Six weeks ago I got the dreaded letter confirming I had HPV and mild dyskaryosis. I immediately started to feel faint and started to cry. I had been through this 16 yrs ago. Again they were mild and I had them cauterised back then. My smears since had all been ok, except this last one.
About two weeks later I received my appointment for a colposcopy. It was about a 6 week wait.
Since receiving my appointment I’d been up and down. Had logical moments, but also had plenty of “what if” moments. For the last 3 days I’ve literally been counting down the days/hours. I just wanted to get it done and dusted, but obviously have an optimistic result.
Unfortunately my appointment wasn’t until 4:40 this afternoon, so it wasn’t a great day - I’d have much preferred an early appointment. But, we don’t always get what we want do we?
Anyway I’d asked my doc for something a few weeks ago to keep me calm for my appointment - he obliged. It definitely relaxed me. I arrived for my appointment and was given a really warm welcome by a friendly receptionist. Then I was introduced to one of the nurses that would be comforting me throughout the procedure. She too was really nice. I then met my colposcopist, again she was really nice. She explained what would happen and said we’d talk after the exam. I then was shown to a small room where I had to take my trousers and knickers off. I had to put a gown on and go back into the main room. I was then asked to sit in a purpose made “chair”. There are like loops attached to this chair for your legs. But it wasn’t uncomfortable. The speculum was inserted, then some dye put on my cervix, none of this hurt. Whilst the colposcopist was doing the procedure she told me she could see minor changes and that she was going to take 2 biopsies. These were as others have said “just like a little pinch” but afterwards something is put onto the cervix to stop them bleeding. This immediately caused tummy ache. The speculum was then removed - my procedure was over. I sat there for a few minutes just to calm down. I then got dressed and sat down with the colposcopist to go through things in a little more detail.
She said she was pretty certain it was CIN1 and if it was the case I would have to return for another smear in a year. I asked what about if it was CIN2/3 she said she really didn’t think it would be that, but, if it was then they would remove them, no problem.
I asked her, how often had she come across anyone that actually had cancer, to which she replied, in women that have regular smear tests, she very, very rarely has come across anyone with actual cancer.
I told her that was soooo positive and that’s really why I wanted to come on and leave my story.
Anyone with a colposcopy soon, no, it’s not the nicest of things, but I was in and out in just over 20 minutes. And it really is only a tad worse than a smear.
I’ve not had any discharge yet, but have had a painful tummy, but I took some pain killers and that is stating to feel a lot better now.
Good luck xx
