Hello all, I’m brand new here because I have almost nobody to talk to (especially right now in the middle of the day. My husband is at work and I have not been able to get in contact with him…and I’m not sure I want to anyway while I’m in this state…), and I needed to reach out. It doesn’t seem as though there is a whole lot of activity in this section of the forum, but I’m really hoping one of you out there might be able to give a little reassurance, as I’m feeling so panicky right now about what I’ve just been told…
I got my most recent pap done about 3 weeks ago. I thought I was in the clear. The physical test revealed nothing but a larger than usual uterus, but that’s common for me because I have adenomyosis, which has been treated for the last 3 years since I found out about it. Then the phone call came. This just after I found out I would need a very expensive crown and possibly a root canal done on one of my molars - which exploded last week.
My doc had me come in, and luckily I was in the neighborhood and could rush over. She told me CIN3 was found, and that it was a long way from cancer, but that I would have to come in next Saturday for a biopsy, and then possibly a “conization” treatment. I have no idea what any of this means for me as of right this moment, and am in a sheer panic.
I’m not entirely unfamiliar with the idea of having some abnormal cells, as in the late 90s, I was given cryotherapy to freeze some off twice, and nothing has appeared since, in all these years. I’ve gotten pap smears yearly since. The best part is, I had my usual pap done last year this time, and nothing turned up at all. I’ve just been treated for the adenomyosis as usual. How did this happen so quickly? Should I be concerned that this might be more aggressive than normal, and might develop into cancer quickly??
Here are my major problems. Not least of all, I’m in Japan, and while my Japanese is not terrible, I’m not all that great with medical terminology just yet. My doctor can speak some English, and she tried her best to explain it to me in exactly the way I typed it here. No more detail than that. I do trust this doctor, though I don’t like that she said she’d need to send me to the hospital for a certain procedure…I think the cone biopsy. I’ve had bad experiences in hospitals around here, and am not looking forward to that, especially since I’ll have to go it alone, as always, because my husband works all day and late into the night, even on weekends.
Now the big problems - MONEY. How much is it going to cost for me to get the first biopsy, then the…cone biopsy? Is that the order this all goes in? I’m not terribly clear, but I think it’s because I’m in such a panic. Does the cone biopsy get rid of the cells, or is it just another diagnostic, and there’ll be another procedure I’ll need done after that?
I know nobody can tell me what it will cost in Japan, though we are on national insurance and have a decent plan. Just to get a ballpark idea (it can’t be that terribly different worldwide, I’d hope, where there is a national insurance system, can it?), are these biopsies and surgeries terribly expensive?? Manageable? Savings draining? I need to get some sort of idea, because I have a hugely expensive event coming up about mid-November. The ball has already started rolling, and I will need to see it through. It’s already costing money we saved for a long time to come up with, so I have to figure out how we’ll be able to arrange around this, how to pay for my treatment…On top of that, I’ve just had a molar explode, which is going to cost a small fortune (which I also only JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT TODAY…in fact, the call from my gyn came a half hour after I left my dentist’s office with the bad news…just…WHY???).
I’m an absolute wreck. From what I’ve been reading on this forum and others, it sounds like the time between diagnostic testing and removal of cells is slow going. When you have CIN3, is it safe to wait a month or two after getting the first biopsy done? November is quickly approaching, and I’m just wondering if I’m going to be able to plan it so that I can make my event (3 solid weeks in November of basically a boot camp type education intensive - nothing physical, though, just learning and testing), make sure that’s paid for, then go ahead and get the conization procedure that might be recommended to me. Does this sound reasonable to anyone? Possible? Too risky to wait it out? I read somewhere that it can take up to 10 years for CIN3 to develop into cancer, but…I really don’t want to bet on it. I want to get it taken care of as soon as possible, but I do worry that my financial situation at this moment is going to make things really tough. If I can just wait until December to get it all done, it would be such a relief…
I’m just so frightened. I don’t know how this could’ve developed to such a level in only a year’s time! I have had worse than usual back pain, but my doctor told me at the time of my pap a few weeks back that it was because my uterus was inflamed, and putting pressure on my spinal nerves…I really am fearing the worst. Especially with my history of this…even though I went so many years clear of any abnormalities! Why is this all happening at once, and right before one of the biggest events I’m going to be undertaking??..I hope someone here can relate. I just don’t know where else to turn. Thanks so much in advance. I really hope I might hear from anyone who might be able to guess at some answers, here. Any shot in the dark that might sound positive, I’ll be happy to grab on to!!! I just need some hope right now that it’ll be ok. I don’t even know how I’m going to break all of this horrible news to my husband tonight.
