Bethhh, thank you so much for your quick replies. I don't know when I was 'diagnosed', all I know is this is my first month knowing, so maybe that's why I'm so anxious and just now finding this to be a huge life or death ordeal. But I know it's been more than 2 years since I've had abnormal paps, and if HPV/dysplasia (which word I've yet to hear) goes away on it's own, it hasn't yet. I have a great immune system. Haven't had the flu in 7 years, never have a cold more than a day, etc. I'm super thankful for that! But I'm hoping that pelvic infection I had is the reason for my latest abnormal pap, although he did say low grade LSIL.. which means HPV doesn't it? I never had an actual HPV test. Just the paps and colposcopy.

Sillygirl, thanks. This will be my second Colp./Biopsy. I have not seen my new doctor yet, I simply made an appointment with a new doctor at a really good hospital an hour away from me just to get a second opinion, but I can't get in there 'til the 26th of February. So I'll need to have everything faxed + fed exed over. But my colp/biopsy is Thursday the 24th of this month. And I'm more worried about the results than the actual pain as this is my second one. I have to say having a straw like tube inserted in my uterus through my cervix was far more painful, because they had to fill my uterus with water to see it's size (bicournate uterus it seems.) But that's a whole diff story.

My doctor's nonchalant about everything. Which kind of worries me. I miscarried in '05 and he more or less told me I should be relieved, but then again he'd told me I had a very little chance of miscarrying prior to it happening. Less than a week prior to it happening actually. Sad stuff. I think they frown on me for having been a pregnant teen.

Hi! This is my first post, I just joined. I wanted to share my colposcopy/biopsy experience that I just had 2 hours ago. For the record, I am 25 years old, no kids yet, but yes, sexually active. Now this is probably going to be a LONG story as I am very into detail, but I know I'd like a lot of detail if I was going to be having this procedure done, so here you go.

First the preface: I have always gotten paps on time every year. They really don't bother me at all. So my last pap, taken in December came back abnormal. First time ever. The results said, "Atypical Squamous Cells, Undetermined Significance." I know...huh?? Also positive for HPV. So of course I got all worried when the nurse who called me told me I'd have to come in for a colposcopy to see what's going on (I had no clue what that was but it sounds scary, no?). I guess they scheduled me for that right off the bat because of the undetermined significance part, the doc didn't like that. She then explained what a colposcopy entails, which is just about nothing in itself since nothing except the speculum goes inside of you, which eased my mind. Then she said I might have to have a punch biopsy taken from my cervix. Omg...that scared the crap out of me, but she then told me from all the times she's been in the room during this procedure it has never hurt the woman. Mind eased a little.

So, being of the I-have-to-research-everything nature, I looked up these procedures online. I read a ton of information on many different sites, and finally got to some forums. Let me tell you, the information I read REALLY scared me. Most did say there would be a pinch with the biopsy, but there was one site that said, "this will cause intensive pain." OMG! I was freaked, and mad that the nurse must have sugar coated it. I am a total wuss when it comes to pain, especially in the most private of areas! I'm talking if I was to get blood drawn, I'd start bawling even before the needle came out of the drawer, and then nearly pass out shortly after. True story, this actually happened. Twice.

So, my appt was 2 weeks away. I stressed the entire 2 weeks, especially as I read more and more horrifying testimonials. Finally the day came, today, and I was terrified. I popped some Motrin about a half hour before getting there. I ended up having to wait in the dr's office lobby for AN HOUR AND A HALF before I actually got called in. Come on, I am super terrified here and having to sit there forever is like torture! When the nurse finally took me into the room, I immediately broke down and started bawling. I was also laughing at the same time because I know how ridiculous I looked. The nurse was awesome...telling me she's the same way with the unknown and adding some funny stories.

Okay, here it is, the procedure: my doctor came in and explained everything he was going to do. He then inserted the speculum. Those never really bother me so I wasn't really all that uncomfortable, besides of course being spread eagle in front of a male doc and a nurse. He then took a jumbo q-tip and applied the acetic acid, which is a vinegar solution. This solution causes any abnormal areas to turn white for easy detection. I could feel the solution, but as SillyGirl said, it didn't really hurt. More of like a coldish I-know-something's-there feeling. I think he looked at it for a bit, then told me there was a tiny bit of whiteness, so he was going to have to take a sample. OMG...SOOO scared!! I was bracing myself for the "intensive pain" I was about to endure. Like 30 seconds later I heard the nurse putting something into a sample jar. I asked, "Did you take the sample?" he said, "Yep." I swear to you I did not feel a thing! Trust me, I'm so scared of pain I'd tell you if there was any. I was soooo relieved. He then put some silver nitrate on my cervix to stop any bleeding. He removed the speculum, had me get dressed and came back in to draw me a diagram of what he saw.

He said he was not very concerned about it...it was such a small area and could just be scar tissue, but to be safe he took the sample. He explained the LEEP procedure to me just in case. Said it's not scary, either. So I'll know the results in one week.

The aftermath so far: I'm at home now (took the whole day off from work, yay!) and I can feel very minor cramps. I don't normally get bad cramps anyway, so I'm sure others might be different. I have not seen any bleeding or coffee grounds as of yet, but I'm well aware of the possibility of them and am prepared. Oh, BTW, I'm on NuvaRing. I had to take it out before the colposcopy, and then my doc said it was fine to put it right back in afterwards, so I did. I've read on many sites that you're not supposed to put anything in for 1-2 weeks, so if any of you ladies are also on the ring, definitely ask your doctor!

In the end, I walked out of that office with a huge smile on my face...laughing a little at myself for how freaked I was and it turned out to be a breeze. I'm still a little worried about the results, so we'll see where I'm at in a week.

Okay, so this was MY experience. I hope I eased some worry as I definitely know how being scared about this is! Again, I know everyone is different so it could widely vary how your experience will be, but try to NOT worry so much about it! Stressing yourself out doesn't help anything...it'll just make you sick or feel like you're going crazy. I know it's hard, but try to relax as much as possible. If anyone needs to talk, I'm here for you!

Thanks for sharing Michelle. Your story sounds very simliar to what the rest of us have experienced. I wonder why the bioposy bothers some women and not others? Maybe it has something to do with the location on the cervix or where you are in your cycle (position of cervix)? I have no idea. Let us know the results of biopsy. Hopefully you won't need the LEEP proceedure or anything else.

Michelle, I agree with your experience completely. It's good to have "positive" experiences out there. I was completely freaked by the internet as well before I went. Then, like you, I felt the coldness of the acetic acid but didn't feel the biopsy at all. It did take me a day or two to start "leaking" the acetic acid. So, be prepared. It's very light and really, just annoying. Although, maybe my dr. squirted a ton up there and yours was conservative I'm hoping yours is mild dysplasia and you don't have to go through LEEP. I didn't. I had a follow-up pap 6 mos later and it came back normal.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Beth, I think some girls are just especially sensitive and if they're also very emotionally sensitive it can be worse. I know my girlfriend saved herself for marriage. She's married now but recently had to have an internal ultrasound (I guess they use a dildo like thing). Afterward she said it felt like she had been raped and that it was very painful ( I think it was painful because she was stressed the whole time). It's hard for me to imagine feeling that way, but it really bothered her. We're all just very different I guess.

Thanks, guys! I will definitely keep you updated with the results and any further treatments.

I should mention that the whole procedure --well, once I actually got into the room-- took about 5-7 mins. I mean, that's how long he was actually up in my stuff, heh. I also have to have paps done every three months for the next year. I'm actually glad to be getting them. Early detection is key!

I agree that women vary greatly with sensitivity, emotion, and it could also be the location and/or time of the cycle. So many factors, but that's what makes each of us unique, right? I just hope some of the women out there who are looking for information on this type of thing come across this thread with a couple of positive experiences posted, rather than get freaked like we did by thinking the scary stuff is absolutely inevitable. Often, with unfamiliar procedures, the images that we have in our head are way worse than what it actually ends up being.

Just wanted to give a little update...now that I've been sitting at work for an hour or so, I am feeling a teeny bit sore. The best way I can describe it is (sorry if this offends anybody) like I had a night-o-rough-lovin' last night, if you know what I mean, hehe. It's not bad at all (I occasionally like it rough , sorry, I know that was TMI), just a little annoying so I took a couple more Motrins. Still no bleeding yet.

I know I've been posting a ton, but want to update on the post-procedure. SillyGirl, sounds like we had the EXACT same experience. I started a very light spotting yesterday of "coffee grounds". I wouldn't really say it's a dark French Roast like I expected...more like a light Breakfast Blend. Haha. And it's pretty sporadic, not like all clumped together. Very, very light. It's lasted through today. Nothing a pantyliner can't handle. Now, hopefully I'll have the exact same results as SillyGirl...should be finding out Thursday.

after reading all of these posts i am starting to freak myself out.
i have a colposcopy scheduled for febuary 19th. my pap smear came back saying i had ATypical cells ? not even sure what that means. i am so worried i have cancer or something & this cyro surgery is it like an actualy operation where they put you under?? im basically freaking out big time..!!!

abc8708, I have HPV, I was diagnosed with atypical cells in 2001 and I FREAKED out just like you are! My doctor did a LEEP procedure on me and I was put under for that, but it wasn't bad. I didn't hurt afterwards or anything. I couldn't tell I'd even had anything done! After the LEEP, the HPV seems to have gone away or is in remission or something. I was worried about it when I got pregnant cuz I heard it can come back and you can get warts while you are pregnant, but thank goodness mine didn't!

I got HPV from my ex boyfriend who I'd been with since I was 15 and thought we were monogomous. We weren't. I finally broke up with him when I turned 23 and I started dating my now husband. He already told me he wanted to marry me and then I found out I had HPV. He didn't care, he was going to get tested and then he said he didn't care if he had it or not cuz he loved me and we were gonna get married anyway. He's a pretty amazing man! Ever since my LEEP, I've been fine.

I had my little boy 2 weeks ago and the only thing that happened was when I dilated to 5 cm, I kinda got stuck there cuz of my LEEP scar tissue. It was no big deal, and they just started me on Pitocin and I was dilated to 10 cm within a few hours. You can have a very normal life and be just fine with HPV. Its ridiculous how many women have it - my nurse told me it was as much as 70% of all women! That's tons!!! Good luck to you and to everyone else who has been diagnosed with this, but honestly it has not been a problem at all for me in any way since my LEEP. My sis had the cryo surgery and it was no big deal for her either - no pain at all and she is fine now too

Good luck!

I agree with Regina, just because you have abnormal cells does not mean you have cancer and you can have a very normal life. I just wanted to clarify that the are SEVERAL strains of HPV. The strain that causes cervical cancer is not the same strain that causes warts. Yes, you can have both. As far as I know, there is no test to see if a man carries the strain that causes cervical cancer. There's no test to see if he has the strain that causes warts either. He would know because he had warts. As for the strain that causes cervical cancer, it is symptomless in men.

Alright, this is just a rant.

So I called my dr's office at 9am this morning to get my results. I had to leave a message with the receptionist to have a nurse call me (the receptionist can't give out results). All day waiting. I've even been taking my cell into the bathroom with me just incase. 3:45pm I call again asking the status of when I'm gonna get a call. Receptionist says there are no nurses available to talk to me today but she'll put in a second request so they MIGHT call me tomorrow. If they don't call me tomorrow, I'll have to go the whole weekend wondering! Dude, WTF!!? These aren't just any old results...it's do I have cancerous cells or not? MAN, this is so frustrating.

Finally got the results... no definitive dysplasia found, no abnormalities!!!!

So incredibly relieved. Now just have to have my paps every 3 months for follow-up but for now I'm healthy! Time to party!!

Great news! And you got it before the weekend too.

Congrats!

I'm bumping this thread...

So here's my story:
I'm 24 years old and have been sexually active since I was 17, about to turn 18. I've also never had kids. Last November I had a pap smear done and it came back abnormal. I found out about the results when I had come in to get the Paragard IUD inserted. It was a bad day... painful experience and they couldn't even get the IUD in there. That's a whole nother story. I came in for a colposcopy in January which was not a bad experience. The IUD experience was a lot more painful and traumatic lol.

So I must also add that I'm at a military base, a small Army post (even though I'm Air Force) and it's not always the best medical services. Like the fact that they never told me my colp results until I finally called and asked this week (4 months later!) and I also didn't mention that I had received results saying my pap was normal before the officer who was doing the IUD insertion told me it was abnormal. I was pretty confused needless to say.

So I got my colp results today and I have low grade cells and they told me to schedule a pap for June, so I did. The military health clinic is frustrating to me because I feel like they don't have any real legit OBGYNs. For example, the lady who did my colp was Ms. S, and the guy doing my pap in June is Mr. C. It's easier to disguise that most of the health care providers are not actually doctors by the fact that sometimes you'll get an officer like Major So and So. I have some questions when I come in for my pap like the fact that I've had abnormal spotting since quitting the pill about 6 months ago. But I feel like I'm not going to get any useful info from Mr. C. I'm sure he is licensed to do the gyno stuff but I wish I had a legit OBGYN expert to talk to. I mean I recognize Mr. C's name and he's the same guy I ended up seeing when my eye was hurting. (I ended up having to be referred to the eye Dr. and had an abrasion on my eye). I think he's the only real doctor I've ever been to at this post and I must say I like him more than my old eye doctor I used to go to before the military. I'm going to a larger Air Force base soon so maybe they will have better doctors there.... I mean it's nice that all this treatment is free but I would like to have a real OBGYN to talk to.

Oh and as far as the Colp goes... wait at least a week for sex. No one told me how long to wait and I had sex too early afterwards. It was painful!

I had HPV back in 2007, i have had all of the procedures to get rid of it. I get pap tests done every 6 months and have had the gardsil shot. I have been cleared of it since 2008. I have been seeing this guy for the past year and a half and recently he told me that he went to the doctor as he had a few pimples on his penis and it was only getting worse so he went to his doctor and he told him he has hpv. He just called me concerned and asked me if i had or have it. I told him that i did in the past but have been cleared of it for the past 3 years. Could i have given it to him or it is that he could have had it and never new about it until recently and if so why the outbreak now?

I know this post is old but i just wanted to share my experience with the leep procedure. I have HPV and have four abnormal paps in a year in a half and and abnormal culpo. Today I had the leep and I was put to sleep and did not feel a thing and I am not yet bleeding as I thought i would and no pain at all. I had mild cramping like i did with the culpo when i first woke up, but other than I'm fine. My doctor said to rest for the weekend and I can go back to work on Monday. Also my doctor first gave me two options when my results came back from culpo and more leaned toward partial hysterectomy but then changed his mind and said we should try everything before we would have to do that.