Skip to main content

Here We Go Again

So, once again I have found myself playing the waiting game. I reported for my routine colposcopy this afternoon. My doctor had assured me that the only reason she had recommended me to have the procedure done was because of my past history of surgery.

Well. Of course I agreed. Cervical cancer is no joke. It kills. Seriously people, it is not something to take lightly. The specialist explained that she agreed with my doctor and that she didn't expect anything to come of the procedure.

She started off the appointment by explaining everything she was going to do to both me and to her student. When she said that she would give me an injection of lidocaine before taking a biopsy I tried to joke that we wouldn't be needing to take any biopsies today. Everything was going to be normal. I also told her that I have had to have this procedure twice before and both times I needed biopsies and neither time was I offered lidocaine.

My doctor explained that it typically makes you more relaxed and takes the edge off of the biopsy. She said that it can also help with the bleeding after the procedure. I agreed to give it a try if I needed it. But, I was fairly confident that I wouldn't be needing it. She told me not to look over to her nurse, who was placing items on a tray for future use.

Well, after she finished with the vinegar she asked her nurse to hand her something from the tray. I happened to have my head to that side. I knew. She found something. I was instantly tense. She assured me that there were just two small spots that looked slightly abnormal.

She said the lidocaine would feel like a bee sting. Well, I have never been stung by a bee but all I could remember was my friend getting stung when were were in kindergarten. I wasn't looking forward to it.

It was not pleasant. It was most definitely not the worst pain I have ever felt, but I'm not sure it was just a bee sting. I guess the best way to think about it would be a bee sting on your cervix. Doesn't sound too fun now does it? I thought not.

Now that I had my lidocaine it was time for the biopsies. I'll tell you what. I felt that first one. Which is odd because that was the whole reason for the lidocaine. I didn't even feel the second one. Which, was not where she had put the lidocaine. Weird right? But, that was what happened when I had my last biopsies done, I just didn't get lidocaine.

She explained again that she didn't expect anything to come back from the biopsies. She said that they didn't look high grade and that the areas could have looked abnormal because of the LEEP I had two years ago. To be honest, I'm not too worried about the results at this point. I have faith that in 7-10 I'll get the good news. But, I did not feel good walking out of that office.

I was painful and slightly nauseous. I think it was a combination of what I had just done to my poor cervix and partly what I was thinking the results could be. I also felt alone. I had scheduled the appointment for right when I got off work. My parents live several hours away and are on vacation visiting family. My boyfriend was still at work. I wish I had asked him to take off and come with me.

I wanted nothing more than to go home, take pain meds, put on comfy pants and pass out. But, I couldn't do that. Well, I couldn't do all of that. I had to prepare for the impending tropical storm. Fun.

But, I will move on. I did what I needed to today to make sure that if there is something wrong that we catch it early. Why? Because, cervical cancer can be deadly. I also want to start a family one day so making sure that I am as healthy as I can be is important.

Why can I write about this so freely? Because, it is important. It happened. It is nothing to be embarrassed about. Women should not ever feel ashamed for seeking medical care for themselves. If you need an outlet or feel like sharing your story, by all means. Comment, message, whatever. I wish you the best.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Learning the Hard Way: Hurricane Matthew

I've had to learn a few thing the hard way. One of the most recent was the importance of being prepared. Normally, I am a very cautious person. I would much rather play it safe than be sorry. But, I am also good with money and don't like to spend it unnecessarily. I live in the Hampton Roads area. I know that the area is prone to flooding and I know what, typically, to expect from storms. This area isn't known for having a lot of hurricane activity, but living on the coastline, you know if can happen. I keep an eye on the weather. I don't like to be caught off guard. The flooding in front of my apartment My boyfriend and I had been watching the development of Hurricane Matthew before it was even projected to impact our area. When it looked like the storm could possible hit our area we began to plan. It was a week before the storm was forecasted to hit us and we were talking about what foods we needed to get, where we could store water, and if we should get a cam...

My Most Embarrassing Moment: Part 1

The other night I picked up my boyfriend and we went to a bonfire at a coworkers house. We were sending off another coworker that was moving away. It was a great time. Since I was driving I limited myself to two beers and stopped drinking and switched to water several hours before we left. Everyone had brought food. Now, it was your typical bbq food and nothing was out of the ordinary. Since the event was quite far from where I lived and I still had to take my boyfriend home (who at the time lived about 45 minutes away from me) we left a little before all the fun was done. When I got to my boyfriend's house I decided to come in to take a nap. Yes, we just took a nap. About an hour later I woke up, still tired but a little better to drive. Or so I thought. My stomach felt a little weird. I didn't quite feel that I needed to vomit, I wasn't hungry, and it wasn't gas. I just didn't feel right. My boyfriend didn't have any pepto or tumms so I decided that I would ...

LEEPs and Bounds

Chances are pretty good that you are familiar with the fact that women need to have yearly pelvic exams. And if you are a woman then chances are even higher that you are all too familiar with everything that this exam entails. It's a great topic of conversation is it not? No? It should be. There is too much of a social taboo on women's health, and it is time for that to change. Women choose not be ashamed of themselves or the care that they need to stay healthy. I want to help women of all ages feel more comfortable with themselves and not be embarrassed to speak out, if they so choose. I had my first pelvic exam at 14. I was a terrified high school freshmen that was in a hospital gown at my local ER. I was scared and in a lot of pain. The pain in my abdomen woke me up that morning. My mother, being the super-mom that she is, immediately knew that something wasn't right. The triage nurse at the ER told my mother that there was either something wrong with my bladder or my ...