Bad Pap... Little Scared.
 

So, I had a pap in August (my first one, I was 21 then, turned 22 in Nov). So I went in for a repeat and I got the results Tuesday that it showed the same thing atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS). So they want me to go to a doctor (I just went to the NP on campus) and have a biopsy, and I'm so scared. Actually, I'm terrified! I called and got the papers faxed to the doctor today, and they are going to look at the papers and decide what to schedule me as, at least by Monday. I just wanna cry! In 2005 I had all of the std tests including a hiv test, and they were ok. I pass out when they take blood, so I don't do them every year. Especially since I've been with my bf for 3 years, (just to clear this up, no cheating has occurred) and before that I had these tests every year. So, I'm afraid. They said hpv can take years to show up, I think I'm getting myself so worked up! Sorry, I just don't have anyone here to talk to that I want to talk to about it. My bf just worries too, and my mom talks to me on the phone, but I'm away at college... So, has this happened to anyone else??

(Is this too personal??)

i don't think it is too personal.... the great thing about this place is that there are so many people with different experiences... i haven't had this personal experience but in grade 11 my doctor found a lump in my breast that she was worried about... i had to go back for tests... and everything turned out ok.. but i was sick to my stomach for WEEKS! i can relate to how you feel! it's very scary.. but regardless of what happens.. it is great that you take such great care of your body and if something does happen to turn up you have a jump start on whatever needs to be taken care of.. please keep us posted. i'll be praying that everything works out well for you!

I understand how you feel ...but try not to worry to much....ASCUS usually are some cells that look unusual and most of the time the reason is benign.
Definitely is a good idea to follow up on that....I'm sure everything will be ok;)

Thanks!! It seems to be all I can think about. I have to do something all the time to keep my mind off of it. Not the news that I wanted for the week, but I guess we'll see.

Ya know, hopefully, it'll be minor to nothing. IF it is hpv or something, there are many strands and I believe this virus is very understood, which is good news. Don't stress too much. I think you'll be fine. Try to relax a bit.

Gosh I know, thats what my bf says. He keeps me calm! Thanks gosh. I'm trying to relax, a little anyways.

Years ago I had several pap smears in 12 months. The first came back bad, but the next one a month later was fine. A third confirmed that I was OK. My Dr told me that a lot depends on who reads them and how. There was a story in the news a couple of years ago about the huge number of slides that technicians look at daily. Mistakes are fairly common, so I wouldn't be TOO concerned at this point. Take one day at a time and follow your doctor's advice.

I pray everything will be OK for you, too.

I will keep you in my prayers for good news. Try and get the test done as soon as possible so you won't have to have it hanging over you.

This just happened to me recently also actually. I had low grade cell changes and I also had a biopsy done in Nov., they found it wasn't advanced or cancerous and told me to come back in 4 months. I just went back for my repeat pap 2 weeks ago and I have to go back in again for another biopsy because it's still showing up as low grade cell changes cannot exclude more advanced cells.. whatever that means :).

I'm 23 also, and this has been my first abnormal pap ever... and it is scary. But the positive thing is, that as long as you keep up w/appointments and biopsies until the cells normalize again it won't have a chance to develop into something serious down the road :) That's what I have to tell myself when I'm freaking out :)

my thoughts are with you...good luck and please keep us posted on the results..

Gosh, I know what you mean by scary!! Well, at least I have someone to talk to about this!! I freak out so easy sometimes, and this is one of those "sometimes'

Oh I plan on it, I couldn't stand to wait very long, I'd make myself go nuts! I am going to call tomorrow to make sure they got the fax, and then Monday they'll tell me when I can come and what 'for sure' I'll be coming in for. So next week hopefully I'll be in! Thanks for the prayers!!

Thanks sooo much!! I'll keep ya'll posted!

omg! i am so sorry you are going through this! the same thing happened with me.

i take a pap biannually - that's what i was told was oky by my doc. so 2 years later (i'm 22) i go in for another one, and they say its abnormal and I have HPV. I DID NOT BELIEVE them b/c 1. i was with my bf for 3-4 years now, 2. i know he'd never cheat (i am more likely to than him :p ) 3. i've only been with 2 pple in my life so there was no way. So i go in again and have it re-done. ... the frickin bastards, did not get enough of a sample the first time - so they assumed it was HPV, and then the second time it turned out fine.

Its good that you are taking care of yourself. Try not to worry too much, b/c you don't know right now until the test results come. And its really good that your bf is helping you through this, :). gluck hun.

Yeah I am a total hypochondriac so it freaks me out so much! You'd be surprised though how many people are dealing w/this lately. My mom has much more abnormal cells than I do and she has to go through the bigger procedures like the LEEP and one of my closest friends, also 23 just found out she has abnormal cells after her pregnancy! Apparently hormones can make the virus multiply quickly or something. Anytime you need to talk I'm here.. I'm not going in for my repeat colpo/biopsy till May 3rd so I have been having pleeeeenty of time to freak out about it :). Just remember even if it stays abnormal there are ways to get rid of the cells, and hardly anyone has major complications from having an abnormal pap. As long as you continue to keep getting check ups and you're monitored it will likely never turn into a thing.

I know I have you girls beat on freaking out....lol I have been fighting off panic attacks ( I have never had these before and they are scarey! ) over a doctor's appt. I had Wed. over my leg......turns out is nothing, but I was thinking CRAZY things like they will probably have to cut my leg (s) off.....See how freaked out I get....lol!!

Anyway, I went through this not long ago and because I HATE going to a doctor I put my pap off for EIGHT years so yea it was farther along then what it should have been but, its all good now. They did a cone on me and I was FREAKING out but, there was no pain before, during, OR after. I doubt they will have to do anything to you but, even if they do it is NOT bad.

Angie

We recently covered HPV in my animal diseass course and apparently something like 50% of the population has once strain or another. I wouldn't worry too badly. :) There aren't THAT many of us dropping from cervical cancer or anything. I'm sure it will normalize.

hi there, i just wanted you to know im praying for you, this must be very scary for you, i had a total hysterctomy when i was only 22 so i know how you feel.prayers comming to you:)

There are different kinds of HPV.HPV is so common now that 2 out of ever 3 women that are sexually active have it.I was diagnosed with HPV when i was 17 and got it from my first sexual partner.They found out that i had it through a pap test that came back abnormal,i then had a biopsy and i had precancerous cells.I had a procedure that burned off the offending cells.I have had no recurrence of the cancerous cells and its been 11 years and 2 kids later.The most common type of HPV never comes back so your chances are very great that all will be ok!Good luck!

i had the same thing to happen to me
i was 9 weeks preganant with me twins and i had only had 2 partners and i had had my first son and with his dad and then i had been with my husband who i was pregannt with the twins and so there was nothign they could do becuase i was pegant and so when i delivered them i went in for me check up and found out i was preganat again with my son that passed so after everything calmed after we lost him i went in for my check up and we did a pap and it came back something spomous and i needed a biopsy and so i went in for my colposcopy biopsy and that came back very agressive and pregressing, so i then went in every 3 months and i went back 3 months later and took another test and it had jumped from a non dangerous stage to an active stage and pregressing, so i had to have my the top and bottom of my cervix cut off and i went back and had another pap and the cells are still there but unactive
and now they are back the same,

i have really bad cramping and bleeding spotting all times through the month,
i had a hard time digesting my food, using the restroom, and it was just always swollen, i was living on ibuprofen cause my uterus and cervix were so inflammed that i wasnt able to have any bowel movements due to the swelling, so i had to have a colonoscopy and i have to go in for a stomach test becuase they beleive that i had cancer and it has spread to my stomach and my colon, and possible into the rectum, not neccessarily the cancer itself but the cells they said.

and you know what they said could have cause it, just having regular sex, taking a bubble bath and sitting in the water and it has bacteria or dirty tub or water, not neccessarily dirty but you know with bacteria, having sex and then going to sleep without washing, just numberous things that for a married couple or couple in a long term relationship and its sad cause they are faithfull but im thinking alot of the hpv is caused by more than sex or multiple partners, i think it may be some form of like a yeast type infection or you know, something that causes it more than just sex cause everytime i hear someone saying they were faithful ro married and such for years and then years later they catch this i think its something that they just pick up but due to the area its in its easy to grow and progress.

but basicaly just get checked, there are some who have it and clear it and it goes away or there are some like muah who just continue with it, and just kinda get used to it. just make sure you keep taking those tests or paps cause mine went from just babysitting by the dcotor to where it was spreading and becoming active in just months.

just take care of yourself.

Well today is my biopsy, at 10:45, and I'm so nervous... :( Well I better get around and finish getting ready. I need some prayers please. Thanks so much!

Girl it'll be okay. I''ll be thinking about you. It really doesn't hurt and I had no bleeding afterwards so don't think the worst <3

I get my 2nd on May 3rd so I'm w/ya <3

You will do just fine!;)Its not that bad.I did not feel anything.

I said a prayer for you,I hope everything is ok.

HANG IN THERE !! It's common to get a bad test and I hope like in many cases it's just that - a bad test and nothing wrong....They usually will retest and hopefully you'll be A OK !!

oh hun! don't worry! no matter what happens you know, itll be oky .. def thinking about you and sending lots of prayers

my prayers are with you, i know how you feel, you wil be ok
they just told me to take lots of advil, well nots lots but start at midnight the day before and take 2 every 6 hours up to my colposcopy/ biopsy

i have had 3 done and i go next month for my fourth you will be allright
i just had some mild cramping after mine but i think it was becuase mine was on my cervix and the doc said it tends to contract after wards just becuase the cervix is so tender and sensitive.

but then when i had my surgery to remove the top and the bottom of my cervix i didnt really have any pain or aches but i did have alot of spotting light bleeding and cramping, like period cramps, but after that it went away after a few days and i havent gotten a period sense then, im going on month 5 and im like uhhhhh but im not preganant though i just got messed up somewhere.

but anyway i always tend to go off the topic but you will be all right just take it easy and relax, and they are finding that more and more are having bad tests and then the test again in a few months or they have a biopsy and they find nothing, so you should be ok but please keep us posted and if you have any questions just let us know we are all here to help you :D

Praying for good results

Well... Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement. I needed them. I had the colposcopy/ biopsy done, and will have the results next week. He seen a couple of bad spots, so we'll see. The first 2 didn't hurt, but man the last one that he took off the cervix did. OUCH!!! I got halfway there and I was like OH NO, I forgot to take pills. But no fear, I stopped got some fast acting extra strength pills.

Oh, did I mention I passed out? After they were done he said ok, are you sure your ok, some women pass out. I was like nope I am good, feeling fine. Boy was I wrong, as soon as I stood up the sweat was pouring, so I fast quick hurried and got dressed and got out the door (i was afraid I was going to pass out alone in that room), that lady looked at me and said oh, MY! Last thing I remember was her spotted black face screaming, "I NEED SOME HELP FAST!!!" Woke up on the tile floor... Boy did I feel dumb!

But my bf insisted on driving me, and my mom and grandma insisted on being there too, so I didn't have to drive thank gosh! But I was pretty white for awhile... haha

Gosh, what a day....

its ok ive done the same thing i had to have a bumb removed from my leg once and they just gave me a shot and cut the thing off it was awful. and i passed out. i made it to the secretary area to make my next apt to have my stitches out etc and totally passed out. they are prolly used to it.