Happy LLETZ Story

I had my LLETZ under GA yesterday.

I had already had four punch biopsies taken, after which I felt awful. I felt like I had been violated and could feel I had been 'messed around with' down there. I bled so heavily for four days that I had to sit on towels and dash to the bathroom every hour.

This in mind, I was expecting a similar if not worse experience following the LLETZ. I was also terrified of waking up from the GA confused and ill, as I have from previous anaesthetics.

The worst part of all of it was getting anaesthetised, I have very tricky veins and in the end the canula had to be put in the underside of my wrist which was incredibly painful with no local anaesthetic as I cannot have those.

I woke up and felt a little confused for all of 1 minute, but quickly got my bearings and there was a nurse stood beside my bed as I woke who gave me a while to gather myself and then said hello. I was able to ask for my glasses and once I could see, I quickly felt much more awake.

I remembered reading somewhere that the oxygen helps clear out the effects of the narcotics given with GA, so I made sure to take loads of really deep breaths through the oxygen mask I was wearing.

After a while a nurse came back and asked if I was in pain, I wasn't but she said to tell her if I was.

At first I couldn't feel my arms or legs, but as sensation came back I did start to feel uncomfortable so they gave me some painkillers through my IV and then 10 minutes later some more. After 20 mins any pain was almost gone and it just stung a tiny bit. My wrist where the canula was still in for the IV hurt more than anything else.

I could see the wall clock, so I know I was in recovery for around an hour. Within 45 minutes I felt completely awake. I was then taken to the day surgery unit to eat and drink and use the toilet, where they let my partner come in to see me despite the rules saying he couldn't, as I was the youngest patient there by far and they seemed to feel a bit sorry for me.

After food and drink, I left and came home.

Today, I am not even bleeding and the pain is very very minimal. I've been taking co-codamol to be safe but I've only had to slightest pain when I sit at the wrong angle.

I intend to work from home tomorrow, and go back into my office on Friday!

If anybody is at all worried about the procedure, I would say please don't worry at all. It was not as awful as I anticipated and just 24 hours later after a good sleep I feel much better than I did after my biopsies! (Though of course still milking the fact that HE has to cook dinner tonight as I'm recovering).

I'm glad to hear a positive story. I had my first routine smear (26) which was abnormal (high-grade dyskaryosis) went for a colp but treatment was deferred until after holiday been for my loop under LA today and although uncomfy I am literally sitting waiting for the horror to begin!!! Iv heard so many horror story's about how I'm going to have horrific bleeding an how it will probably be cancer. I also don't know what to do about work tomorrow it's an office job but lists of stairs an thinking I should maybe take tomorrow?

Hey Mell

I went back to work today for a half day. The stomach cramps have really set in yesterday (around 48hours after procedure). I worked from home yesterday but made a lot of mistakes and concluded I am not recovered from the general anaesthetic yet. This morning a friend drove me to work and then bought me home at lunch just so I could say hi to everyone and do my annual review with my boss.

I would say today (Friday, LLETZ was Tuesday) I wouldn't be worried about stairs and the 4 flights of stairs to my flat don't seem to be making things any worse. But I definitely wouldn't have been able to stay sitting in my hard office chair all afternoon as well.

Still no bleeding... I've had discharge but that's all. Like you am just waiting for the horror to begin and thinking I can't have gotten off this lightly! They must have done an amazing job sealing the wound