In March 2012 I found out I have HPV CINIII the pre-cancerous cells that turn into Cervical Cancer – 2 weeks before my Wedding.

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On Friday 27th April I had my appointment at the local hospital.
The letter arrived the Friday before. 
Arrangements had been made for me to have my ‘Colposcopy Procedure’. 

What is a Colposcopy? It is a procedure where they use a microscope to look at my lady bits. The microscope magnifies the tissue and enables the doctor to see the abnormal cels that can not be seen with the naked eye. This procedure usually takes 10-15 minutes with your legs in stirups (not very comfortable to be honest!).

So I phoned up and confirmed my appointment for Friday 27th April. 

Told Drew he needed to come with me so to take the afternoon off. As the letter said that although the appointment may only be 15 minutes, we would probably be there 3-4 hours.

During the leadup to this procedure I got a little more nervous as the days went on. On Thursday I typed a message on my facebook wall stating that I was a little nervous about the procedure to get the naughty cells out tomorrow. I got loads of messages of support and good lucks.. 

I also found out that a friend of mine had been going through the same thing as me. She said that they did a few procedures to get the cells out – and that they told her that she had a different type of HPV virus (one that wasn’t contracted through another person). They were talking about having her have a hysterectomy which she wasn’t going to have as she doesn’t have children but would want some one day. 

Friday:
Friday morning went so slowly. Not only did I have to keep the lil squirts in the back end of the house (our bedrooms) because we had the lounge patio doors coming out and being replaced with bricks and a window. But the dust was just rediculous that I couldn’t stop sneezing! 

So by 11am the lil squirts were very restless so we gave them an early lunch and went over to my mum and dads who were looking after them this afternoon while Drew and I were at the hospital.

Ahh relief. Both lil squirts fell asleep in the car and were transported straight to their beds at my parents house. After a chat and drink at my parents Drew and I headed to the hospital. 

 

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I said my name to the receptionist and sat down. I waited about 40 minutes before my name was called to check in. Then sat in a different part of the hospital for my name to be called again, where I waited around 15 minutes. Then I met a nurse who was checking my file. They couldn’t find my papsmear results. 
Just perfect I thought.. 

I was told to get change and put on the gown. I thought it was going to be one of those open at the back gowns, but it wasn’t! It wrapped around me three times! No sneaking peeks at my bottom today!

I sat down and started reading my book again.. the wait was on.. as they still hadn’t found my results. After about 20 minutes the nurse came back and asked if I was ready. Into the procedure room I went where I met my Doctor. He smiled and laughed and said Hello Yvette nice to see you again. See this Doctor was the same doctor who delivered my two lil squirts via c-section (MissC was a breech baby who didn’t want to turn).

We had a little chat about Drew and the lil squirts, then he asked me if I had signed the consent form for the LLETZ procedure (also known as LEEP). I said Yes. He said did I read it? I said no. He goes thats ok we’re going to do it anyway! He then proceeded to tell me what the LLETZ procedure was.

This is where they remove the abnormal cells from the cervix with a heated wire loop. He said from the results (oh yes they finaly found them at the last minute),  it is clear that I have HPV CINIII and that they need to be removed asap. 

He said they are going to do the coloposcopy to find the abnormal cells and then do the LLETZ procedure, as it is clear these cells aren’t mild and would go away on their own like most abnormal papsmears. It is important that they remove these cells before they develop into cancer.

I would have to have a local aesthetic. I asked if it was like the needle they give you when you get a filling in your mouth. They said it may hurt. ARGH! I hate needles and the pricking bit!! Freaks me out everytime. This is when I started to panic a little.

Next it was time to get into the stirups! Oooo I felt like I was on an episode of General Hospital! Plant your bottom on the very edge and lie back onto the bed then bring my knees up and over onto the stirups. It took me about 3 goes before I was in the right position. It really is hard to shuffle your bottom down to the edge of the bed where the Doctor wants you to be, when your legs are up in the air. I nearly whacked the Nurse in the face with my foot!

There was alot of humming and the nurse proceeded to tell me about the four magpies that she has at her house that are so tamed they follow her into the house where she feeds them Uncle Toby Oats.. 

The Doctor announced that the anesthetic had taken and he was going to do the procedure now. I had not felt a thing! No lil prick for me!! (hehe)

Within about 20 minutes of that, the procedure was over and I was sitting back in the chair chatting about what he had found and what will happen.

He had found the abnormal cells, and had taken them out so there spot where they were will be filled with normal cells now. (Ok so I didn’t understand how that would happen but I said OK). He would send off the cells to the lab and then write a letter to me explaining the results in about 3-4 weeks. 

He will then see me in 6 months for a followup colposcopy to make sure they haven’t come back. 

And he sent me on my way to get dressed and sit down for 15 minutes before I was released from the hospital.

I arrived at the hospital at 1.45pm and left the hospital at 4.15pm. Exhausted, relieved and bewildered that the procedure was completely different from what my sister had 10 years ago (the wonders of science). But also that it was done straight away instead of yes I can see the cells, come back in 6 weeks for the procedure. 

I will do a followup post when I receive my results, aswell as in 6 months time when I go for my next checkup.

I now know that I will definitely have to have a papsmear every year from now on, but that was normal for me anyway as I was in a high risk catagory, due to the family history.

I really hope my journey has encourage every woman out there to remember
when they last had their papsmear and book one in with their doctor.
This silent cancer is only found through papsmears.
And it is more common than people realise.