In March 2012 I found out I have HPV CINIII the pre-cancerous cells that turn into Cervical Cancer – 2 weeks before my Wedding.
Papsmear Posts:
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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.
I think you were very brave! A wonderfully well written post that I'm sure will be a great benefit to other women facing a similar procedure. I'm so glad it turned out well Yvette!
I remember having that same procedure myself… it's not pleasant but fingers crossed everything is clear from here on for you… just as it's been for me for the past 11 years! x
Glad everything went well. Better out than in with those nasty little buggers. Thanks for sharing.
You are very brave to share your journey with the world and I think it's awesome that you share this experience. It may help another woman who is unaware that she has these cells visit her gyno and catch it early! I hope that the results are good and that those nasty cells don't return. We're rooting for you and praying for you!!
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So glad it all went well. I think it's wonderful that you're sharing your story and that you're raising awareness. You're so brave x
What a wonderful post, thank you so much for sharing with us. I had this procedure quite some time ago as well, I got so sick of explaining it to people, you did a great job in that.
Fairy wishes and butterfly kisses lovely #teamIBOT
So glad it all went as smoothly as possible x
Thank you for sharing this. This will make it easier for some ladies to understand the procedure. This must have been so scary. I'll be praying that your check up is all clear. Rachel x
I was just thinking the other day if you had been and had this done. You are a great reminder to take some time to look after ourselves. Goodluck with the results Yvette and I hope that 6 month check is free of those cells. xxx
Good on you for being diligent with this. Isn't the technology they use these days wonderful. We are so lucky to live where we do and have the resources we have available or us. Fingers crossed for the next stage xx
So glad it went well and quickly for you Yvette. That is such a huge relief off your mind.
I've always been due of a papsmea at the 6 week check up on my babies, but this will be the first year I haven't had a baby, so I'll have to remember. Actually reading this, I might book it now, even if it is a few months early.
You are an inspiration – I think it was reading one of your earlier posts about this that gave me the push I needed to get mine done – turns out I hadn't been for 4 years!
Also, it turned out that there's a REASON for all my niggly girly probs – and now I'm off to the gynae next week to see about getting it fixed. Possibly a hysterectomy but that's ok, I've had my family. I am SOOOO looking forward to making the girly probs GO AWAY!!! It's amazing what we put up with, thinking it's “normal”.
So a BIG thank you Yvette!
I'm having a hysterectomy next Friday 1 June!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can't wait for it all to be over – thank you for encouraging me to follow up on my overdue pap smear.
Yikes, this reminds me that I am a year overdue for my pap smear:/
Glad to hear it went well!
What a relief to have had it all done there and then. The waiting is just cruel.
Glad to hear things are looking good
when I had a colposcopy my car broke down on the way to the hospital. So I was a bit late.. but then the hydrolic chair they had me in had some issues and would not come back down and stay down, it kept raising back up so I had to jump off when it was low enough, while wearing the wrap around gown.
When I had it done, it was about 8 years ago and there was a lot of iodine involved. Also, a large screen that they let me look at – bad idea. Seeing bits of yourself magnified a trillion times on a large full colour screen is just weird.
Hope those cells stay gone.
Going to ring my docs and book an appointment on Monday. Thanks for sharing your story, it is so helpful to read about someone else's journey through this kind of thing. It makes it so much less mysterious and scary.
Oh wow. What an ordeal! I haven't had a colposcopy but had abnormal cells and had to have 2 check ups in a 6 month period. Totally freaked me out. But yes, you're right. We need to remember to have pap smears regularly. So thank you for making this post into a reminder for all of us.
Ahhhhh….this is all too common, what I just read above is what I experienced after my very first pap smear at 17 years of age!! I had the colposcopy and then laser treatment, though what happened is that they didn’t get everything so at the 6 month check I had to go through it all again!
however I did my 6 monthly check ups for 3 years, and then annually and now I am every 2 years. I am vigilant. After being through this at such a young age, I am 37 now and it being my very first pap smear I am on top of it! Thanks for sharing I hope it makes other women take note and book in if you haven’t already. 
Good luck for the 9th October. Had my pap smear 2/3 weeks ago-all clear. How very brave of you to share this with everyone. Xlisa
Your posts brought tears to my eyes because it took me back to my experience…the exact same as yours. I had CINIII but the thing is the cells changed from CINI to CINIII so fast and I was always told it was a slow growing cancer. I had the LETZ loop surgery in 2008 but I still have a papsmear annually, considering how fast the cells changed last time, I don’t want to take any risks. I’m happy to say I’ve been clear ever since, but you can never be so sure. Thank you so much for posting this and bringing this to everyone’s attention. I read that there are still so many women out there that avoid pap smears, these doctors do it every day and really don’t care about your lady bits. One thing I’m amazed with is that you had the LETZ loop procedure in the chair with local anasthetic!!! I had my colposcopy in the chair but the LETZ loop was under general anasthetic in hospital. I hope everything has been clear for you.
Thank you so much for commenting and sharing your story!! It was a massive deal for me back in March.. and although I have been going for papsmears yearly since I was 18 anyway.. I never thought it would happen to me!! Hoping people read this and think about the last time they went and make an appointment to get it done! 5 mins is all it takes!
Oh how scary! So glad he got rid of it all.
I think I am due for mine now. Will get that sorted.
This is such a brave and important series of posts. Well done to you! It is alarmingly common for people to discover they have HPV but it remains taboo to talk about the details. I went through similar to you about 20-odd years ago and I had no idea what was going on! I’m sure your posts will be really helpful to people about to experience treatment and a great encouragement to women to keep getting checked. Men too for that matter. Great post x
A few years ago, I had a pap smear with results showing abnormal cells. One of the scariest times of my life. I didn’t end up having a colposcopy but gosh, it’s made me more vigilant about pap smears. Thank goodness everything turned out okay x
It is pretty scary. Silent Cancer.. and not many women have regular papsmears!!! Just hope to keep it out there in the blogging community so we can hopefully raise awareness
Thanks for sharing this Yvette. So important for women to have regular pap smears. My sister was diagnosed with vaginal cancer in her early 20s which was detected via a pap smear. Am happy to hear that your procedure was successful. All the best with your follow up appointments.