Hi all. Everyone on this board seems very wise and well versed concerning this topic and I need some advice. I am very young, only 20. In September I had an abnormal pap. October- 3 biopsies, then determined severe dysplasia, CIN III. My doctor recommended the cervical laser procedure. I had that done in December. My doctor recommended follow-ups every 3 months. I have had 2 seperate paps come back with ASCUS. I live in another city away from my doctor that I started treatment with. I got a second opinion from a doctor here in the city that I am living in right now. My 2nd doctor recommended another colposcopy to check it out.
He said that it is very strange and alarming to see such a young girl have such an aggressive strain. I guess I just don't know how to approach this situation. My first doctor seems to have an approach that is more laid back and it scares me. My second doctor would like to keep an eye on it and stay on top of it because of my history and the fact that I have the HPV virus. The fact that I am so young seems to alarm my doctors, which alarms me even more!
I guess I would just like a little advice from some people that understand.
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confused...
- By ps1142
- Posted June 20, 2009 at 1:07 am · 5 replies
- In Dysplasia including procedures
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- By pepsicolarocks
- Posted June 20, 2009 at 2:02 am
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Hi, PS! I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Yes, you are very young, but, unfortunately, age has absolutely nothing to do with it. Unless vaccinated, once you become sexually active, you are just as much at risk for contracting high risk HPV as anyone else and once you have it, it's anyone's guess as to how your body is going to respond to it, regardless of your age. How long had it been since you had a pap smear before the one in September that came back abnormal. It would be a bit unusual for you to have progressed to CIN III if you had a normal pap smear the year before, but then again, pap smears can be very unreliable. You stated that you have had 2 abnormal paps (ASCUS), since your laser procedure, is that correct? And you haven't had another biopsy done? This is very concerning to me! You need to listen to your second doctor and get a biopsy right away! My pap smear also came back ASCUS and I had CIN III. I don't want to alarm you, but this IS NOT something you want to ignore! Especially at your age. You have your whole life ahead of you and you owe it to yourself to stay on top of this. Please call your doctor first thing Monday morning and make that appointment! Also, why did your first doctor wait two months after finding out you had CIN III, before treating you?? Sounds to me like your first doctor was very negligent. Most every woman on this site is going to recommend that you go to a Gyn Oncologist, who specializes in this sort of thing, as opposed to just a regular OB/GYN doctor. Hope this has been helpful and let us know once you get your biopsy results. Good luck to you!!
- By flowershoplady
- Posted June 20, 2009 at 9:43 am
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hi, ps. i agree that an ascus pap should be further looked into....particularly if the hpv test is positive....and they should be doing hpv testing to see if the hpv infection is still active. an 'ecc' is also appropriate to see if there's dysplasia higher in the cervical canal than can be seen during the colpscopy. yes, you're young to have developed CIN3, but it's certainly (unfortunately!), not rare. continue to learn more about hpv and ways in which to help your body clear the hpv infection. you've found a warm and supportive group here.
- By flowershoplady
- Posted June 20, 2009 at 9:45 am
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and...an ascus pap after a cervical surgery/procedure could be due to ongoing healing and inflammation. that's why it's important to know if the hpv test is still positive!
- By ps1142
- Posted June 20, 2009 at 9:26 pm
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Thanks pepsi and flowershoplady for the help. I have a pretty low immune system so I'm sure that doesn't help matters. My last pap before the abnormal one in september was a year previous. I will definitely continue the HPV testing. I had one more question. I went to multiple doctors before deciding on my first doctor. I have heard from different doctors that the LEEP procedure can cause difficulty later in life concerning fertility and the ability to carry a baby to term. I was told that it depends on the severity of the dysplasia and the location. My doctor opted to do the laser because my dysplasia is located all around the cervix, so in order to do the LEEP procedure, my cervix would be severely compromised due to the many different locations that would be involved.
I was wondering if anyone else has heard anything about that.
- By Dragonfly23
- Posted June 21, 2009 at 2:40 pm
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I had the laser ablation of the cervix because like you it involved the entire cervix with CIN3. Since then, I have had no other cervical issues and had my daughter. My laser was in 1988 and my daughter was born in 1991.
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