colposcopy anxiety

Hi there,

I had my colposcopy today and found it very difficult. They wanted to remove the cells there and there but I was shaking and couldn’t relax enough. The thought of it all was traumatic and I just couldn’t deal with it. Having my legs in sturups was bad enough, I understand how important it is to do this but as someone with a history of sexual abuse as well as anxiety, it was all too much.

Luckily my doctor was amazing. After explaining my worried and the reasons behind my anxiety, he assured me that there was no rush and helped me get through the first part at least (where they insert the metal thing- not sure of the name). They were able to see into the cervix and apply the iodine etc to see of the abnormal cells. He says that there is only a small part that needed removing and it did not look to him like anything more sinister.

Instead of putting me through more discomfort, I am now having the LLET treatment tomorrow under GA. I am relieved not only that I will be asleep for it, but also that they were able to fit me in so quickly!

I wonder if my story is unusual or if other women have had similar experiences. I think I have probeby been a bit of a wuss, judging by the bravery of the women on this forum.

I am sore and bloated still after today but feel better knowing I may have just caught this in time.

Natalie

Hi Natalie

You are not alone J There is no shame in feeling stressed out and anxious. This is a very stressful and horrid time for any lady going through those tests and treatments.

I’m glad to hear you are getting your LLETZ under GA. Especially if you are feeling so anxious.

I regret I did not have mine under GA because I have found the procedure to be quite distressing, uncomfortable and painful. After reading through some of the stories I thought it would be rather similar to the smear test so I went in feeling less nervous then I thought I would be.

As soonest as I led down my legs started to shake and I felt like calling it quits! During the colposcopy they’ve found CIN2 and CIN3 and they went ahead and performed LLETZ under local anaesthetic. I was quietly crying through the whole procedure. There was such a build up of worry and stress that I felt somewhat relieved and yet uncomfortable and in pain in the same time.

LLETZ itself was very quick, nurses were great and after the injection I couldn’t feel much. I’m glad it’s all over and I’m now awaiting the results. Good news is that the doctor sounded quite positive that he didn’t see anything sinister. Remember to be kind to yourself and allow yourself to cry if you want to and to fuss over yourself as much as you want. Stay home for few days if you need to, under cosy blanket, watching your favourite shows, eating chocolate and resting plenty!  Hope everything goes well J

xx

Hi, 

I had the treatment under GA and overall the experience was far far better than I thought it would be. I was well looked after from start to finish and the last thing I remember was the kind anethasis saying "this will feel like a very strong gin and tonic" and I was out for the count. 

I woke up in no pain and holding the hand of a nurse I had apparently asked to hold their hand when I was coming round. Poor bloke- I hope he wasn't stuck clinging on for long! Very embarrassing! 

Anyway, I was obviously very drousy all day but the discomfort has been minimal. I feel a bit strange around my lower tummy and have experienced quite a lot of discharge (yellowy) but other than that, I am ok. I am sorry that you had a distressing time too. I think it us easy to underestimate the effect of this! I don't want to scare anyone reading this but to maybe suggest that they consider asking about their options beforehand if they suffer with anxiety or find smears paticularly stressful or painful. I really like your advice on being kind to ourselves. That is so vital and I think again, we shouldn't underestimate the importance of that either! 

Are you waiting to hear back from your biopsy now too? 

Fingers crossed for you J. 

Natalie xx

Thank you for your reply. It really helped me x