Well today has really knocked the wind out of my sails! Got the results today following my 6 month check after lletz for CIN3, the nurse I saw at the hospital said everything looked really good when she did my smear, aside from an ectropian that had caused me a few issues with bleeding she said I was well healed and looking good.
However my results have come back again as severe abnormalities, she said that even she was supprised by the results and it is most likley that the cells are from higher up the cervical canal rather than the surface, I had clear margins from the lletz so minimal chance it was anything left over from before. She has booked me back on the list for futher lletz but said it is more probable that I will have to have a cone under ga instead. My case will be reviewed with the consultant on thursday and she will ring me and let me know.
I hadnt stressed about results this time round and was feeling really positive so this has all come as a bit of a shock to be honest, my cin3 was extensive and when I got those results the nurse said 'I am not going to lie to you, it was really bad and you have had a close call' so now i am panicing that more has been lurking further up the cervical canal the whole time, if it has its had another 6 months to fester away!!!!
I am in the last few months of a degree course which is a really busy and stressful time anyway and would be interested to hear others experiences of having a cone done, the nurse said it would be a half day in hospital and obviously the ga will leave me a bit groggy but I was wondering what the recovery is like compared to having a lletz.
Despite the stress I am still thankful that it has been picked up.
I am so sorry to hear your news. I hope it is of some comfort to know that it is still just at the abnormality stage and is nothing more serious. I have no experience of the cone but I am sure you will get some reassuring advice from ladies who have gone through it and come out the other side. I can empathise with you totally - your timeline is very similar to mine (haven't got round to doing a signature thing) but I had CIN3 removed by LLETZ and am going for my 6 month follow up smear on Friday. All that initial anxiety is rearing its ugly head again and, pessimist (or realist?) that I am, I am preparing for there to still be abnormalities.
I know it is hard but try not to let the stress of this affect your studies. However, if it does get a bit overwhelming, don't be afraid to tell tutors if you need an extended deadline/extra time in exams etc - I am sure they will be understanding.
I currently want to look for another job but feel that I have to put this on hold until I know the results of my smear test - I don't know if this is sensible or stupid!
Be strong - remember all of these smears/LLETZ/cones, despite being a complete pain in the **** are done to keep us healthy and living long and happy lives. Hope all goes well, keep us posted!
Hi Niki, I had a Cone Biopsy under GA 13 years ago. I spent a day in bed but more because my husband made me LOL I was actually surprised at how little pain/discomfort I had, it was more the GA that left me feeling a little wiped out.
Thanks girls, I'm hoping if I have to have the cone it wont be too bad, the llets knocked me for six and it was 2 or 3 days before I felt anything like human, the procedure itself wasnt too bad but my body seemed to shut down a bit afterwards and a bit worried about the ga, not got a great track record with anesthetics.
The timing couldnt be worse to be honest with uni work, I'm studying photography so its all practical no exams but I have 3 modules to complete in the next 6 weeks with huge amouts of written work to submit too, little chance of extensions as everything has to be marked and then externally moderated before a certain date not to mention an exhibition to sort out too!!! to add to that my daughter is due to pop out a baby in the next too weeks so hoping my appointment doesnt clash with babysitting her older kids whilst she delivers my new grandaughter into the world. I havent realy told her much about what has been going on as I've not wanted to worry her too much during her pregnancy. Strange really as it was a random comment from her which led me to go for my long overdue smear in the first place
I had it done because the sample they took away during LLETZ showed squamous cell carcinoma and they need to check it hasn't gone any further up.
I was absolutely terrified about the procedure today. I didn't mind the LLETZ under LA too much, but I didn't feel too great after it - a bit weepy and sore, and I ended up getting sent home from work the next day. I was imaginging having the GA would be worse, but I was pleasantly surprised.
I hope I can put your mind at ease somewhat and say I worried so much for nothing! I remember having a nice chat with the anaesthetist and she told me she'd be sending me off to sleep soon, and I kept saying 'Please shake me and make sure I'm properly asleep before you do anything!' and then that's it. The next thing I knew I was waking up in the recovery :) I was terrified I was going to wake up and be feeling sick and groggy but I didn't, they didn't give me any morphine or anything of that nature (and don't think they routinely do) so I just felt sleepy and a bit loved-up!
The procedure itself took around 20 minutes (so I'm told) and when I woke up I felt a little bit of pain. It's very similar to period pains, or the feeling of being desperate for a wee. I'm bleeding a small amount, less so than when I had LLETZ done and the pain isn't any worse than when I had LLETZ.
The waiting is just horrible. I hope you're doing as OK as can be x
Thanks Suzieb, reassuring to know its no worse than the lletz, not being asleep properly really worries me, during my limited experience of having genarals I have woken up in the middle of a procedure and had 'cardiac distress' should make for an interesting conversation with an anethatist .
I hope your recovrey goes well, keep me posted how it goes
I had both my Lletz and cone biopsy done under GA. For the cone biospy I was in for a couple of days (one night). How quick you recover and need to stay really depends on how much they need to remove, if you bleed alot and how you manage with GA. Ask lots of questions to the Consultants so you know what to expect. I also needed an internal 'pack' to reduce bleeding, basically lots and lots of gauze and a catheter. A bit undignified but nothing awful really.
I only had period type pains and managed with paracetamol or co-codamol. I felt groggy and weak but it was totally managable (actually i was more groggy after the Lletz). I had 2 weeks off work in the end as my bleeding was too much to deal with at work, but that doesn't happen to everyone. Everyone feels different and it is classed as a fairly minor procedure, so i'm sure you will be fine.
Do plan for someone to be there to take you home after and keep an eye on you for 24 hrs though. I can't speak for your uni but mine would certainly take illness into account and adjust submission deadlines. Health comes first! :) On the day I was discharged the consultant signed me off work for 2 weeks and said the GP could extend this if i felt I needed more time to recover (i didn't). Once you are officially signed-off the Uni should help you out with extensions etc.
well its been a mixed day today, firstly my appointment arrived for colpscopy, 6 weeks off seems like forever to wait but I figured if they will leave me that long it cant be that urgent so i am probably panicing for nothing so felt a little better, it also means that my daughter will well and truly have had her baby by then and all my uni work will be finished too. Yay i thought, take a deep breath and keep calm, I can deal with this I thought.
So I get home from uni to discover that if baby hasnt made her own grand entrance by Sunday then they will induce her so excited to be a grandmother again, 10 mins later i get a phone call from the hospital. The nurse said that before the consultant will make a descision on my treatment he wants to see me again in clinic, I mentioned that I had got the appointment through so I would see her in 6 weeks, she was horrified by this and said we need to see you before then I will call you back. five minutes later she calls and says the consultant wants to see me on thursday!!! So from calming down to fereaking out in under 20 minutes. I'm desperatley trying to keep some perspective and hold on to my sanity now.
Best case scenario i have another lletz on thursday, just my life is so bonkers at the moment I dont know how I'm gonna fit in time to recover, worst case i dont even want to think about.
Hey, look at it from the positive side. You have a set of really proactive doctors and nurses making a real effort to get you seen quickly and treated quickly. Yes, the timing isn't great but the sooner its all over the sooner you can get on with getting better and enjoy the time with your grandchild.
Some people get stuck on waiting lists in the same circumstances, even when it would be better to be treated earlier. And the waiting is often the worst part. Being speedy doesn't instantly mean the worst, it can mean you are lucky to have a great medical team. I was treated really fast and I am so glad in retrospect. Call a colposcopy nurse at the hospital if you are worried and make a list of questions as they pop into your head. It sounds like they want you treated and better before it might progress to anything worse. That is a good thing :).
Also uni's often have free counsellors if you need to talk things over and un-burden your mind. It can be helpful to let all your worries out.
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