Question (re: abnormal Pap smear)

[Katherine Brengle]

Okay, my doctor's office just called and told me I need to go in for a test (a colposcopy) and maybe a biopsy because there was an abnormality in my Pap smear from 2 weeks ago...

I'm really scared--I was reading up on the procedure in Our Bodies, Ourselves, and the entire section was rife with the "c" word...

Anyway... I just wanted to know if anyone else has had something like this happen and what was the outcome?

[bleedingheart]

1. I had an abnormal one once...

it turned out to be nothing...just do all the followup stuff..

and good luck!!! try not to worry about it....

[Katherine Brengle]

2. I'm leveling off now, lol--

I was initially very creeped out, but I've been reading up and it sounds like for someone my age, it's highly unlikely that whatever it is, if it is anything, is untreatable.

So now I am mostly just annoyed that I have to go back...

[Bunny]

3. Oh, I've had a few abnormal paps.

Even had a colposcopy for one, and a cone biopsy for the next one. Turned out to be mild dysplasia, not really a big deal, to be honest. A few years later I had a hysterectomy, with removal of the cervix, so I don't think much about that anymore.

Chances are incredibly good that this will be nothing to worry about. Good luck! :hug:

[geniph]

4. I went through a spell of that in my 20's

There was a while there where ALL my pap smears came back bad. At one point, the results were bad enough that I had to have the colposcopy, cryosurgery, and a cone biopsy. Colposcopy is nothing to worry about - just a fancy piece of equipment to look a bit closer. They'll probably opt for cryo just to be on the safe side. You can expect to get some cramping when they do it, as they'll have to dilate the cervix. It's the aftereffects that suck - you'll drip for about six weeks afterward. I got diaper rash, I kid you not! It doesn't actually hurt, though. If they step you up to a cone biopsy, they frequently do that under general.

The main point I want to make here is that, 9 times out of 10, you have nothing to worry about. Maybe 99 out of a hundred. If there are dysplastic cells, an early pap usually catches them before anything's caused problems, and cryo gets rid of them. Cone biopsy can get even more.

I think the period when I was getting bad pap results lasted about 15 years, from my mid-20's until I was nearly 40. Since then, I've never had anything but normal results. The suck-ass part about it is that I was having to go in for pap rechecks every six weeks for a couple of years, then every six months for years after that. I couldn't go back to the once-a-year 10,000 mile boob & lube job until I was nearly 40.

Cancer is VERY unlikely if your paps have been regular, and even if it comes back stage IV, chances are very good that you've caught it early enough that nothing's spread. This is why we don't skip our pap smears, ladies!

:hug:

[noamnety]

5. I had an abnormal one, too

with the colposcopy thing. I thought it hurt, but I'm a huge wimp when it comes to those kind of cramps. Take painkillers beforehand, go home and have a stiff drink afterwards.

Mine turned out to be nothing, though they temporarily switched me to 6 month checkups.

[Warpy]

6. Sometimes they find the one abnormal cell in your cervix

and the next test will be clear.

It may be nothing. It may be something they caught quickly enough that they can treat it quickly and simply.

In other words, don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.