Sorry this is long. Feels like I need to offload, and have health anxiety so get preoccupied with this kind of thing
I'm 43. Had some mid cycle spotting the other week - not normal for me at all, and was concerned so paid to see consultant gynaecologist.
Consultant was reassuring but arranged tests (which are now being covered by insurance). One of the reasons I was worried about the spotting is because I had LLETZ for CIN3 in 2007 and for several years went to get yearly HPV tests alongside repeat smears. The last HPV test I had was in 2014 and since then I've just reverted to the 3 yearly recall. Last smear was 2016 and negative
However, one of the investigations was colposcopy and smear which I had this evening. He identified a small abnormal area and has biopsied it but even without the results he wants me to have another LLETZ but this time under GA rather than local - he said this is because I'd had LLETZ before.
I was a bit shocked and wish I'd asked more questions. He said he thought it was low grade and said he would tell me if he thought it might be cancer, so I hope he is right.
I'm gutted this seems to have recurred and wish I'd kept on with the HPV tests. I've been with the same partner for nearly 20 years so not being exposed to anything new and I'm assuming that the abnormality is due to dormant HPV - can that happen?
Has anyone else had CIN recur after all this time? I always kept reading that LLETZ is successful for 95% of people but does that mean success rate for first treatment or am I in the 5%?
Obviously I want rid of this but also wondering whether there might be an element of him being more happy to treat even if it is low grade because it's private rather than NHS
So anxious about this and he thinks it is not connected to the spotting so still awaiting ultrasound investigations for that