Hi Ladies, I went in for my yearly Pap test wicth have always been normal now and the results were : I had abnormal cells ,pre cancerous "low-grade Dysplasia"(=Cervical cancer?) The more I look into this the more I'm getting scared ! I need another test to confirm it . My appt. isn't for 3 weeks and I just want this over with !Has anyone experienced this ? Thank- You , Karen
Karen,
RELAX. It doesn't mean cervical cancer now-- it just means the cells could turn into cancer down the line without treatment. Most times they will do a simple biopsy of the tissue and then if needed do a LEEP or cone biopsy. This gets all of the abnormal cells out. Then you have a pap every 3 mos for a year to make sure everything is ok. Its really good that you got a pap-- undiagnosed is the most risk..so try not to worry. I know its hard to not know, but worrying won't help. I went through it and now my paps are back to normal. Good luck to you!~
Molly
Hi Karen
it's low grade which means no alarms.. don't let them talk you into a cone or leep treatment BEFORE you try going an alternative route such as changing your diet (if need be) get your body more alkaline (most people are acidic due to eating too much processed and cooked food) try getting more green leafy veggies into your diet. there is a TON of info on the net with regard to cancer (although this isn't cancer) but you can attack it as though it is ... From all that I have read, I truly believe you can help turn this around simply by changing your diet. again, the docs might say, oh get a biopsy , cone or leep.. I would try and really do some research before you let someone cut into you...
oh and yes, I have had dysplasia .. and high grade for which they did both a cone treatment (which didn't get all) therefore, they ended up doing the leep procedure .. which wasn't fun as it's a wire with an electrical current.. the current can jump and ZING your skin...
anyway.... if I knew then when I know now.. I'd have tried a much more naturpathic approach..
best of luck to you in whatever you decide..
I am 56 and went through the same experience as Molly. Now, after 1 yr of repeated pap smears, a biopsy and then the LEEP which was NOT at all that uncomfortable because you are numb. I thought the biopsy was more uncomfortable but my OB/GYN was thoroughly taking biopsy of multiple areas. I have had my first clear pap smear following the LEEP 6 mos ago. From what I understand, it's not uncommon for women our age. I also use alternative medicine, accupuncture, eat mostly raw organic foods and am vegetarian. You can contact me personally if you want. You can always consult another OB/GYN if you're not satisfied. Best wishes to you.
Hi Karen,
I was diagnosed with Dysplasia about 20 years ago. I was just 20 years old but we did have a family history of cervical cancer. I underwent cryo surgery to treat it. (cryo surgery is when they freeze your cervix) It is not painful just severe cramping during the procedure. The recovery was about 4-6 weeks. Thanks to God, I have had a clean bill of health ever since and I am now 40 years old with children. It is good they caught your pre-cancer early on. I know it is difficult not to worry but hope I can ease your fears a bit. Take care and God bless,
anna
Hi Karen,
I don't know about dysplasia. But I do know that some cancers are due to fungus, virus, bacteria and parasites.
I did recent research on vaginal infections, including the kind that cause vaginitis due to a protozoa or a fungus that won't be cured by normal prescription medicine. There was evidience that these infections would clear up by using boric acid, in a 00 caplet, inserted every night for 6 months. (boric acid is anti fungal, anti bacterial.) Just an idea to try until you go back for a second opinion.
Try not to worry, God is with you.
my pap didn't come back abnormal, but I was having some issues with my periods, I am 48, but the uterine biopsy came back positive for pre-cancerous tissue, they put me on hormones and the second test (after three months) came back normal so don't worry so much. and cervical cancer is not as bad as uterine.
I will keep you in my thoughts
I had an abnormal pap at my 2 week appointment after I had my daughter. The docs did multiple paps (every 3 months I believe) for a year. They then found a small growth on my cervix and did a cone biopsy. I had Cryo surgery two months later. It wasn't horrible, just cramping during the freezing. I got pregnant 3 months later, had a slightly higher risk pregnancy, which resulted in a healthy baby boy. I have had clean paps ever since.
BTW my daughter turned twelve in January.
Stress makes everything worse so try not to worry. It was caught early making the chances of everything being simple to get rid of higher.
Hi Karen. I can understand your concern. I had a similar test result a few years ago. The next step, as I recall, was a confirmation followed by a procedure called a colposcopy, in which abnormal cells are "shaved off" the cervix. Then annual follow-ups are more than advised. You'll be fine. Try not to worry.
Hi Karen,
I have had this result after a Pap in my past. When I had this, the doctor used a procedure called a "leap" to laser-remove the cells from my cervix - it was an in-office procedure - I don't even recall having to use pain meds. Of course, this is very scary and I was terrified at the time - from the procedure and the dianosis. The doctor will remove the offending material and you will be as good as new. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions for you. Take it easy and don't read too much of the internet information - it can be terrifying...
Hey there, Karen
I had multiphasic dysplasia 19 years ago (at 24) after the birth of my first son. Went from stage 1 to stage 4 and had the "cryo" surgery. I did not feel any cramping, was told it would be an "in and out" procedure, and then had a very difficult response to what felt like an assault on my body. Lost tremendous amount of weight, could barely walk a block, and was told not to have any more children. That I would probably need bed rest the entire time in addition to a difficult childbirth. (The first had been 32 hours of intense labor with pitocin - dilation was minimal until the end.)
To make a long story short my sister made a comment about how cancer had to do with being "stressed" that made me realize that that was me. (Who wouldn't be with a newborn and minimal support and other issues!) Take a look around you. What needs to slow down?
Tried to slow down, and breathe. Doctors were shocked that stage 4 went to nothing - continued with pap smears for a LONG time and seven years later gave birth to son #2 without bed rest (just a long labor - 27 hours and no pitocin). At 39 had a hysterectomy because the labors had been so difficult I now had a prolapsed cervix. But that's another story.
Get information. Ask questions. Breathe and slow down. You deserve it. Me - I'd go get a massage. Savor each moment.
The best to you.
My 28 year old sister has gone through this twice. I'm not sure about the exact name it was given but it is pre-cancerous cells from most likely an HPV virus. After her pap is abnormal, a scrape of the cells is performed. The doctor sctually scrapes the are where the abnormal cells are located to remove them. At one point, she had a punch biopsy done. I think that was more painful than the scrape. Anyhow, the 'scrape' causes her to bleed for about a week or two and it's more annoying than painful. The doctor is keeping an eye on it and making sure that it doesn't progress. I think pre-cancerous cells are more common than once believed and just because the cells are pre-cancerous doesn't mean that they are or will be cancer.
Hi Karen,
First of all... relax! There is nothing to be scared about. You are getting it treated at the first stages and this is good! I had exactly the same thing about 7 years ago. First of all your doctor is going to check with another pap just to make sure you did not get a false positive. If in fact it is positive there are a variety of treatments they will use to kill the cells. First, they are going to do a Cone biopsy. That is where they freeze and remove the cells that look cancerous from your cervix. If all comes back as normal, they stop there. If not, they will do a procedure (can't pronounce it or spell it) I think it's call an episcopacy. Any way this is where they will get a little more aggressive and remove the tissue with a knife. This procedure is a little uncomfortable and does require some sedatives. I had a friend come with me, as I took some Valium and didn't want to drive! Both these procedures where done in my drs office. After that, they are going to want to monitor you, you'll have to go in every 3 months for a pap. They do this for 2 years, and if all is negative, then the 3rd year you go to 2x a year, and back to yearly exams.
Really, don't worry. You have caught it at the very early stages. This is why it is so very important to have regular exams. I'm sure with the recommended treatment from your doctor you will be just fine!
I wish you all the best!
Karen, I had that when I was 22 & what they did back then was a freezing and I've never had a bad pap since.
It should be ok , try not to be too worried.
Regards,
Donna
Mild dysplasia often clears up on its own, and I personally would do increased check ups before I went with more aggressive treatment. At one time they were doing leeps (not sure of spelling) on anyone and everyone who had dysplasia, but I believe the standard of care of mild dysplasia is more of a "wait and see" type of thing. As I am NOT a MD, this is just what I would do. If you do have a MD who is looking at taking things more aggressively, make sure you get a second opinion as well.
The good news is, regardless of treatement or "wait and see", mild dyplasia is VERY common and many, many women have had it at one point.
Hi Karen,
I had the same diagnosis 20 years ago. My doctor did a cone biopsy and removed the area with abnormal cells. It was an in office procedure and wasn't much worse than a pap, and didn't take very long. I have had normal paps ever since! Good luck!
I had the same thing about two years ago. i went in and they did a colpo they also did a biopsy. The next step was taking the cells. Which they did with a wond kind of scraping it out. That part didn't hurt because they gave me a local. I had to go back more often to make sure i was fine. Now everything is clear. But i do make sure i get my yearly check up for sure now.
If it's low grade, don't freak out about it. Did they give you a number? For low grade, they usually just freeze off or remove the abnormal surface cells in some fashion.
Don't worry.
Irregular pap smears can be caused by all sorts of things (sex the night before is one of the most common), that's why they need to re-do the pap. It could literally be nothing.
But because they (and you) need to be sure, they'll re-do it.
Don't get freaked out until you get a confirmation and you know that you need to be upset. Even then, you may have caught it soon enough not to be worried. Cancer is a very scary word, but it doesn't always mean chemo and other nastiness.
Last summer the dermatologist found a melanoma on my lower back. I was starting to get very worried (skin cancer?!!) when I found out that it was classified as stage 0 and that in most cases, when caught that early (and removed) there was such low re-occurance that I didn't need to do anything more than annual mole checks.
Hang in there and hope for the best.
Dear Karen,
I've been through this as well. It was before my daughter was born, so I believe I was around 22. It is kind of scary, but I had cryo surgery (freezing) and a pap test every 3 months for the first year, every six months for the second year and then just back to the annual tests. I never had an irregular pap after that. The procedure was done in the office and I did have some cramping, but it wasn't bad.
Try to relax and see what the next pap test says, then you can go from there. Dysplasia is more common than you'd think and is easily and successfully treated. I'm sure you'll be fine. Try not to worry too much about it for now.
Best of wishes!