An abnormal result means that cell changes were found on your cervix. This usually does not mean that you have cervical cancer.
Abnormal changes on your cervix are likely caused by HPV. The changes may be minor (low-grade) or serious (high-grade). Most of the time, minor changes go back to normal on their own. But more serious changes can turn into cancer if they are not removed. The more serious changes are often called “precancer” because they are not yet cancer, but they can turn into cancer over time. It is important to make sure these changes do not get worse. CDC
I talked to my friends and family and looked up whatever I could google on it. Everyone assured me that it did not mean I had cancer, but I was still a little concerned. The nurse told me that I needed to come in and have a colposcopy, so I had one scheduled on March 18th, 2010. I had to google colposcopy to find out what it was.
Colposcopy: A colposcopy is an examination of the vagina and cervix using a lighted magnifying instrument called a colposcope. National Cervical Cancer Coaliton
So from what I read, it seemed to be a more in depth pap smear.....well we know that I don't do well with even the regular pap smear so I was freaking out. I tried unsuccessfully not to think about it until my appointment. Well the day came for my appointment, it was a Thursday. I had made the appointment later in the day so I could go after work and then go straight home and have a glass of wine to try and forget it! I arrived at my appointment and my doctor tried to calm my nerves by explaining what was going to happen. She would look at my cervix through the colposcope and take a bigger sample than she had taken during the pap smear. She warned me that it may bleed a little but they had some ointment that would stop the bleeding. I had a really hard time with this procedure, but the doctor managed to get a sample. Now she mentioned a little bleeding....that ointment may as well have been water, it did nothing. Now my doctor is focused on getting the bleeding to stop, she eventually packs in cotton like my cervix was a bloody nose! She tells me to lay still and relax (!) the bleeding should stop soon. I lay on the table for about fifteen minutes and the doctor comes back to check me. The bleeding won't stop!
I guess it was a really good thing that my doctor's office was in one wing of the hospital. The called down to the emergency room to prep the OR for surgery. I was put in a wheelchair and wheeled through the corridors until I was in the emergency room. I filled out some paperwork and was taken right into the pre-op room. Now I was really freaking out, I had never had surgery and I was about to go in without even being able to tell anyone. I convinced the nurse to let me make a quick phone call, and she agreed. I got out my cell phone...oh no! I forgot to charge it! I had enough juice for one quick call. I called my friend and asked her to call work for me and to go feed my cats! Then the phone died and they were putting in an IV for surgery.
I woke up in recovery and all I wanted to do was go home. This was a little too much for me to take in all at once and I just wanted to be home! I was told that I would be able to go home tomorrow and they took me up to my room for the night. At least I had the room to myself. It was already late so I tried to sleep. Pretty hard to sleep when the nurses wake you up every hour to check your blood pressure. Once morning came all I could say to the nurses was to let me go home! They said the doctor would have to release me and she would be in soon.
I watched some TV for a while until my doctor came. She asked how I was feeling...I was feeling like I want to go home!....then she told me that they had taken a better sample during the surgery and cauterized the area that was bleeding. Then she said it....I have CANCER......
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