Doctors have called...

Nutbag · Jan 31, 2008 8:37AM

I have had a call from my doctor today to say that I have an abnormal result on my smear test and need to go for a coloscopy ( sp?). She was all for hustling me off the phone without explaining anything but I managed to keep her on long enough to say that some of my cells are abnormal and need to be looked at in more detail.

Needless to say I am a bit freaked out by this. Has anyone else been through this and what can I expect from here?

Please help, I'm feeling a bit panicky. Thanks xx

agatec · Jan 30, 2008 12:51PM

Hi,

I have been through this a few years ago!! The nurse should have stayed on the phone to explain properly as it can be really frightening!

A colposcopy just allows the doc to get a closer look at the cervix. I had something called a loop excision as well to remove some abnormal cells from the area. It was all done under local aneasthetic. Abnormal cells are cells which have the potential to be cancerous. They are not cancerous now, and they may never be, but they remove them just to be on the safe side.

It also means afterwards you'll prob be monitored a bit more closely, I have had to have a smear every year for 4 years since but it's good your being kept more of an eye on. Prevention is better than cure!

Clare x

Nutbag · Jan 30, 2008 1:00PM

Thanks for your reply Clare and the explanation. That helps me to be a bit less worried by it.

Am am so annoyed by my doctor - she is sooo crap and when I asked her to explain it she just said I should make an appointment to see her if I have concerns. When she rang she said 'you need a referral as your results are abnormal - which hospital do you want to go to?'

I would have thought it was her job to explain to people what it entails and whether or not to worry! Makes me mad!!

Anyway, thanks again for your reply, I'm going to make an appointment asap but as af reared her ugly head yesterday on cd 24 (and yes, now I'm paranoid the early bleeding is connected to spurious 'problems'!!) I'll have to wait until next week before I can go.

I also had a bleed last week out of the blue - just some bright red blood, only one time for no apparent reason. Could this all be connected?

Sorry I'm rambling but my brain is whirring with the worry and making all these connections!

Thanks xx

Tarotwitch · Jan 30, 2008 2:25PM

Hi hun.
I had this 11 years ago. Please don't panic, the whole point of smears is that they catch anything that could be nasty early.
A colposcopy is a minor invasive procedure that will involve taking a biopsy from your cervix (if your really lucky your gyne will let you watch on a screen like mine did) (wasn't i the lucky one.lol)
They send it off for tests then if you need treatment you will go back. I had to have a freeze treatment. I won't lie to you it wasn't very pleasant and i had really bad cramps for a few days afterwards.
You will then embark on a 6 monthly cycle of smears for 3 years. Unless like me you fall pg during that time.
I have a happy ( i say this with caution as he got dumped today by some skanky little b**** in his year. GRRRRRR!) healthy son.

Take care babe and try not to worry too much.
Caroline.x

gypsy-57559 · Jan 30, 2008 5:11PM

Hey you, don't panic - I had that a few years back and had to go to the hospital for another smear, which then confirmed I needed a colposcopy which I had by laser I think.

It wasn't horrendous, though I got cramps for a while afterwards too.

I have to have a smear each year for 8 or 9 years - this is year 4 I've just worked out

EmmaQ79 · Jan 30, 2008 6:19PM

Hi there,
Please don't worry. I went throught the exact same thing at the start of december. I had CIN1 and CIN2 just means I had varying degrees of abnormality. The colposcopy is a smear but more detailed. The doc will squirt dye up and in and this shows up any abnormal cells. I had mine removed there and then by some sort of biopsy-think it was the lop thing.

I had cramps for the rest of the day but that was it. I know what you mean by the bleeding. Some times the abnormal cells can be like erosion and I had bleeding at weird times. But I must say I haven't had a days abnormal bleeding since I had the treatment!! So its really good! The doc told me that these were cells that had the potential to develope in years to come into something more agressive. But thats why we have smears to catch the cells before they become sinister!

Please dont worry. Its a good thing that they've been found!!

Em
xx

littlem · Jan 31, 2008 6:07AM

I had this 2 years ago and had CIN3 and had a colposcopy and a biospy then the LEEP Proceedure (removes the cells from the neck of the cervix). Its not nice but it better to have it than let them develop. I went back for another colposcoy 6 months later and now I have smears every year and everything is fine. We were ttc before I found out and I would have lots of random bleeding which is why I went and ha it done and then I got the results, so at least you are being dealt with now... I have a question though if anyone knows... can the recovery affect the ttc as I have been ttc now for 31 months with this in the middle??? Good luck honey it will be fine and you are just freaking out like we all do xx

Moominmummy · Jan 31, 2008 6:26AM

Hi Nutbag, I've had this twice in the last 7 years too. As the others say, basically you go into the hospital. Unfortunatley you normally ahve to get your legs in the stirrups, then they use a speculum like in a normal smear, squirt some liquid in and then put in a small camera to have a look at the cells - I also had the great pleasure of being able to see on screen what's going on! So at this point it's no worse than a smear (except with the embarassment of having your legs in stirrups and seeing your intimate bits). On both my occasions, they removed the cells there & then and sent them off for analysis. Both occasions they came back fine. Then I just had to go back for smears annually - finally back to every 3 years now - yay!
My only bit of advice is take a sanitary towel as if there's any slight bleeding (more like spotting) afterwards, the hospital will give you one & they're like those ancient ones that are 3cm deep - like a nappy!!!
I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about.
Also littlem, I'm not totally sure, but at my first colposcopy I was told that it wouldn't affect any chances of conceiving in the future. x

Nutbag · Jan 31, 2008 6:32AM

Thank you all so much for your replies, it makes me feel much better to know how normal this is. I had a chat with dh about it last night and he reassured me as well about how it was good to catch these things early and it was probably nothing. This morning I have had a chat with the consultant who will be doing the procedure next week and he is absolutely lovely so I feel very reassured. He also has a website which he told me to look at which has a lot more information about the colposcopy and was really helpful. I shall definitely take the opportunity to ask him some ttc related questions too (bit cheeky but I figure that as he is a gynaecologist then I may as well while I'm there!)

So I'll ask him about whether the Leep thing could have an effect Littlem and let you know.

Thanks again for your help everyone - what would we do without this site??

Nutbag xx (a bit more nutty than normal!)

P.S. Caroline your post really made giggle - hope your son is getting over his broken heart!!

lisajt2 · Jan 31, 2008 6:43AM

Hi,

As the other girls have said try no to worry.

Last year I suffered with post coital bleeding which gradually got a lot worse. My consultant told me it was more than likely as a result of being on the pill for a long time which had thinned the lining of my womb. He did a colposcopy in July and carried out the freezing treatment at the same time. By my wedding in Aug I was fine and got all clear. I came off the pill in December and I'm now 5 weeks pregnant.

My consultant told me that the procedure and treatment is quite common.

Lisa x

Nutbag · Jan 31, 2008 6:47AM

Thanks Lisa and congratulations on your bfp - wow you managed that really quickly, you must be delighted! xx

lisajt2 · Jan 31, 2008 7:08AM

Thanks, we were really siprised it happened so quickly! Good luck with it and let us know how you get on

xx

lucy_spoon · Jan 31, 2008 7:10AM

Hiya, This happened to me only last October....i actually had carcinoma in situ (cancer that hasn't spread) & they managed to get the blasted cells during a colposcopy! It wasn't the best experience but they did get rid of it which made me feel alot better. Can i suggest that you try www.jotrust.co.uk....its a forum which really really helped me. One thing i am going to prepare you for (& seriously the hosp does NOT prepare you for) is the waiting time....if they take away the cells from your cervix they send them away to the biopsy dept where in a couple of weeks time you receive a letter if they are all ok....if they are not they will give you a call!! this waiting time is not nice & as you can imagine many things go through your mind! (sorry if i have scared you...but believe me jotust will help you) They did have to take a bit of my cervix away (but remember my cells were cancerous...i'm sure yours will be fine) I will have to get a temporary stitch put in when (& if) i get pregnant!!
I have to have smears for 3 years every 3 months & then 6 monthly after that!! oh is great being a a woman

)
xxxx

Nutbag · Jan 31, 2008 8:37AM

Thanks for your reply Lucyloo, sounds like you went through it a bit but I'm glad it's all sorted now. It's best to be realistic about the process so I would rather know about the wait (and any other nasty details).

Yes being a woman really does stink sometimes. Hopefully it will all be worth it when we are finally pregnant! xx

Doctors have called...

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