So about a month ago I went in for my first pap in about 15 years. I know that is totally irresponsible and negligent on my part. The only defense I have is that I live in America and the healthcare here is expensive, and all affordable options in my area are garbage.
Anyway, I am now 35 years old so they did a pap/hpv combo test. Turns out I have hpv (unsure of the specific strain/type) so my doctor and I scheduled a colposcopy. That appointment was last Thursday. She ended up taking 3 samples for biopsy and told me I’d know something in 7-10 days.
Today I received a phone call from her office and I knew immediately from the woman’s tone that she wasn’t about to give me good news. She told me that my biopsy shows that I have high grade dysplasia and that they want to schedule a follow up biopsy procedure. And this next part is where I kind of get confused...
She told me they want to do a LEEP biopsy. she told me that they have two procedure days a month where specialist come in to assist. The reason I have to schedule on one of these days is because I will be given general anesthesia and sleeping during the procedure.
From what I have been able to gather, it looks like LEEP usually involves local anesthetic and that the patient is awake the whole time.
The only thing I could find where the patient is sleeping during LEEP is because they are performing a cone biopsy using the leep tool.
Has anyone else had to do this?
Also, so far they have only been able to observe high grade dysplasia between my pap/hpv and colposcopy biopsy. Does this mean that I am in the clear as far as the presence of cancer goes or is the next procedure another way to diagnose cancer as well as find where the abnormal cells stop and normal cells begin (I hope that makes sense. I cannot think of the word I’m looking for)
thank you for reading. I hope someone can help me better understand.
I had general for both the Lletz and cone biopsy. I'm not sure if it's to do with how you were during the colposcopy, or how much they are taking - but apart from my anxiety they had difficulty carrying out the procedure whilst I was awake so decided to book me in under general.
When they do the procedures they are looking for clear margins - I've had two different procedures and unfortunately neither with satisfactory margins ... at no point have they said I have cancer - but they will be taking further biopsies when I have my hysterectomy.
I had both my lletz done under GA. The reason they did it under GA for me was because the area of abnormal cells extended right to the edge of my cervix and so the procedure was a little more difficult than if the cells are in the centre. They said GA would be more comfortable for me and easier for them to reach the area.
First of all, I wouldn't beat yourself up about not having a pap test...Yes, it is important and we don't realize it until it happens to us...I haven't had a pap test in 25 years, and I am a 50 year old woman...Stupid I know, but I look at it this way...I Thank God today that I went because it could have been worse, and the reason for me going was not for a pap test, it was to check on my fibroids I have, so it found by mistake...My doctor give me a complete blood count and found out I am severly anemic...He asked about my periods, I said yes they are heavy that I have fibroids (this was determined 3 years ago when I had two periods in a row and went to hospital and they give me a pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound, but no pap and found out I had fibroids)...I had heavy periods for the last 3 years and put it down to my age and the fibroids...So moral of my story is, my doctor sent me to a ob/gyn doc for a pelvic exam and transvaginal ultrasound to see if the fibroids were growing...Long story short, being the professional she is, she decided on more test and she give me a pap test, pelvic test, biopsy on uterus, and ultrasounds which leads me to today.
All the tests proved normal and I still have fibroids that have grown in 3 years, but my pap showed severe high grade cells which she sent me for a colposcopy and biopsy...I was shocked by that because I am not sexually active and I know it takes years for abnormal cells to turn to cancer, so I thought I was safe...Safe isn't the word, more like lucky..3 weeks after the results came in, I got a call that I was scheduled for a leep in 3 weeks time...3 weeks later, I went for the leep and my cervix was more abnormal then she thought, so she didn't do the leep and instead give me another biopsy and another pelvic test to feel around, I guess for lumps..She told me she was scheduling me for a cone biopsy (which I had yesterday under GA) along with a D and c to clean me out...When I went for the results of my previous biospies, she told me it was not cancer that it was a pre-cancer severe high grade...Now, I am just waiting for the results of my cone biopsy I had yesterday...But I am optimistic everything will be okay because with all the biopsies she done and test, I'm sure something would have been suspicious to her or shown anything cancer...Each time she took the biopsies, she took 3 different samples from the cervix each time..I hope everything goes well for you. Keep us informed.
