Colposcopy at 28 - any good news?

[Scribblegirl]

I'm 28. Totally clear sexual health/gynae health up til now. 6 weeks ago I received a result on a smear that was irregular, due to low grade (lowest grade) changes plus the presence of Hpv. Today I had a colposcopy (and good god I wish I hadn't gone to work after!). They also took a biopsy from an area of concern.

The dr in charge said that she was pretty sure that it would stay low level ie smears yearly from now (pending biopsy results). What I'm not sure if is how that affects thing. At this age, are there implications? DH and I are looking to TTC in 18 months - should I think about this? Will it be harder? And is there any long term implication for my future health with an abnormal result at this age?

Sorry for all the questions I did pick up the leaflets but none seem to cover this. I'd be really reassured if anyone can tell me this won't change a thing..

I had a colonoscopy after my very first smear test when I was about 26, 12 years ago. Hasn't made a blind bit of difference to my life, and I went on to have healthy pregnancies straight afterwards. I just have regular smear tests now, once a year for first 3 years afterwards and now once every 2 years. I've never had another abnormal one since.

Sorry, had a colcoscopy!

I had children when I was 19 and 22. Had a colposcopy when aged 30. Yearly smears for 4 years and then had a child aged 36 conceived as soon as I tried. No problem.

I had all the procedures you had and borderline smears for years. Hasn't affected my fertility at all

I had one after my very first smear at 20 (in Scotland they offer them from 18 or did then, thank god or I might not be here now). Had severe dyskaryosis, they do LLETZ there and then and removed the offending bit. I had 6 monthly smears for 2 years then yearly smears for the following 8 (so 10 years in total) and had no further issues at all.

I was absolutely terrified but the staff were amazinf

I now have a 2.5 year old dd and a 6 month dd, no issues at all conceiving, so was definitely lucky to have it when I did.

Good luck xx

I had a colposcopy in June 2015 at age 28 and fell pregnant on the first month of trying in November 2015.

Healthy smears since and no ill effects!

Good luck!

You'll be fine OP. I got the call to say I'd an irregular smear and needed a colposcopy as I walked up the aisle! Luckily my phone was in the car. I got the voicemail on the way to the airport for honeymoon and was very upset but they booked me in for 3 weeks later on my return. Got back and discovered a honeymoon pregnancy! Did the colposcopy anyway and all was fine. Couldn't do the 6 math follow up smear because if pregnancy which worried me but had it done after baby arrived and was all clear. Have had 2 (3 in Jan) babies in the 3 yrs since and all clear smears. No problems conceiving clearly. You are the lowest level. And most of the time that just goes away itself.

HPV causes low-grade changes, so it could just be a totally normal infection that will clear of its own accord. Really no reason to panic right now!

Hello,

I went through the same at about your age and had DS at 33.

Didn't affect my fertility at all.

Make sure your midwife knows all about it when the time comes. It's been a few years so I don't remember all the technical terms, but you may be referred to a consultant just to keep an eye on your cervix. If it looks like it needs a bit of help while you are carrying your baby they may want to put a little stitch in. Not a big deal in the slightest. In my case I just needed a bit of extra monitoring and was advised to give up running toward the end of my pregnancy. Didn't affect labour or DS one bit.

Just wanted to add that the extra help was required because they removed a fair chunk of my cervix, it wasn't directly due to the HPV and from what I can gather it's fairly unusual to remove so much.

I had smear issues from 20. Went to my first appointment after being referred and was 19 weeks pregnant. Had to return about 6 months later and the cells they had seen before were gone. Had smears every 6 months then yearly. Took 9 months to conceive Ds but I reckon he was conceived when he was meant to be. Birth with both was vaginally. After 5 years I got put to the 3 yearly ones and had no issues since and it's been 19 years since that first smear.

Thanks all for your experiences. Unfortunately results are back with CIN-2 and I've been invited for a LLETZ in 2 weeks - so no swimming sex or baths for me in August/Sept!

Being a bit flippant but a bit scared now. I've always been super healthy and frankly taken it for granted that bad things only happen when you're much older. Fertility my main concern too, although obviously alongside the 'big' scary idea of cancer and, to a much lesser extent, the impact of all this on my life even if it does all go away. I'm getting married in less than a year and just started a new, stressful job. It sounds awful but surely 28 with all that going on is the wrong time?

I have to go home and tell DFiance about the LLETZ tonight. Have to be strong and appear totally cool about it - he's a worrier and has already lost a parent so very worried about bad things happening to people he loves. Don't know why I'm posting really - just a bit shellshocked, I guess.

OK, deep breath. This is big news, and of course you are shocked and upset.

However, CIN2 isn't cancer. It's called CIN2 because it's in a confined location. That is good news - it means that it's really, really treatable with the LLETZ. Please remember the colposcopist who does this will do hundreds and hundreds of these procedures a year. You will be in very good hands! In terms of fertility, there isn't a problem with falling pregnant, but there can sometimes, in rare cases, be a slight impact on a woman's ability to carry a baby to the full term - but this is really low risk. Please try not to worry, and do speak to the team about it!

Please remember that it's quite seldom that CIN2 comes back - I think only about 20% of cases return. You'll be on a very regular screen for a bit to check up that you are OK, so if you are unlucky enough to have it come back, it will be caught early and treated before it turns into anything nasty. Only a small % of untreated CIN2 turns into cancer, so with the procedure and the screening, you should be kept very safe indeed.

I know it's a big shock, but try not to worry too much at this stage. Hand-holding and standing with you

Thanks helouise It's so weird - I'm one of the most rational, non-panicky people I know (when DP was on a redundancy risk list, I had a plan sorted within 2 hours on a spreadsheet. MIL told me she was amazed at me as she'd spent the 2 hours crying. I was somewhat ) and I really don't 'do' overreaction, so this is a bit random!

Thanks for reminding me of all the sensible stuff about what this actually means. The more I read the more I realise this is me reacting badly to the unexpected (as a planner, this is so not my bag!) as much as the practical aspects, which can all be reasonably explained

So you're entirely right, I know just a bit mind-foggy right now! Doesn't help I'm off into a stressful meeting in 45 mins and I'm currently hiding in Yo Sushi treating myself to lunch on my own so I could escape the office

Also, giving it some thought, a few of my favourite things are:

• long baths
• sex with DP
• swimming/spas
• smoking after a wine or two

I may just be being grumpy on the basis that one of those is out for a month, and the other one is out for, well, ever...

It's a very weird feeling. Like I was just having a random day and now this day will be in my head forever.

Sorry - I'm going self indulgent again! Probably time to get stuck back into spreadsheets at work to take my mind off it

*three of those/one of those, rather...

No, it's not self-indulgent at all to take a minute to be sad, shocked, or even in denial about this. It's big news, and it's totally normal and natural to feel upset - and a whole host of other emotions too (denial, grief, anger). If you can head home this afternoon and just spend a little while processing that might be good for you! There is no such thing as 'overreaction' when it comes to this - whatever your reaction is, it is what it is, and it is right for you. Don't be embarrassed to be upset, or to feel a bit lost or whatever, if that happens. You are allowed to have a wobble sometimes.

And yes, no swimming and baths for a bit - but it will fly by. Maybe you can treat yourself to something new for that time that can replace them temporarily? I once had this treatment in a spa that involved sitting in water without touching it. It was like a paddling pool filled with warm water, but with a velvety cover so your body was never touching the water, though you were still surrounded by it as if in a bath. You sort of sank into it, and they put a blanket over you. Blissfully relaxing!

And don't forget - you can still have the wine or two, just not the fag! (Smoking is a real risk factor, so giving it up completely is a Good Idea). Maybe you can put the fag money towards a better bottle of wine - upgrade from prosecco to champagne! - and turn it into a way of treating yourself to a fancier night! It might feel less like a deprivation that way.

What kind of planner are you? You sound super-organised!

I had a LLETZ in 2008 (age 35). I hadn't had a smear for 14 years (not getting into that now but I was an idiot) and had quite severely affected cells. The LLETZ worked and then I had colposcopies twice a year for 5 years, then yearly until 2016 - I'll just have a smear in a couple of years now.

In the middle of all that I had a baby in 2010 - no problems at all, they just didn't do a colposcopy while I was pregnant.

I can be nonchalant about it now but it was a very scary time and I feel for you. DH had lost family members to cancer and I felt awful about putting it on him but he was great and it all turned out to be not as scary as we'd thought in the end.

Good luck, be kind to yourself, hope all goes well. You can have LLETZ under a general if it helps - they did that with me as I'm so squeamish!

I had two LLETZ in Summer 2014. Not the most fun summer of all time, but bearable. I for pregnant with no trouble in 2015 and my daughter was born last summer. Because I'd had two procedures my remaining cervix is very short and I had extra monitoring for this. It was absolutely terrifying at the time, but I didn't need a stitch in the end.

As it turned out, the procedures had caused a lot of scarring and so when it came time for the birth I didn't dilate at all and ended up with an EMCS, so just be aware that's another possible consequence!

Just wanted to say thanks again to everyone for sharing. The LLETZ is tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous - started reading a few stories on the Jos Trust website about where LLETZ has led to a discovery of cervical cancer so keeping myself well away from anything too gory! Everything above making me feel better.

In terms of how I'm feeling, I think the concerns are in categories at the moment:

Category 1 - Long term fertility worries
Category 2 - oh god please don't let it be more serious than I think
Category 3 - general worries about going to hospital i.e. what if it goes wrong
Category 4 - recovery worries - pain, when can I have sex again
Category 5 - fuck I want a cigarette

Fertility was/is my main concern but I'm aware that's anxiety talking - prior to this I was already worrying about fertility in the lead up to TTC after the wedding so I was always going to be stressing about that.

It being more serious - to be honest that's living in a dark part of my brain which I'm not allowing any consideration because there's fuck all I can do on the chance it is.

General hospital worries - this is my own fault, I read something about it affecting sexual function that was obviously one freak experience from the states and it made me panic (see also, anaesthetic not working). This is ludicrous as I once had 9 stitches in my forehead so I'm well aware local anasthetic is fine on me!

Recovery worry is a major thing. I can't stand the idea of feeling awful for a month, let alone it being longer. DP and I have our 5 year anniversary at the beginning of October at a fancy spa hotel with shag-tactic beds and if I'm still recovering at that point I will be livid. It doesn't help that I've decided to use this opportunity to come off the pill - we talked about it for January (using condoms until after the wedding) but seeing as we're celibate for September figured I may as well. Plus (I haven't told him this) but if I've given him HpV I'd rather be on condoms so he can't reinfect me whilst I'm trying to get rid of it

The cigarette - well I was smoking 2 packs a week (40, so like 6 a day) and last week I had 6 in total (all when drunk...) so I suppose that's progress. I might be tempted to have one to steady my nerves tonight if I'm honest but I know that has to stop properly now.

It's been a funny few weeks. Almost feel like tonight is a bit of a last hurrah - long bubble bath, possible fag, sex with DP. And I feel really emotional.

I don't know why I'm still posting here! I'm not really looking for anything (although like I say it's been so reassuring reading other people's stories). Think I just need an outlet as I'm having to be strong for everyone else (parents and DP are being fab, as are the couple of friends that know, but if I collapse they're going to think it's more serious than it is, when in fact it's just me lacking resilience) And I feel like a bit of a foolish drama queen to post here when there are people with actual cancer on these boards. It just feels weird and at 28 I don't feel ready for this shit. My mental health has always been a bit variable but I've always been totally physically healthy. Feeling a bit lost I guess.

You still are physically healthy, OP. If you didn't have the Lletz you probably would never develop cancer but best to err on the side of caution

Remember that, thanks in part to the screening programme, cervical cancer is a very rare disease - so the cancers of you getting it are minute.

Hospital procedures are stressful but it's a matter of just getting it over with and accepting that you going to worry and it's perfectly normal

Condoms don't protect against HPV. It's a very common virus and your body will probably get shot of it - if you pack in the smoking 😀

Best of luck, OP - and stay off Jo's Trust!

*Chances