Aa
colposcopy
Last year at my yearly gyny appointment my pap smear came back as abnormal. My ob wasn't worried and said oh we'll wait till next year and see if the cells are still abnormal. well...i had my appointment 2 weeks ago. I got a letter (yes a LETTER not even a phone call) and pamphlets today about colposcopies. My pap came back that i have possible cancerous cells. i'm freaking out. my mom had cervical cancer that was found right after i was born (i know cervical cancer isn't hereditary and i had twins 19 1/2 months ago) and i'm just so freaked out.
does coposcopies hurt? is it possible for me to have cervical cancer????? i'm only 24....i have a husband and kids...what if it's already spread if it is????
i'm so freakin paranoid!
does coposcopies hurt? is it possible for me to have cervical cancer????? i'm only 24....i have a husband and kids...what if it's already spread if it is????
i'm so freakin paranoid!
Pap smear came back abnormal so had colposcopy done. Now doctor calls and said the biopsy results don't match pap smear. Biopsy is normal and they want to start all over again! I want a second opinion. Has anyone else ever experienced an abnormal pap smear but normal biopsy later?
Don't worry too much. Once they find out what it is, they can treat you asap. Leading to cancer does not mean it will happen. If you left it untreated then yes but you are taking care of it. Look on the bright side...what if they had missed it? Stay strong and take one step at a time. Do not jump ahead of yourself. It's the "what if" that will worry you sick. ONE STEP AT A TIME :)
with this pap smear they did testing to find out what exactly it is. and from the letter i got it's LSIL low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. which according to them it's an abnormal change in certain cervical cells and can/ usually does lead to cervical cancer. (i have no idea if that's right. i've been looking online and some things say yes that leads to cancer and others say no it doesn't...so thanks google. lol) i actually did switch doctors. this is the new doc. which i like...so far. i mean they were quick to get me scheduled.
i did call and they said there could be some discomfort so any nonasprin based pain reliever is fine. (i.e. ibprofin so yay for that).
i have been having mild cramping b/w periods for the past year...i didn't think anything of it but....i don't know now. i do know i have some ovariain cysts. (i had full bodied mri done a few years ago when i broke my hip and they found them.)
i'm just so freaked out. i've never had to deal with anything like this.
i did call and they said there could be some discomfort so any nonasprin based pain reliever is fine. (i.e. ibprofin so yay for that).
i have been having mild cramping b/w periods for the past year...i didn't think anything of it but....i don't know now. i do know i have some ovariain cysts. (i had full bodied mri done a few years ago when i broke my hip and they found them.)
i'm just so freaked out. i've never had to deal with anything like this.
I forgot to mention, if I were you, I would change dr.s. Things like this should not be taken lightly. You should have been treated the first time around, not waited a whole year to see if it goes away on it's own. Now I'm not saying this to worry you, it's just that my first dr noticed some abnormality and told me it was nothing to worry about. I had to change dr.s because we moved to another state. I had to go see my new dr because of a yeast infection and she was the one that diagnosed me. I'm just glad that it was caught on-time. Needless to say I was very upset with my first dr. Abnormal paps don't mean something is worng for sure, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
Let me know if you have any other questions, I'll be happy to help :)
Let me know if you have any other questions, I'll be happy to help :)
I'm pretty surprised that your dr. didn't take care of it right there and then the first time. That being said, the majority of abnormal Pap smears are not caused by cervical cancer. The more likely cause of abnormal Pap smear results is inflammation or a vaginal infection.
Pap smear can only screen for potential problems, not diagnose them, your dr may want to take a closer look at your cervix to determine the cause of your abnormal Pap smear results. He/she will perform an examination called a colposcopy. Don't worry about the pain. This procedure is pain free.You are positioned on the examination table like you are for a Pap smear, and an acetic acid (such as common table vinegar) is placed on the cervix.
Your physician will use a colposcope -- a large, electric microscope that is positioned approximately 30 cm from the vagina -- to view your cervix. A bright light on the end of the colposcope lets the gynecologist clearly see the cervix.
During the colposcopy, the gynecologist focuses on the areas of the cervix where light does not pass through. Abnormal cervical changes are seen as white areas -- the whiter the area, the worse the cervical dysplasia. Abnormal vascular (blood vessel) changes are also apparent through the colposcope. Typically, the worse that the vascular changes are, the worse the dysplasia.
If your physician can view the entire abnormal area through the colposcope, a tissue sample or biopsy is taken from the whitest abnormal areas and sent to the lab for further evaluation.
The procedure showed that I had precancerous cells present (cervical dysplasia). I was 25 at the time. I had to get a biopsy done before the diagnosis which was a little uncomfortable. It felt like a very sharp pinch, but it was over quick.
After my diagnosis, I was scheduled for cryosurgery (cryotherapy).
This is a treatment that freezes a section of the cervix. Cryosurgery of the cervix is most often done to destroy precancerous cells.
Cryosurgery is done only after a colposcopy confirms the presence of abnormal cervical cells. Cryosurgery is not a treatment for cervical cancer.
It was pretty uncomfortable to be honest. I felt tons of pressure in my belly and some cramping. But it was over in a few minutes. this was all done in 2004. My paps have been normal since then.
But like I mentioned above, colposcopy is a diagnosis procedure and will not hurt. I wish the best for you.
Pap smear can only screen for potential problems, not diagnose them, your dr may want to take a closer look at your cervix to determine the cause of your abnormal Pap smear results. He/she will perform an examination called a colposcopy. Don't worry about the pain. This procedure is pain free.You are positioned on the examination table like you are for a Pap smear, and an acetic acid (such as common table vinegar) is placed on the cervix.
Your physician will use a colposcope -- a large, electric microscope that is positioned approximately 30 cm from the vagina -- to view your cervix. A bright light on the end of the colposcope lets the gynecologist clearly see the cervix.
During the colposcopy, the gynecologist focuses on the areas of the cervix where light does not pass through. Abnormal cervical changes are seen as white areas -- the whiter the area, the worse the cervical dysplasia. Abnormal vascular (blood vessel) changes are also apparent through the colposcope. Typically, the worse that the vascular changes are, the worse the dysplasia.
If your physician can view the entire abnormal area through the colposcope, a tissue sample or biopsy is taken from the whitest abnormal areas and sent to the lab for further evaluation.
The procedure showed that I had precancerous cells present (cervical dysplasia). I was 25 at the time. I had to get a biopsy done before the diagnosis which was a little uncomfortable. It felt like a very sharp pinch, but it was over quick.
After my diagnosis, I was scheduled for cryosurgery (cryotherapy).
This is a treatment that freezes a section of the cervix. Cryosurgery of the cervix is most often done to destroy precancerous cells.
Cryosurgery is done only after a colposcopy confirms the presence of abnormal cervical cells. Cryosurgery is not a treatment for cervical cancer.
It was pretty uncomfortable to be honest. I felt tons of pressure in my belly and some cramping. But it was over in a few minutes. this was all done in 2004. My paps have been normal since then.
But like I mentioned above, colposcopy is a diagnosis procedure and will not hurt. I wish the best for you.
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