Colposcopy and Self Isolating Conundrum

[FuzzyWuzzyWas]

I’ve just had the results of a smear test back, and I’m HPV positive and have severe abnormal cells (which I am completely freaking out about, but that’s not exactly what this post is for). The nurse initially offered me a colposcopy appt next week, (so obviously they want to get me in quickly), but for various reasons I couldn’t make the available times. So it’s now on the following Tuesday.

I’ve just got the letter and it appears I didn’t follow what the nurse said about self isolating. Pandemic means that I have to go for a PCR covid test on Sat 19th and then we as a family will have to self isolate until I go in on 22nd (not just me as I had mistakenly believed). As a family DH, DC1 and I are taking the twice weekly lateral flow tests, and DH and I have both had our first vaccines. (Incase that’s helpful)

Here’s my conundrum.

I am more than happy to self isolate from the Sat until the Tues. I haven’t really seen anyone or gone anywhere other than the school run anyway. But it’s the implications for the rest of the family, mainly DC1 where my conundrum lies; DC1 is in Y12 and has A level mock exams on the Monday and Tuesday which he can’t miss. It’s also Fathers Day on the Sunday and he had planned to go and see his DF (over an hour away and would need lifts), which, if we all have to isolate he’ll have to cancel. It’s not something I have shared with him and don’t feel it’s necessary, and REALLY don’t want to have explain to my ex why DC1 can’t visit!!) DC2, would also have to miss school for the Monday and they’re going on a much anticipated field trip. Talk about timing!! My DH is also self employed and would have to cancel all his work for those days. He has rearranged and cancelled things for the Tues as he will be looking after DC3 & 4.

What would you do??

It's yourself that has to isolate before the procedure not the household Iv been in a similar situation recently and I also work in a hospital. I can't imagine trusts having too different rules at this time in the pandemic. Good luck with your op :)

My DH has just had a gastroscopy and had to self isolate for 48 hours after his pcr test. Neither myself or 2 DC’s had to though.

I've had regular outpatient appointments throughout the pandemic. Every time I've been told the whole household has to isolate between swab and appointment.

OP could you stay somewhere else with someone who's happy to isolate with you? Or even in a hotel?

I was going to suggest similar to Faranth. Can you go somewhere to isolate for the few days, and leave the kids and DH to sort things between themselves?

Iv had to isolate afew times but just me, not the whole house

This rule is crazy, because you / they could of picked it up before / after the test, be a carrier not yet positive eg…
Such a silly way they do it

You isolate.
Your family carry on as normal

Although, having said that, I have wondered and would be interested to hear from anyone who understands the transmission etc...

If in OPs case, she's swabbed, is negative, but someone else in the household doesn't isolate and catches covid in the 2 days before her appointment, would they even be infectious to pass it on to OP? And if they did, would OP be infectious at the time of her appointment? If seems unlikely?

It was only my dh who had to self isolate for the two weeks before his surgery two weeks ago. We just distanced as Dd and I were working in schools.

I had to isolate last week before a hospital thing and they just said 4 days. Didn’t ask me a if I lived with anyone or had kids. Not sure how that helps as a negative test 5 days before doesn’t mean that you don’t have it 5 days later.

Ring them up and see when
Is the next date if it’s not urgent to mean a week or two would make any difference. Personally if they really mean it’s everyone had to take time off school exams and work I would make It a different day.

Dh was in for a colonoscopy today, they phoned him to ask about isolation etc but he couldn't due to work, was offered a lateral flow instead, they were totally fine with that. As it happens, he's been admitted and they've just done a pcr over 14 hours later.

I know this doesn't necessarily answer your question but I have a colposcopy on Tuesday and haven't been told to do anything before - not even take test (run's off to check and double check appointment letter).

In your circumstances I would isolate but not the rest of your household.

As someone who has just had cervical cancer - I would not stall and def go for the appointment whatever needs to be done - as others have said , I presume it should just be you that isolated. Honestly - please please please go- don't postpone xx

I've had two major ops during lockdowns and it was only me that had to isolate.

Thank you all so much for the replies!!!

I’ve just checked back through my letter and the entire household has definitely been asked to self isolate from the Sunday. Interesting that it seems different trusts have taken different stances on this.

The idea of a hotel sounds heaven!! Can’t remember the last time I had some proper me time...but DC4 is only 5m and is exclusively breastfed, DC3 is slightly easier and is 2, but not in nursery, so can’t really just up and leave them all to it.

I have just checked on the nhs digital website and I seem to be in a fairly low rate county, and locally there have been fewer than 3 cases for the past 3 weeks which is the same (less than 3 cases) for just over a 10 mile radius.

Now just need to decide whether it’s best to call them and see if they’d prefer I rearrange to a slightly better date. Or I just isolate and let DH and DCs carry on but try and distance (little ones that won’t work for) maybe we’ll all take daily LFTs?? Would that be unreasonable?

I'd go with taking daily lft. I don't think you should postpone your appointment.

It’s worth a phone call since you both have had the jabs so chances of your getting and passing it on are much lower. And I’m guessing these letters were written last year before jabs were introduced.

Can your husband and teen share a hotel room for the 3 nights? They can still go to work and school and do exams and hopefully a cheap hotel would leave you better off than not working for those two days. Or can they stay with friends or family?

@WoWsers16 💐 even the thought of having a smear test makes me feel sick/cry so the idea of colposcopy is something I’m really struggling with tbh. But just looking at my little family and thinking about worst case scenarios (I’ve cried a lot today) will get me through those doors. I don’t want to postpone.

@2020isnotbehaving I guess I could farm the teen out to a friend if it comes to it. But maybe not the most ideal for exams (for neither revision or sleep). DH was going to drive me there and have littlest ones for my appt. So while he could stay with a friend, we don’t have any family locally, I’ll still need to see him before my appt.

Hi Op, please don't stall the colposcopy. I know it's hard with the plans you have but either continue the plans and don't say anything or all self isolate. This appointment is important, I had mine and I am so glad I did (I won't go into detail, as everyone's results are different) but like you said because of the little ones, your appointment needs to be priority. I now had many more tests and OPs to come and I am so thankful I had it when I did!

The teen only needs stay overnight on the Monday night once he’s been at school he can’t come back. So just the one night not 4. You can also see DP to hand over the kids. You are not going catch it and be contagious on the way there.

@FuzzyWuzzyWas can I ask how things went?
Ive received the letter saying severe dyskaryosis and I am petrified!!! Awaiting the colposcopy appointment letter.
I had a smear last year which was positive for HPV but no abnormal cells found. I am stressing about the sudden change in one year.

Hey @Sparklytori of course. And so sorry to hear you’re stressing out. I was completely catastrophising too. So hope you’re doing ok. Hearing from colposcopy before having a letter about my smear results completely threw me too. Dr Google was also not my friend. All of the literature I read said that cervical cancers caused by HPV tend to be very slow to develop, so hope the fact that you had no abnormal cells only a year ago can be reassuring for you. I’m not convinced I would have been able to hold onto that during the wait for my appointment though. Waiting is so hard!! I had no symptoms of anything more sinister either and I was still convinced it was going to be bad news and that they would be able to obviously see that at my appt! Like I said, I completely catastrophised.

I’ve only ever had normal smears in the past, but have no idea if I had HPV before (because they’ve only just started checking for that). But have been told that the HVP strain I am positive for is a high risk one. So I’m hoping I’ve cleared it for my next smear. 🤞

The staff in the unit were absolutely lovely. I had a whole list of questions written down as backup, which is just as well because, despite her being very thorough and clear in what she was saying, I completely forgot what I wanted to know. During the procedure I also fainted during the procedure (embarrassing!!) and because of breastfeeding and all the related hormones bled quite a bit, so my appt ended up taking 3 times as long as it said on the letter. Cue several missed calls from my DH. I did ask to see the screen which really helped me (it is hugely magnified, and slightly weird to be able to see your cervix, let alone on such a large scale), but being able to see it kind of demystified it and helped me to see what was normal and what was not before the dyes went on it all looked exactly the same to me.

I obviously have to wait on the outcome of the biopsy (I had a LLETZ procedure there and then, which removed all of the abnormal cells), but she was fairly reassuring from what she saw and said something along the lines of being she pleased and surprised that the nurse who did my smear had even managed to pick up abnormal cells…presumably because it was from a small area?? Not sure… but fingers crossed it’s all fine. It’s all gone now anyway. I’m glad she was able to remove all of the abnormal area, rather than doing a small biopsy and possibly having to go back to have more removed. But maybe that’s just me.

Hope what I’ve said hasn’t made you more anxious. Take care and hope your appt goes well. There’s a forum on colposcopy and smear results www.jostrust.org.uk/ which I obsessed over before my appt and found really helpful. Likewise they have a helpline if talking might help? Good luck. X

@FuzzyWuzzyWas Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Here's hoping you get your results soon and that all is ok. You have reassured me which is what I needed
I will take a look at the link you posted.
Take care x