I received a follow up call from my doctor's office on Friday last week. This time his actual nurse was calling me and asking "Why haven't I made an appointment to discuss my pathology reports with him"? MMmmm, I don't know, because he personally called me himself. Geez, what is the big deal? They don't realize it, but they are scaring the hell out of me!
Okay, I am going to be very frank in this blog post, so you are forewarned.....................
When the Doctor called me a couple of weeks ago, he said he could not do another LEEP because I wouldn't have any cervix left. I know, I know, that sounds awful. The reason for that is every time a LEEP is done, the Doctor burns off a thin part of the cervix with a loop that has electric current going through it. This means the cervix is burnt and there is always scar tissue. I had decided before this call that I would never have another one done anyway. It is akin to genital mutilation in my mind, even though I know it isn't, I just can't go through that again. The process is not scary but it's just invasive. That is how it feels to me anyway.
So, I explained to the nurse that the Doctor had called me and I got the impression there was no hurry. She then told me that with my history of cervical dysplasia, they want me to come into the office and talk with him and get a plan in place to move forward with the hysterectomy. They say the LEEP came back with the margins clear but there are still abnormal cells and they are not sure where they are. I don't know...I am confused about all this. I asked the nurse to check into the Insurance part for me and see what the deductible is and if I can set up payment arrangements if I have to. I am going to make an appointment for the second or third week in September to get a better understanding of what is exactly going on.
Instead of having the hysterectomy next year, it looks like I will probably have it in October instead. I will keep all of my fellow bloggers updated. Thanks for your support.
This is an important post to me because cervical cancer or any type of cancer is no laughing matter. There are so many women that suffer through this type of cancer and usually there are no symptoms until the disease has progressed. It is so important that we as women take care of our pelvic organs and have the necessary examinations to "catch" this cancer before it progresses.
I received a call from my Doctor a couple of days ago and was a bit terrified because he NEVER calls me. My Doctor told me that I could not have another LEEP done and that I would need to have a partial hysterectomy. The partial hysterectomy does not have to take place tomorrow or next month because the dysplasia is slow progressing, but next year at my 6 month follow up we will get a plan in place to take care of this before it gets worse. I have been having an issue with CIN III, which is high grade cervical dysplasia, and this is the stage before it turns into cervical cancer.
A partial hysterectomy is the removal of the cervix and
uterus but leaves the ovaries intact. I am very happy about that because
I will not have to take estrogen and I will not have a menstrual period
anymore. I am so looking forward to that. In the meantime, I am doing lots of reading about hysterectomies as to educate myself about the surgery and the healing time after.
I realize this is sensitive information but there are women out there in this great, big world that are not having yearly check ups or not going to the Doctor because they do not have health insurance. The fact that this is happening in the 21st Century is astounding!!
Sometimes I over share. I think it has a lot to do with the times in which we live. Who knows? The thing with over sharing is I don't really want to talk about this but if another woman is going through this maybe this will help her.
Since 2012 I have been having issues with dysplasia which is abnormal cells on my cervix. These abnormal cells are high-grade squamous legions, so in medical terms it's CIN III. This is the stage the cells are in before they turn into cancer which could take 10 or more years. This is why having a pap smear is vital. These screenings should be done every 1 to 3 years so if you do have abnormal cells the issue can be corrected. As of right now I have to go every 6 months again.
This is scary to me because my Mother had Stage III cervical cancer when she was in her early 30's. She had to have a radical hysterectomy so I am very cautious when it comes to the health of my female pelvic organs.
There are several ways to get rid of the abnormal cells. I have had the LEEP procedure done twice. This procedure removes abnormal tissue by cutting it away using a thin wire loop that carries electrical current. Sounds scary but it's not really that bad. My OBGYN is a great doctor so I feel very comfortable with him. During this last procedure, he said he would not be able to do it again because there are only so many times a LEEP can be done. Obviously there is scar tissue. If the problem persists I will have to get a hysterectomy. Nothing radical, maybe partial.
There are a lot of great websites with information regarding this topic. Here is a list:
1. The Mayo Clinic website
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cervical-cancer/expert-answers/cervical-dysplasia/faq-20058142
2. Medicine Net
http://www.medicinenet.com/cervical_dysplasia/article.htm
3. US National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001491.htm
4. Hopkins Medicine (Leep Procedure)
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/test_procedures/gynecology/loop_electrosurgical_excision_procedure_leep_92,P07780/
5. The New York Times (Explains CIN III/cell changes)
http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/cervical-cancer/print.html
I hope this information will help someone out there in the blog world. Please make sure you are getting regular check ups and take care of your health!
I'm not a Doctor, but I play one on T.V..........
As women, we need to make sure that we are getting annual check-ups in regards to gynecological and breast exams. Having these exams could save our lives. These exams are important because they are a screening tool and if there are any abnormalities in the test the doctor will definitely call you back in for further examination.
So many women die from breast cancer and the statistics are staggering. Before I started blogging I was reading a blog written by Lisa Bonchek Adams and she detailed the treatments that she would go through and she would talk about how she felt having this type of cancer. She passed away a few months ago and when she did it hurt me. I felt as if I knew her through her posts. Here is a link to her blog so please go and check it out.
http://lisabadams.com/
Another type of cancer that affects women is cervical or ovarian cancer. Having your annual pap tests helps when it comes to detecting this type of cancer. I do not know what the statistics are concerning this type of cancer. My mother had cervical cancer at the age of 33 and it was Stage III if I am not mistaken. She has told me that the year before her pap test came back normal and then the following spring, she said she had a sore spot under her navel and it was very tender to the touch. She also has said that her legs began to buckle when she would walk and she was dog tired all the time.
The best source of information is with the CDC or cancer.org I am assuming. So, here is their link.
http://www.cancer.org/healthy/findcancerearly/womenshealth/earlydetectionofspecificcancers/nbccedp
