This is my first post .. my story is quite lengthy and I've tried composing it several times but I gave up and realized that no one wants to read ALL of that. I imagine it's very possible that I might be posting in here a little more frequently and eventually get it all out there anyways. I guess I will just start in the middle as that where's my questions really seem to begin. I have so many more but I feel like I just need to start somewhere. The biggest question of mine being .. is it crazy for me to already think I have cervical cancer? ... but we will just start with the call that made me fall down the rabbit hole of researching my symptoms, HPV, and Cervical Cancer because I have a few questions in regards to that as well.
I recieved a call from my nurse on Thursday stating that I had an abnormal pap smear. She told me that I was HPV positive and that I needed to have a Colposcopy preformed. She seemed uncertain about my lack of alarm, which honestly alarmed me. I'm pretty good at maintaining my composure, plus I was at work and just simply trying to process the words that were coming out of her mouth. I know she said so much more than I remember. There was just something about the way she spoke to me that made me feel like it was serious. I had done my research in the past couple of months (again it's a long story) after having symptoms but it probably hadn't been enough research to prepare me for what questions I could or should have asked. I also assumed that she wouldn't be able to answer anything until after further testing. I'm no doctor .. but is there something that they can learn from a pap smear that they wouldn't have been able to see with the naked eye? Somthing that would create a strong reason for concern before preforming a colposcopy or sending in a biopsy? I just remember the doctor trying to reassure me and telling me that everything looked normal and good .. so much for that. I truly believe him in that he thought that I was stressing over nothing.
I am 27 .. I thought that a test to confirm HPV was only preformed on women over 30, unless they had an abnormal pap smear. Is that not accurate? Did my doctor truly test for HPV or did the nurse simply tell me that I had HPV becasue they have strong reasoning to believe this to be the case? When further testing is done, will they be able to tell me what strain I have?
Now .. on to the reason I believe it is cancerous. From my understanding there are several symptoms tied not to HPV but specifically to cervical cancer. I have been experiencing all of them except for longer menstrual bleeding and that is only because I am on the Mirena, so I don't bleed monthly. I have been known to spot occasionally but that is it. Well .. I have been having pelvic pains, cramps, change in bowels, leg pains, more tired than usual, drastic change in my discharge .. including bleeding. Also, I haven't had sex since my symptoms but right before my sypmtoms I was bleeding after sex. Basically, I'm miserable. So very miserable and I know my body well enough to know that something has just not been right. I feel more sick than I usually do. Just to clarify as well, I have been tested for Bacteria Vaginosis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Herpes, HIV, Hepatitis, and Syphilis .. and all results have come back negative. Also, I was put on Diflucan just incase it was a yeast infection but that did nothing to clear anything up. However, I'm very susceptible to infections apparently .. I get BV regualarly which only makes me more paranoid that maybe my body is less likely to fight an infection like HPV. Forgive me if I sound ignorant at all. Hopefully, I will learn more on Tuesday. There isn't enough reliable and solid information on the internet and this topic is not discussed nearly enough despite the need for EVERYONE to be educated on the subject. Also everyone's circumstances seem to differ, so directly asking a group of which might be more educated or experienced with HPV and Cervical Cancer seemed like my best bet. So ... am I crazy to think I have cancer?? Aren't those symptoms specific to cervical cancer or can HPV create all those issues with out any cancerous cells?
