Had The Cervical Biopsy Today

[MightyMouse]

Okay, I did it...and without an meds on board. He had to take 3 biopsies from my cervix and one from the vaginal wall--that one REALLY hurt...

and thanks for the empathies and sympathies you expressed in your replies to my post about not sleeping b/c I was anticipating the procedure.

I also had a discussion with my doc about what happens next. If this set of biopsies comes back problematic, the next procedure will be in the hospital so they can take a cone biopsy of the entire cervix. He was guessing I wouldn't need that because the cells I have are in the slower growth, lower risk cancer risk group. I've had many of these procedures before and seem to come up with the precancerous pap's every 3 or 4 years, although this time is was less than a year between biopsies--and only 3 months between bad paps.

So, now I'm a big cramp and, of course, a bit tired. Glad i took a half of a sick day to come home and chill out. I think this calls for an ice pack on my lower abdomen....

Nina

[carlacat]

Sorry you had to go thru that...I had my yearly pap last week and my mamogram today. I didnt enjoy either one of them..thats for sure.

[Sophia3]

YIKES!!! Sorry to hear about snips!

The OB surg I saw today was nice and just wanting to do a hysterescope with saline aftet the TVU!! I am SO ACHEY from PMS in the nether region, I could NOT RELAX...the nurse said after I was bouncing around like a trampoline. So he could not do that and didn't want to force the issue and hurt me. And he saw enough junk to know I NEED surgery anyhoo.

I still ache....I even commented to this doc about biopsies, and he said he knows they are painful even tho many docs think UTERus has no NERVES.!! He said they know different now. He tries to do all those under anesthesia because with the vaginal ultrasound if he knows ANY procedure needs to be done, he will wait and do the ouchie thing then. I can't believe with 4 motrin and a pediatric dose of xananx, i could NOT relax. I shoulda taken 4 xanax since they are just .25!

Can't imagine what you went thru.

I can NOT imagine thinking about that before a procedure either.

Good luck.

[MightyMouse]

Thanks for your well wishes... and I'll tell you what, my doc is the old kind that thinks it's just like a cramp. Yeah, NOT. I had trouble relaxing and made him stop in the begining, take out the speculum and start again b/c the position it was in was killing me worse than what I knew was coming next.

I'm totally wiped out, to be completely honest. And, even though I've had these done before, I'm bleeding a lot more. I was startled when I got home and went to the girls room...and had to change.

I put off scheduling this one--I was supposed to have it done in January and I cancelled because I was just not up for the pain--but then I gave in and resceduled because I kept telling myself how stupid I'd be if it ended up being cancer this time and I just chose to ignore it. I know someone who died from cervical cancer, which is SO treatable, just because she was too embarassed and shamed about her body and didn't go to the doctor. Keeping that in mind, I dialed the phone and set my new appointment.

I'm going to insist on being unconscious for the next one. I think it's the only way that I can be more proactive about my reproductive health.

Nina

[Sophia3]

yep, find a more compassionate doc that gives sedation for it at least. That is SO COLD!!!!!!

A ******* prostate exam. Right.

**** the **** speculum hurt me today and i told him to get the pediatric sized (he and my old nurse buddy laughed) and they had the smallest they had since I never had kids.

Maybe you shoulda offered to jam the speculum up his nether region and see how he liked that part.

[rdslots]

If it makes you feel any better, my husband says the snips that come with the prostate biopsy are just as painful. (I, uh, want to know how he knows that but, hey! he has a heart, sweet fellow!)

I actually got out of my second cervical biopsy when the OB/GYN walked in on me trying to get myself together over it. Like you, I had myself so worked-up over the pain until I could hardly stop bawling just for thinking about it. Irritated the heck out of me to think he would subject me to that again, if he had already decided I needed a LEEP anyway. They get paid per procedure, no?

You never saw an OB/GYN get such a tongue-lashing as the one I gave him after my daughter was born and I found out that I should have received "something for the pain" when he had to go after the placenta (can you even imagine? I still tear-up just thinking about it.). I didn't know any better and just screamed by head off. My closest friend later tried to tell me she "knew the moment the baby was born!" by my blood-curdling screams.

Weeks later for my postpartum checkup, I asked him about it, and he said he "figured" I had enough pain medication in my system. I reminded him I opted for natural childbirth.

Sorry, Nina. Take two sledge-hammers and hit him in the head in the morning.

[Roselover]

MM - hope you're fast asleep as I'm writing this. It'll probably take you a few days just to get over the stress of this so relax and let it pass! Pour yourself a nice cup of tea and breathe deep and remind yourself that "you made it!". That's my presciption!

Thinking of you!

~Roselover

[bttrflyamby1981]

so sorry you had to go through that.

I don't know what's worse, the pain or the waiting for results.

Amber

[cnm1]

As someone who does colposcopy; sedation is unnecessary for the vast majority of people. When I do colpo, it takes 10 min max; 1-2 min may cause severe menstrual cramps. Most people don't feel much with the actual biopsies (actually many don't feel them at all), it is the endocervical sampling that cause the cramping. Numbing the cervix is actually more painful than the procedure. Maybe 2x year, does someone need sedation. I do hundreds of colpos. I think a lot depends on the atmosphere the procedure is done in. I am very relaxed - this is not open heart surgery and you can tell just looking at the cervix that cancer is not an issue. I actually have to stop sometimes because I get people laughing so much!!

Louise

[MightyMouse]

Louise, I know that many women don't have any problem. For some reason, even my paps are painful. My former doc used to keep a swab of topical anesthetic on hand for immediately after she finished the pap. It's excruciating for me, and causes vagal nerve stimulation. It's like someone sucker punched me in the gut and stabbed me in the nether region. Been that way from my very first pap, and for my first colp, I nearly passed out during the procedure because I was just expecting a hard cramp, not soul searing pain. And, my doctor and I joke around a lot during the procedure--I am as relaxed as possible given the circumstances. Yesterday, I was teasing him b/c he's now on a billboard that I see every day--I was calling him posterboy, and telling him to stop staring at me every day on the highway.

I think another issue is that I've never been pregnant or had kids, so my parts don't have as much "give" as most other women my age (41)--although you'd think they would b/c of my EDS...whatever

If you knew me, you'd know that I have a very high pain threshold--I had a right heart catheterization while completely awake, only topical anesthetic on my neck--no injectable anything b/c they didn't want to affect my catecholamine release during the procedure--they were doing blood draws directly from my heart's coronary sinus. A-lines and intravenous lines always start my vessels spasming--painful, but I can deal with it w/o any meds--and have many times. I laid in a PET scanner at NIH with my vessels spasming, lines in both arms, out like I was pinned to a cross, for eight straight hours. I actually fell asleep in there! Even though I was not required to get out of bed until day two after my spinal surgeries, I got out and walked around just hours afterward--even when the graft was taken out of my hip. I live with constant pain in my neck, upper back, knees--my joints spontaneously dislocate from normal activity, and I've been able to get them back in myself or have Teri do it for me. I've dislocated my jaw numerous times chewing or yawning, and am able to pop it back into place myself. For some reason, the GYN procedures produce so much pain and despite breathing and trying to do a little meditation beforehand, I now have a bad history of so much pain with these procedures that I can't seem to focus enough on something else.

Okay, 'nuf of my ramblings. Bottom line--I don't know why it hurts so much, but it definitely does.

Nina

[corina]

nina,

i hope you feel better today.

can you stay at home for another (part of the) day, or do you have to jump in your car and go to work???

corina

[MightyMouse]

Have to be at work

I'm still crampy and bleeding, but much better than yesterday, even if I am developing what appears to be a cold. Got the sore through and stuffy nose in the middle of the night.

also, if I didn't say it already, I appreciate all the feedback. I should have also said to Louise that I was kind of giggling to myself that my response to the colpo is yet ANOTHER thing where I fall somewhere outside of the norm--perhaps I shouldn 't be surprised at that one, eh?

Nina

[corina]

nina, you ARE a medical mystery!!!!

corina : )

[cnm1]

Nina

There are certainly women for whom that even the paps are really painful - some even faint. It is really rare though. - I don't want people thinking paps or even colpo is that painful for most. I have women come in shaking and crying they are so scared. For most - it is just an unpleasant procedure/awkward position.

I have only done one colpo on someone with a dysautonomia - though she did not tell me that before we started unfortunately!! She did faint. I have no doubt that these procedures are much harder on women with dysautonomias. It is definitely not some thing that you have control over.

Louise

[MightyMouse]

Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one Louise! I think I was up all the night before because I knew how much I was going to hurt. Also, he usually only takes one or two pieces, but this time he took 3 off the cervix and then the one from the wall really hurt badly. I'm still bleeding today and crampy, which is unusual for me--I'm usually fine by the next day. Ah...aging. Aint it lovely?

[gdomaracki]

Oh dear, you poor thing! I hope your up and feeling better soon.

Nicole

[BuddyLeesWife]

I have had those biopsies and yes OWIE is a kind word for it. It was over 10 years ago and when I read your post my body tensed up. It would be difficult for me to schedule for another knowing how painful it was for me. I remember the male doctor saying it would "pinch" and I also remember the remale nurse rubbing my arm saying "no, it will hurt". One of my friends has had 4 children and additional complicated pregnancies and she claims the biopsy hurt her more. So, you are not alone.