If your last pap still says mild dysplasia it doesn't appear to have advanced too much - dysplastic cells are basically precancerous which is why I had the LEEP done - it doesn't mean they will develop into cancer but I didn't want to take the chance - during the LEEP my doctor removed the entire lesion ( I only had one small area) - she called a week later to say the margins were negative which means the entire lesion was removed. There's no guaranteed it won't happen again but at least it's gone for now and I don't have to sit around waiting to see if they developed into intermediate or severe dysplasia. I had no problems with any of the procedures either.