I am one of the many people that attended their smear test when I turned 25, and received a result that sent me spiralling. Abnormal cells were found in my cervix that could have potentially led to cervical cancer if left untreated. I was asked to attend a hospital appointment for a consultation to discuss my options.
In the meantime, so many questions were running through my head.
How did I get this?
Why has this happened to me?
How do I get rid of it?
It's important to know that the abnormal cells found (HPV) does not mean you are dirty, been sleeping around, or your partners been unfaithful, you might have HPV even if you have not been sexually active or had a new partner for many years. HPV is a common virus and most people will get it in their life. You can get it through any kind of sexual contact. HPV can go away by itself, and you may not know you ever had it before it's gone. But sometimes you will need a biopsy to get clear of the virus.
When I went to my first hospital appointment, I was very nervous. I didnt know what to expect. The first appointment was just like your first smear, the DR has a poke around your cervix to get a clearer result before making any rash decisions. My results came back the same with abnormal cells. However because it wasn't at a threatening stage, the DR was keen to let me wait another year for another smear test, because as I said before the virus can disappear by itself. When you have the biopsy they take a cm diameter from your cervix, so when you are young and haven't had babies yet, they can be a bit reluctant.
A year passed, I had another smear, results still showed abnormal cells. As you can imagine it was very upsetting and over whelming news. This time I insisted to have the biopsy. The procedure itself went fine, despite my nerves. I was told it was going to hurt by other people, which made me terrified to sit there and have it done. The worst part was the local anaesthetic injection which they give you to numb the area during the procedure. That was over in a matter of seconds, the rest, you cannot feel a thing. This still doesn't make up for the fact you have someone foraging around in your lady parts, but it does make it easier!
The hardest part for me came after the procedure. I was having painful anxiety attacks, which left me breathless. I had never experienced anything like it before, they would wake me up in the middle of the night and I thought I was having a heart attack! The after care was not great. I was told that I may experience some bleeding, if it is really heavy then to come back to the hospital, but that was it. After the procedure you are left waiting for 6 months until you are able to repeat your smear and keep your fingers crossed you have the 'all clear'.
During the 6 months I was scared to do certain things that might disrupt the healing process. It was a a challenging time. But 100% worth all of it in the end.
My smear came back as normal. FINALLY. after all the waiting. I cried tears of pure happiness that I could finally say it was normal.
Now, without me attending my smear test I would never have known I had abnormal cells. This could have grown into something much much worse, and although the ordeal of everything was stressful and upsetting at times, it would not have compared to what it could have been. So please ladies, do not ignore your smear appointments, they are not embarrassing and they could potentially save your life.
コメント