I had the ‘frozen cone’ in the early 1990’s.
It was cancer, they got it all in that procedure.
I hurt like hell for four days. Thank GOD For
Girlfriends with Xanax and Codein, because the Advil
the Doctor told me to take didn’t touch the pain!.
And I am NOT a sniveller. Make SURE the Doctor will
control ANY pain that may arise. Once you’re sure that the pain is not an issue, the procedure is routine,
which you should sail through. Get it done and get it over with! I was glad I did. I know you are worried sweetie!
All women feel the same worry. The anxious waiting. Say your prays. Have Trust. And have someone strong DRAG you
physically across the parking lot like I had to have. And I
was cussing and screaming,and fighting to get loose, all the way. But, my CANCER is now gone. Time for another PAP
I had an abnormal smear, and had to have a colposcopy. The gynae determined that the cells were “pre CIN1” - they use some scale of CIN1-4 where 1 and 2 are fairly minor and can be frozen off etc, only 3 and 4 require more extensive surgery - and no further action was needed for me. I had another smear a year later and all was fine.
I’m due for the next one now, and am dreading it as always. Though I’m dreading it less since I had a full eye exam where they dilate your pupil with eye drops so it can’t contract, then shine a light in it. I cannot describe how appalling that was, it was unspeakable. So despite the fact that a smear is always uncomfortable, painful and generally unbearable, at least I have something to put it in perspective with.
And I have also heard (from my doctor!! not a factoid) that many women regularly alternate between abnormal and normal for year after year, test after test, without it ever developing beyond that.
You are not wrong, Cranky, but usually if they need to take that close a look, they’re going to take a biopsy at the same time, which is why people associate colposcopy as a biopsy.
Also, for the record, conization and LEEP are two different things. LEEP is the elctro surgical thingy (where they burn off a portion of your cervix), the cone biopsy goes deeper than the LEEP.
Beadlin, they will use (for the actual biopsy) a long instrument that almost looks like a hole punch (but a much much smaller hole), which is why you’ll sometimes here it called a “punch biopsy”. They didn’t give me anything prior to the procedure (for pain control) and it wasn’t that bad. When they take the biopsy you’ll feel a bit of cramping as well as some (worse for me) after. It’s uncomfortable at best, but believe me when I say it’s not horrible. I’m a huge baby when it comes to pain too, so I wouldn’t lie to you.
So far this year, I’ve had 3 colpos, two LEEPS, and more paps than you can shake a stick at. MY CIN level went from II to III as well in under 6 months (hence the second LEEP), so definitely don’t put off getting your biopsy done.
I go back in the beginning of January for yet another follow up pap. If this one comes back abnormal (60-40 chance for me) then I’ll have to have the conization.
Good Luck with everything!
Another colposcopy/LEEPer here. It’s not that bad, really.
The colposcopy is not any worse than an extended pelvic exam, usually. (I got to see my own cervix on the monitor! Woo-hoo!)
The biopsy, if they do one doesn’t hurt as bad as getting a shot, as far as I’m concerned. Yes, there was some minor cramping and bleeding, but nothing major. A couple of Tylenol before-hand will help. (DO NOT take aspirin or ibuprofen.)
If you get a LEEP, well, that’s unpleasant, more because of the smoke than anything else (what’s that burning…OMYGODIT’SME!!! :eek: ) It hurts some, and you bleed, obviously, because even though the wire cauterizes as it passes through the flesh, it can miss some small spots. The worst part of the LEEP was no sit-down baths, tampons, or sex for 6 weeks. :mad:
After the LEEP, I had no more signs of dysplasia until this last pap, which came back abnormal. I had another colposcopy, but he didn’t even find anything to biopsy, so I’m just back on the every-six-months schedule instead of annually.
I have to say that I agree with Beadalin here…you guys are the best. I was reading the posts thinking, how great it is when everyone pulls together in situations to offer, advice, encouragement, and personal experiences. It’s always nice to know “you aren’t alone” in things.
Polly
One more chiming in. I’ve had the nasty 'ol LEEP thing twice now, and it’s only after my last PAP that the doc said I could go back to having the PAPs done once a year instead of every six months. That actually worries me a little, because the last time he said that, it was followed up by another LEEP!
Yeah, cauterization, freezing, biopsy - none of these are words you like to hear in the same sentence as cervix!
For the record, I’m 31. All of these happened after my daughter was born, but considering that was pretty early on, and that my family history includes a ton of “female plumbing” problems, I doubt that had anything to do with it.
All of the procedures were uncomfortable during, but overwith quickly. The aftermath was no worse than the typical once-a-month inconvenience.
One question - for both of my LEEPS, I was under general anaesthetic. Don’t they do that for you ladies in the States?
Beadalin, hang in there. It’ll be fine.
Being a guy I never had a pap smear, of course, but I have been with women diagnosed with cervical dysplasia & their resulting operation. As a matter of fact, one time it happened a year ago & the doctor tested her for an STD, called HPV, & that’s when I started a Subject here about HPV.
Do they still test for HPV if you have a abnormal pap smear?
I had my first LEEP done at 19 due to dysplasia. There’s also a history of cervical/vaginal cancer in my family (my mom and my aunt… aunt dying from it.) I had a biopsy, then my cervix frozen then another biopsy and finally the LEEP. The biopsies I had done before my LEEP hurt like a son of a bitch! No wipe-on anesthetic or anything! And when the doctor performed the LEEP he didn’t give me enough anesthesia and I could feel the last little chunk he cut off. I didn’t have insurance at the time so this was the OB/GYN that the health department sent me too. He was an ass! I had paps done every 3 months for a year and then every 6 months and then yearly. I had my first baby at 22 and she was born 5 weeks early and it was due to my having a weak cervix thanks to the LEEP. Now I have to have a cerclage during pregnancy to keep the cervix closed and keep me from going into premature labor.
Just this past June I had another colposcopy done but it was done by my regular OB/GYN whom I’ve been going to for the last 5 years. When he did the biopsy it didn’t hurt a bit. I told him about my prior experiences and he said that the doctor was using dull instruments and that’s why it hurt. If the instruments are nice and sharp the patient won’t feel a thing… he was right. He snipped off 3 sample of my cervix and I didn’t feel a thing and didn’t have any anesthetic that time either. He also froze my cervix in late July and that was painless too. The first time I had my cervix froze they told me the same thing they told Rasa… nothing in there for a month and no sex. This time though I asked the doctor about it and he said I could still have sex but couldn’t use tampons. He said that my cervix would be thawing out for the rest of them month but sex wasn’t going to hurt anything. So two days later I was gettin’ some. 
It was just a little wetter than usual. I just went in this past Monday for my re-check PAP and haven’t heard anything back yet but should within a couple of weeks.
Don’t worry about this too much. Make sure the doctor is using really sharp instruments and you won’t feel a thing! Good luck!
Not my Gyno. For my LEEPs I get a shot in the cervix (which is NOT pleasant) to numb the area. I was fortunate enough to get xanax to take before hand to try to calm me down.