Coping With Cervical Dysplasia

After having had an abnormal papsmear, I was told I needed a colposcopy. Having had this about 20 years ago, I was not looking forward to it, because it was a very uncomfortable procedure. About 16 years ago, I was diagnosed with genital warts by a not-so-friendly gyn, who treated me like I was a total slut. Yes, okay, I was not very careful when I was a teenager, but this was before the big scare of Aids, and I did always use birthcontrol.

I found a new and friendlier Gyn, who just retired about 3 years ago. He removed the warts, and explained to me that approximately 70 percent of Americans have genital warts but they may not know it.

Anyway, getting back to the dysplasia, I did not get the colposcopy, because the abnormal cells were not reachable, they were going into the cervix. Needless to say I was very worried. My husband and I went for a pre-op appointment, and my new gyn explained to both of us the cone biopsy proceedures. On Friday, September 12th I went to the hospital, and they performed the proceedure. I took it easy for the weekend, and beside some cramping, being a little tired, and what looked like dried up blood on my pads, I was fine, and went back to work on Monday.

Thursday night (1 week after the surgery) I had the scare of my life. I started saturating a pad (nightime pad) every hour. After the second pad I called my gyn office, and they told me to call back if it continued to 6 hours. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who came home from work to take care off me and our 6 year old, and made me call out from work, and then called out himself, so he could make sure I stayed in bed all day Friday. The bleeding subsided, however, remained. On Monday I called the office again, telling them that I was still bleeding. They prescribed some sort of progesterone to me, which, after I read the pamphlet, told me that it was used to stop uterine bleeding. So I took it for three nights, and the bleeding was almost stopped. Then on Thursday (now two weeks after my surgery) I start bleeding again, not heavy, but enough to warrant a regular pad every 2 to 3 hours.

Once again I called the gyn office, to inquire if this was normal as well as to find out the results of the biopsy. I was definitely worried that it might be cancer, considering my Mom died a year ago of cancer. Of course you get the nurse telling you that she cannot tell you any results over the phone, and you will have to discuss this with the Doctor during your follow up appointment. I told her that I was not able to get an appointment untill next Friday, and that there was no way I was waiting for the results for another week. She pulled my chart, and told me she would talk to the Doctor and call me back. She did call me back, and told me that I HAD TO COME IN THE OFFICE AT 9 AM this morning. The way she said that, scared the crap out of me and my husband too when I told him.

So this morning my husband and I met in front off the Ob/Gyn office, and went in holding hands, expecting the worst. My husband of course tried to get info out of the nurse, God love him, but without any results. Finally the Doctor came in (not the one who did the surgery) and told us that it was mild dysplasia, and not cancer. We were both very relieved of course, and my husband was able to go home to continue the things that had to get done before going to work. I stayed, and was examined to ensure that I was not bleeding from my cervix, where the cauterization took place, and she determined that I was bleeding from the uterus. She told me to continue taking the progesterone, which can take up to 10 to 15 days to stop the bleeding.

On Tuesday I have an appointment with the gyn that did my surgery, to figure out what type of treatment I need. I just found out what dysplasia stands for, and what it is, and once again I am worried. I am half tempted to tell my gyn to allow me to take everything out, because at the age of 42 I am not planning on having anymore kids, and it can only cause more trouble.