Hi
I used this site for advice along the way so I thought it would be useful to share my experience so far.
I'm 27 and had put off having a smear until August this year. The smear test itself wasn't as bad as I had imagined as I have a more than vivid imagination. It was uncomfortable but didn't hurt although I did bleed. Afterwards I breathed a sigh of relief and thought that would be it for a few years.
I soon received a letter to go for colposcopy as I had mild changes CIN1. Again I panicked like mad. The nurse was lovely. The only thing I find slightly painful is the speculum as I can't seem to relax enough for it to be comfortable. They said it looked like mild to moderate changes. Biopsies were taken which pinched a little bit however, again, it wasn't as bad as I thought. It lasted 5-10 minutes maximum. I bled a bit and it took longer to stop the bleeding than the actual colposcopy part took. I had a bit of period type pain that day and discharge for a few days afterwards.
The biopsy results came back as moderate to severe changes. Today I went for LLETZ treatment, however when the doctor looked at the area where the bad cells were, it was all around the edge of my cervix (he showed me on the screen). He said that due to my age and the fact I have not had children, he didn't want to perfom LLETZ as it would mean cutting a large area away. So rather than LLETZ, I had cold coagulation treatment which is basically a hot probe that burns away the cells rather than remove them. They told me this was just as effective as LLETZ. I was given local anaesthetic which to be honest did hurt when the needle went in. Squeezing the nurse's hand helped. This was the worst part for me as it contains adrenaline my heart rate went through the roof, my legs were shaking all over the place and I felt a bit light-headed! Once this had calmed down a bit, they did the treatment which was 3 x 60 second applications. The doctor said normally it would be 1 x 60 second application, but due to the large area that had to be treated it took slightly longer. I didn't feel anything, just a slight tummy cramping. Afterwards I had a little chat to the nurse as I was still a bit woozy from the adrenaline but then I was fine to go.
I felt fine for a couple of hours but now the pain has set in. It's like a period pain but I haven't had them in ages so I'm being a bit of a wimp about it!
I have to go back to the colposcopy clinic in 6 months for a follow-up smear.
I hope this has been useful as it is an honest account from a worrier :)
