Greetings all,
This was a refreshing forum to stumble across. There seems to be an immense amount of support and shared personal experiences...a great community to be involved with.
So I'm 28, a fellow Commonwealth citizen from Canada, and I am just trying to make sense of this all without jumping to conclusions (a process I'm sure many of you are all too familiar with).
- December 2013: Last normal pap
I’ve had regular PAPS since I was 20 (4 or 5 total?), always normal! Until this summer when I unexpectedly found myself in stirrups while just casually discussing the copper IUD with my doctor, I guess an up-to-date PAP & STI swab are necessary for the prescription. Mind you, I got the IUD inserted before I got my PAP results, not sure if this will cause issues in terms of future treatment if needed.
- July 2015: PAP result ASC-H (abnormal squamous cells cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion), referred for a colposcopy...6 fun-filled weeks later.
I still cannot believe how alien the idea of cervical cancer was to me just 2 months ago. I knew nothing of dysplasia, how it progresses, and the role of high-risk strains of HPV, none of it. I never even really considered getting the HPV vaccination before. I guess I just had this unrealistic optimism about my susceptibility. So when the clinic left me a voicemail informing me of abnormal results, my heart dropped and I immediately assumed this meant cancer, err....not quite.
- Oct 2015: My first colposcopy + cervical punch biopsy. Doctor informed me of a small area of lesions. 3-4 weeks for results now.
I psyched myself out majorly pre-colp, especially after having my IUD inserted which was excruciating for me. I figured this would be comparable; however, it was quick and virtually pain-free. Buuuutt…I guess my body forgot to inform my brain of this seeing as how I fainted in the change room afterward (despite being asked twice in advance if I faint easily…”who me? Nahhh”).
So we wait… and in the process of waiting I think I’ve visited every website & read every scientific journal out there, just hoping one of them will give me a definitive answer without lumping me into some ‘likely’ or ‘highly unlikely’ statistic. I guess you could say that I’m scared….the symptoms of invasive cervical cancer are the same symptoms as a newly inserted copper IUD. I’m obviously experiencing these symptoms.
I don’t know what I want to ask here, I more so just want to ramble. I mean, how fast can CIN progress in 1 ½ years since my last normal PAP? A small area of lesions suggestive of HSIL? In 1 ½ years my cervix went from normal to having high-grade lesions on it? If further treatment is necessary, will I need to have the IUD removed?
That’s all for now. It’s late here. Thanks in advance for reading, I hope to hear from some of you soon.