After leep procedure

I received some very exciting news from my doctor today - my LEEP results came back and my margins were clear! I’ve been receiving bad news for almost a year now, so I’m so, so happy to finally get some happy news.
Everything started almost a year ago in June when my Pap results came back abnormal. I technically wasn’t even supposed to get a Pap for another year and a half (based on the 3 year guideline for my age at the time - 25), but since I was going to a new doctor I decided to get one anyway. I’ve never had any fear about what the results of my Pap would be - very naive, but I just didn’t think it was common at all to have abnormalities. I was shocked and terrified when I got those results. My results were “Atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.” I was told I needed a colposcopy and when I made my appointment the quickest they could see me was a month away. I didn’t know how I was going to make it the month without an answer. The day before my appointment my doctor’s office called me and said I needed to reschedule because my doctor was sick, and the next available appointment was another month away. I couldn’t believe it. And then, a few days before the rescheduled appointment my doctor’s office called me AGAIN and said it needed to be rescheduled AGAIN! I didn’t end up getting my first colposcopy until September.
I was terrified to go to my first colposcopy appointment, but I didn’t feel any pain and it was very quick. My doctor seemed hopeful, and said there was only one little spot. Unfortunately, I received the results a few days later which showed CIN-2. Once again, shocked and terrified. My doctor explained I could wait 6 months to see if it regressed or I could proceed with the LEEP. I was terrified to move forward with such an invasive procedure, so I opted to wait the 6 months and receive another colposcopy.
My second colposcopy was in April. I was once again terrified. The procedure went well with no pain and again, my doctor seemed hopeful. I was told if it stayed the same or got better we could continue to monitor it, but if it got worse, I would need a LEEP. I received the results a few days later and it showed CIN-3. These results hit me the hardest out of all of them.
My LEEP took place last Wednesday. I was given the choice to receive local anesthetic or general anesthesia, and I decided I would do it in the doctor’s office awake with the local anesthetic. I had pain free experiences with the colposcopy and I was told I wouldn’t feel anything, so I thought this was the right choice. I took 600mg of ibuprofen before my appointment as instructed, and felt nervous but overall okay. First came the local anesthetic, which I’ve read can be very painful. I din’t feel too much pain, but all of a sudden my legs were involuntarily shaking and I felt an extreme wave of anxiety. Next came the LEEP, which they had to do 3 passes. Each time they did it I felt extreme pain. After the first pass, I was heavy breathing, trying to breathe through the pain and keep myself calm. However, the nurse didn’t seem to like that and told me “You need to calm down! You’re going to make yourself sick! You shouldn’t be feeling anything!” That made me so unbelievably angry because 1. I am breathing heavily because I’m trying to calm myself down and 2. I certainly feel pain. The whole experience felt so barbaric. I truly regret not opting for the general anesthesia.
It took just under a week to receive the results. I felt so defeated after receiving continuous bad news that I had pretty much already accepted the results would be less than ideal. I received the call from my doctor today and the first thing she said was “I have good news.” I cried so many happy tears and felt a sense of relief that I haven’t felt in so long.
Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their experiences here. I felt so alone when I first received my results, but I felt like I had a support system here, hearing from so many women going through the same thing. Much love.

I am scheduled for my first LEEP procedure at my OB’s office (just local anesthesia) and am wondering about the difficulty of this procedure for a doctor and the level of experience it requires. I live in a small town in the US, and my clinic has five OBs. After a quick search, I found that about 150 LEEP procedures are performed annually at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Given that, I estimate my OB probably performs about 5 LEEP procedures each year. Should I consider having the LEEP performed at a hospital where the doctors might have more experience?
My most recent colposcopy results showed two areas of focal high-grade squamous dysplasia (CIN-2 to 3) on my cervix. I am a 40F and have tested positive for HPV since 2013, unable to clear the infection. I have undergone three colposcopies in the past: 2019 showed no dysplasia, 2020 showed no dysplasia, and 2024 indicated CIN-2 to 3.
I just had my first baby a couple of months ago. I still want to have another baby in 2-3 years, if my body allows it.

Hello
25F, 130lbs, 5’10”, no tobacco, MMJ user, hydrocodone and oxyxodone as needed, cyclobenzaprine, protonix
If you read this thank you so much because I’m absolutely desperate and my doctors are tired of me and I think they think I only want pain meds. I don’t, I just want to feel better. I have a huge stash of emergency oxycodone anyway so I barely even need them for that.
On 12/15 I fell down the stairs and hit the lower of my middle back quite hard. 12/19 I had a LEEP done, 01/06 I came down with extreme urinary issues and between then and now have been back 6 times, seen 4 specialists and have seen my PCP at least ten times for urine samples. I’ve also only been able to attend my full time job for 43 days so far this year and have no more money for copays and if it weren’t for my ADA paperwork, I’d have been fired a long time ago
Over the last two weeks, it’s been taking me up to two hours to produce urine while having a full (and very sore - mostly left side) bladder. This is infuriating. When I do end up finally feeling the need to release, I have less than 3 minutes to get to a restroom before my vision starts going spotty from the bladder pressure pain.
My urologist ordered a cystoscopy, but has been blaming my 3mm kidney stone until I begged for an ultrasound last month of my bladder. Found bladder wall thickening and bladder cyst / possible urachal remnant.
I found out what Cuada equina is today. I learned that it is very very commonly missed. I can barely walk, and at the music festival I went to over the weekend I had to use ADA for just about everything. I look completely normal so I got judged pretty hard, but I do have paperwork. I have been losing weight without much diet change and my back has been killing me as well. I feel so weak. My urine flow is so small compared to what it used to be. I had a period of time where the pain was so bad, I couldn’t feel my clitoris or labia at all so sex was pointless as well, and I thought I’d lose my relationship and be alone forever. They send me to an OB-Oncologist who said not to come back, which is why my urologist finally agreed to check my bladder.
Is it possible that all my issues are related to the cyst and thickening, or could this be cuada equina that was missed on multiple CT’s? I can’t find info on bladder cysts. using retention. When is the appropriate time to go to the hospital? I can barely walk without pain meds. I urinated about 40 times on Saturday, with my usual being 10-20 times, and some days there’s very little pain or urgency at all, but the retention is almost always there to some extent.
It almost feels like the part of my brain that controls my bladder doesn’t work anymore because no matter how hard I tell my bladder to release, it just doesn’t happen sometimes and I can’t get comfortable after that. I’ve slept a total of 4 hours since Saturday morning and I only have one hydrocodone left. Pyridium does NOTHING except for when burning pain presents, and I can’t take NSAIDS until my GI clears me due to extreme gas, constipation and bloating / belching thought to be caused by peptic ulcers. I can’t walk at this point without pain meds, but the ER always releases me with the same DX of cyst and bladder wall thickening and tells me they have no clue what that means. But I’m in so much pain I feel like there has to be something they can do other than give me fluids and monitor me for an hour or two until I can get to my cystoscopy next week.
If you have any advice for me I really appreciate it. I don’t want to die but I feel the only way out of lifelong urinary pain after 6 months now is suicide. The only time suicide doesn’t cross my mind a couple times is when I do end up having to take a pain pill. In March, I had to take oxy every day. I only take them now when I can’t walk because the effects are too strong for me to keep my life in order while taking them every day. But this weekend I have had the most trouble walking, and using the restroom, since all of these issues began.
I can’t afford any more specialists visits after my procedure, so I really wish the ER could do something for me as they’re the only ones who won’t turn me away for not having money at this point. My GI doc actually canceled my appointment because I don’t have $20 and I’ve been putting off another ultrasound because it’s $200 up front. IDK what to do but I’m pretty sure this is how a lot of people end up on fent and heroin - if I had been denied pain meds this far I would have turned to the streets, and that’s coming from someone who has chosen - on their own - to quit most drug related and extracurricular activities to better their life at a young age and is much happier for it.
I can’t even get the ER to catheterize me when I can’t urinate for 6+ hours at a time. What gives? Why won’t they run a different imaging test? They wouldn’t even give me a breath test for h pylori recently and now I’m waiting a month for an appointment I can’t even afford.
TL;DR extreme bladder pain, nobody understands why, extreme difficulty urinating, ER can’t do anything for me and awaiting surgery. Is there anything I can say or do to get proper medical attention or can the ER really not touch your bladder like they say? Is there a way I can convince them to admit me so I could see a urologist before my procedure? My urologist is unavailable until my follow-up and I don’t think the company they work for allows them to Rx narcotics and I’m against taking more than 1 oxycodone a week at this point but so far have been unsuccessful in getting something weaker like hydro or tramadol.

I had both a LEEP and an IUD replacement on April 8th, I am supposed to get a transvaginal ultrasound to confirm the placement of the IUD so I've booked it for May 15th so I'll be 5 weeks and a few days post LEEP. I'm currently on my period but I think it should lighten up by then, however, I'm still quite crampy and with a full bladder I can imagine those cramps will be worse. Has anyone had a transvaginal ultrasound after LEEP and wouldn't mind sharing their experience? Do you think nearly 6 weeks is enough time for healing? I'm still mentally recovering from the initial procedure so my anxiety is quite high.

Hi all! I’ve posted before and wanted to share a hopeful update to help anyone in need.
At 24, I was diagnosed with CIN2/3. I received a LEEP procedure and had 3 (oof) follow-up colposcopies every six-months afterwards. After the 3 colposcopies came back clear and negative for HPV, I am now on yearly Paps + HPV co-test!
I want to restate that this is the expected outcome for these treatments. My advice? Ask your doctors questions, don’t doom scroll, and have faith in the process. You WILL be okay, it just takes a little time.

I read a lot of posts here before and after my procedure and they helped me a lot. Thank you for sharing your stories! I wanted to share some bits of my experience, too. So maybe this can be useful to someone the way other stories were useful to me.

1. Recovery after LEEP

First of all, LEEP is a method and it can be used to get samples of a different sizes. So two people can have completely different recovery experience after the same procedure. For instance, some have a really tiny part of cervix taken, like 0,5 cm deep and 1cm in diameter. In my case, that was way bigger, almost 2,6 cm in diameter. Of course, the bigger the piece taken — the harder the recovery. In my case, it took 2,5 weeks before I felt totally fine and was not scared of lifting things and of spotting my clothes with blood. So don't compare yourself to others blindly.

1. The scab

That brown thing in the first few days is not a scab. That's a medicine used to stop your cervix from bleeding. The scab falls off in 10-14 days and most probably will cause some bleeding, like a period. I got really scared when that happen as I read posts here and thought that brown thing was a scab. But my doctor clarified this to me, so I share the answer I got. And yes, check the bleeding carefully: If it is less intense than 1 soaked pad/hour for at least 2 hours in a row — you are good.

1. Anesthesia

I had my LEEP done under general anesthesia and I was happy I did. To be honest, enough of anxiety for me. But this was not mine decision to make — my OB GYN insisted I have it this way, because this makes work more comfortable for her and because a piece they took from me was quite big.

1. Pathology/Histology

Mine came in a week with a call from my OB GYN, who said those scary words "adenocarcinoma" but then added "in situ" (AIS). That's "in situ" is a huge difference actually. It means, that this is basically stage 0 cancer, when you can count yourself very, very lucky because it hasn't spread any further. In my case, I also got positive margins for CIN3, which is not good and means that in any case I'd need to repeat a procedure. However, most of women will get their results all clear but if you like me got AIS + CIN3 results — consider looking at it from this angle. You are extremely lucky to catch it early. Really.

1. Protocol for AIS.

Soon after my results came, I had an appointment with the CYN ONC. Basically, the protocol is pretty straight forward in cases like this. The best option is total hysterectomy, that saves the ovaries so I won't go into menopause (I am 38). The second option, in a case I want preserve my fertility, is to have CKC and hope for the negative margins. In case they are not, the procedure is repeated until they are (hopefully, because in some cases they are not ecen after repeated CKCs). For each procedure, you need to recover for 6 weeks and then have it all repeated. After the negative margins achieved, you have to be under close medical attention and have your PAP smears every 6 months. After you are done with the children, you recommended to have your hysterectomy still as there is still a risk to have skipped lesions. Those are the two options in a cases like this.

1. Hysterectomy

I opted for hysterectomy because with the AIS there is a risk that deeper in the uterus there is another focal of AIS or more advanced cancer that can go unnoticed. This is why hysterectomy is the most reliable option. I don't have children and now I try to find my peace with the fact that I will never have (or I'll suddenly become very rich and realize a complicated scheme with my frozen eggs and a surrogate mother). That's sad and all, but at the same time, I feel lucky and grateful for that I have a possibility to have it diagnosed on time and to have the treatment. There are a lot of women in the world who don't have this luxury. I am lucky and super glad I had that PAP test done, that (hopefuly) saved me from the advanced cancer in the future.
This is my experience so far. My surgery is scheduled at the end of June. Two more periods and it's over. Of course, I feel sad and I still need to work it through with my psychotherapist. But I am telling myself that with uterus or without, I am beautiful, worthy, happy and I'll have a wonderful life. That's the goal. Now, fingers crossed for the easy surgery, good pathology results and quick recovery afterwards.

Hi all 30f, this is more so me needing to vent, but also, your opinion on if my feelings are somewhat justifiable. Okay so I had a MMC at 9 weeks back in September of 2023. Fast forward to January & February of 2024, I had 2 CP's back to back (blood work confirmed in doctor office) and then another CP last month. I called my doctor and wanted to get more tests ran on me since I have been experiencing all of these losses and want to get down to what is causing them. So, I go in to the doctor (mind you this is the doctor I was seeing in September during the MMC) and she asks how many pregnancies have I had? I said well, the CP's I came in and got blood work for and then the MMC and if you add my two living children then 5. She made a comment that my chart was not updated, and she would update it now. To me that was a red flag because as my doctor, you should be studying my chart before I go in for my appointment and updating it as I come into your office, not after you ask me questions before every appointment!
Well, they just called again and said they want to discuss my pap results that I just had in their office. She said it was abnormal and if I had ever had an abnormal pap before.. Ya'll I about lost it. I was literally in their office for a re-pap because of the biopsy I had of my cervix 6 months ago from another abnormal pap. READ MY CHART BEFORE YOU CALL ME!!!! Do your due diligence as a doctor!! Also, not to mention, when I first started seeing this doctor, I told them that in the past, I had a LEEP procedure for my HPV. I'm assuming, they never updated my chart with that information either.
At the end of the day, I feel like the doctor should've called me and said, hey, you know what, it looks like there may be an issue let's get you in for some additional testing to figure out why you are not staying pregnant. Being a woman is so hard :/

Well, I thought I had escaped what people were talking about with the odor after a LEEP procedure.
Today is Day 5 post-LEEP and I feel like I stink. I keep giving myself sponge baths and still feel gross. I think it smells like old blood, it's hard to explain. Either way, I'm not a happy camper.
When did your post-LEEP odor go away?

I’m about to have my first at a surgical center next week. I’ve had general anesthesia and surgeries before so I’m not nervous about that part, but nervous about the recovery from the actual procedure. I have a pretty hard time after colposcopies with a ton of pain and bleeding so I’m particularly nervous for LEEP
WHAT ARE THINGS THAT YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE YOUR FIRST LEEP?
WHAT HELPED YOU DURING RECOVERY?
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO RECOVER?
WHAT ABOUT YOUR RECOVERY DIDN’T GO AS EXPECTED?

37F. 5'2 height. 145 pounds.
Medications: Norelgestromin-ethinyl estradiol (Birth control patch), SUMAtriptan (for occasional migraines)
Vitamins: Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Omega-3, L-Theanine, Vitam K2 + D3, Berberine and Myo-Inositol & D-Chiro Inositol
Smoking Status: Ex-smoker
Current Medical Issues: PCOS.
I'm 37, married, never had children and don't intend to have children. I live in Washington State. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20s and therefore have been on birth control for most of my adult life in order to have a regular period. I take supplements daily as well to manage PCOS symptoms.
When I was 22 I had an abnormal pap and had my first colposcopy. It was excruciating. One of the biopsy sites continued to bleed to the point where I woke up in a pool of blood that night. I took myself to the ER only to have an ER doctor tell me, "Well, I can't see your cervix because there's a clot." He then sent me home. The next morning I was in agonizing pain and my mom told me to go to the walk-in clinic. The sweet doctor there removed the clot and was astonished that the ER doctor sent me home. I was fairly traumatized after that experience.
I moved Central Washington when I was 26. At 27 I had another abnormal pap. Had to have another colposcopy. It was also excruciating. I was bawling on the table. I vowed to never see that same OBGYN again due to her lack of empathy and general dismissal of my pain. Since then I have only had my annuals done with my GP. They have been normal.
However, last week I had an annual and the results came back again as abnormal. Specifically, "Atypical Squamous Cells, cannot exclude High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion - No HPV".
My GP sent me to OB for a consult and sadly, the only doctor that was available was the same OB that I vowed to never see again. Today was just a consult for a colposcopy. I told her how there was no way that I could stand another biopsy without being sedated. She said the best they can do is give me an anti-anxiety and one pain pill. IV sedation is not something they offer and in her words, "I don't know anywhere that offers that for a colposcopy." I told her that I thought it was archaic that you can get IV sedated when you have your wisdom teeth out, but not when chunks of your cervix are being removed. It wasn't a great consult. I cried. She stared at me uncomfortably as I cried. She said that in the past, my abnormal results were "low grade" and resolved themselves, but she was concerned about the lack of HPV and that although she's seen this result occasionally, they want a biopsy done immediately to rule out pre-cancer or cancer. She tried to make me feel better by saying that if they come back pre-cancer or cancer, I would be IV sedated with a LEEP procedure. Not sure that makes me feel better.
I think I should also note that I asked my GP to test my cortisol levels at my last appointment with her. They came back high, so I have to go and have a dexamethasone suppression test in two weeks. When I read more about high cortisol levels, I spiraled thinking I might have Cushing's Syndrome or Disease. Just as I was acclimating to this news, I get the news for the abnormal pap. Needless to say, I'm having a difficult time. I've always been fairly healthy and this is all kind of scary.
I'm so frustrated. Not only by the lack of pain management, but by feeling ignored and dismissed. So I guess I'm wondering:

• Has anyone had a similar reaction to having a colposcopy? If so, did anti-anxiety and pain meds help with the procedure.
• If you live in Washington State, have you heard of sedation for a colposcopy, if so where?
• Has anyone had similar abnormal pap results? Did you need to have a LEEP?

Update: I think I've decided that I need to see a new OBGYN, rather than the one I saw today. I just looked at my chart notes and she completely ignored the fact that I told her Xanax doesn't work for me and has it in my notes that she's prescribing .05mg of Xanax before the procedure. That's not going to do anything. So logically, I need to find someone who will actually listen to me. This sucks.

This might be long, so I apologize in advance. I'm hoping that I can get some guidance or positive feedback from members of this group regarding the next steps after having an abnormal pap.
Some background:
I'm 37, married, never had children and don't intend to have children. I live in Washington State. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20s and therefore have been on birth control for most of my adult life in order to have a regular period. I take supplements daily as well to manage PCOS symptoms.
When I was 22 I had an abnormal pap and had my first colposcopy. It was excruciating. One of the biopsy sites continued to bleed to the point where I woke up in a pool of blood that night. I took myself to the ER only to have an ER doctor tell me, "Well, I can't see your cervix because there's a clot." He then sent me home. The next morning I was in agonizing pain and my mom told me to go to the walk-in clinic. The sweet doctor there removed the clot and was astonished that the ER doctor sent me home. I was fairly traumatized after that experience.
I moved Central Washington when I was 26. At 27 I had another abnormal pap. Had to have another colposcopy. It was also excruciating. I was bawling on the table. I vowed to never see that same OBGYN again due to her lack of empathy and general dismissal of my pain. Since then I have only had my annuals done with my GP. They have been normal.
However, last week I had an annual and the results came back again as abnormal. Specifically, "Atypical Squamous Cells, cannot exclude High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion - No HPV".
My GP sent me to OB for a consult and sadly, the only doctor that was available was the same OB that I vowed to never see again. Today was just a consult for a colposcopy. I told her how there was no way that I could stand another biopsy without being sedated. She said the best they can do is give me an anti-anxiety and one pain pill. IV sedation is not something they offer and in her words, "I don't know anywhere that offers that for a colposcopy." I told her that I thought it was archaic that you can get IV sedated when you have your wisdom teeth out, but not when chunks of your cervix are being removed. It wasn't a great consult. I cried. She stared at me uncomfortably as I cried. She said that in the past, my abnormal results were "low grade" and resolved themselves, but she was concerned about the lack of HPV and that although she's seen this result occasionally, they want a biopsy done immediately to rule out pre-cancer or cancer. She tried to make me feel better by saying that if they come back pre-cancer or cancer, I would be IV sedated with a LEEP procedure. Not sure that makes me feel better.
I think I should also note that I asked my GP to test my cortisol levels at my last appointment with her. They came back high, so I have to go and have a dexamethasone suppression test in two weeks. When I read more about high cortisol levels, I spiraled thinking I might have Cushing's Syndrome or Disease. Just as I was acclimating to this news, I get the news for the abnormal pap. Needless to say, I'm having a difficult time. I've always been fairly healthy and this is all kind of scary.
I'm so frustrated. Not only by the lack of pain management, but by feeling ignored and dismissed. So I guess I'm wondering:

• Has anyone had a similar reaction to having a colposcopy? If so, did anti-anxiety and pain meds help with the procedure.
• If you live in Washington State, have you heard of sedation for a colposcopy, if so where?
• Has anyone had similar abnormal pap results? Did you need to have a LEEP?

Update: I think I've decided that I need to see a new OBGYN, rather than the one I saw today. I just looked at my chart notes and she completely ignored the fact that I told her Xanax doesn't work for me and has it in my notes that she's prescribing .05mg of Xanax before the procedure. That's not going to do anything. So logically, I need to find someone who will actually listen to me. This sucks.

This might be long, so I apologize in advance. I'm hoping that I can get some guidance or positive feedback from members of this group regarding the next steps after having an abnormal pap.
Some background:
I'm 37, married, never had children and don't intend to have children. I live in Washington State. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20s and therefore have been on birth control for most of my adult life in order to have a regular period. I take supplements daily as well to manage PCOS symptoms.
When I was 22 I had an abnormal pap and had my first colposcopy. It was excruciating. One of the biopsy sites continued to bleed to the point where I woke up in a pool of blood that night. I took myself to the ER only to have an ER doctor tell me, "Well, I can't see your cervix because there's a clot." He then sent me home. The next morning I was in agonizing pain and my mom told me to go to the walk-in clinic. The sweet doctor there removed the clot and was astonished that the ER doctor sent me home. I was fairly traumatized after that experience.
I moved Central Washington when I was 26. At 27 I had another abnormal pap. Had to have another colposcopy. It was also excruciating. I was bawling on the table. I vowed to never see that same OBGYN again due to her lack of empathy and general dismissal of my pain. Since then I have only had my annuals done with my GP. They have been normal.
However, last week I had an annual and the results came back again as abnormal. Specifically, "Atypical Squamous Cells, cannot exclude High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion - No HPV".
My GP sent me to OB for a consult and sadly, the only doctor that was available was the same OB that I vowed to never see again. Today was just a consult for a colposcopy. I told her how there was no way that I could stand another biopsy without being sedated. She said the best they can do is give me an anti-anxiety and one pain pill. IV sedation is not something they offer and in her words, "I don't know anywhere that offers that for a colposcopy." I told her that I thought it was archaic that you can get IV sedated when you have your wisdom teeth out, but not when chunks of your cervix are being removed. It wasn't a great consult. I cried. She stared at me uncomfortably as I cried. She said that in the past, my abnormal results were "low grade" and resolved themselves, but she was concerned about the lack of HPV and that although she's seen this result occasionally, they want a biopsy done immediately to rule out pre-cancer or cancer. She tried to make me feel better by saying that if they come back pre-cancer or cancer, I would be IV sedated with a LEEP procedure. Not sure that makes me feel better.
I think I should also note that I asked my GP to test my cortisol levels at my last appointment with her. They came back high, so I have to go and have a dexamethasone suppression test in two weeks. When I read more about high cortisol levels, I spiraled thinking I might have Cushing's Syndrome or Disease. Just as I was acclimating to this news, I get the news for the abnormal pap. Needless to say, I'm having a difficult time. I've always been fairly healthy and this is all kind of scary.
I'm so frustrated. Not only by the lack of pain management, but by feeling ignored and dismissed. So I guess I'm wondering:

• Has anyone had a similar reaction to having a colposcopy? If so, did anti-anxiety and pain meds help with the procedure.
• If you live in Washington State, have you heard of sedation for a colposcopy, if so where?
• Has anyone had similar abnormal pap results? Did you need to have a LEEP?

Update: I think I've decided that I need to see a new OBGYN, rather than the one I saw today. I just looked at my chart notes and she completely ignored the fact that I told her Xanax doesn't work for me and has it in my notes that she's prescribing .05mg of Xanax before the procedure. That's not going to do anything. So logically, I need to find someone who will actually listen to me. This sucks.

I’m feeling defeated tonight. I grasped the side of my bathroom sink as I sobbed so hard I couldn’t stand. I’m currently dealing with hpv / cin3 and have an upcoming LEEP surgery to remove precancerous cells from my cervix.
My life seems to be a series of trauma every few years all relating to my lady bits. It started when I was a mortified 5 year old girl who didn’t understand I was getting yeast infections from bubble baths.
It quickly escalated to sexual harassment in daycare when I was 7. A boy told me if he could see my peepee everyday he would be my boyfriend. The boy never touched me but he was removed from daycare.
When I was 18 I got pregnant from a guy who told me he would pay for half of my abortion but then ghosted me. I had no job and no money and he was not only from an extremely wealthy family but he was a drug dealer. I went to the abortion via taxi and told no one. The doctors doing the procedure broke some of their protocol for me because I was crying as I was getting drugged up.
I was drugged and raped freshman year of college and no one believed me.
It happened again sophomore year and I tried to stand up for myself. All it got me was a ban from going to two fraternities, my boyfriend broke up with me for cheating and I lost all of my friends.
I got herpes from my senior year boyfriend who decided not to disclose it to me and it was too painful for me to walk during my first outbreak.
I was drugged and raped a third time out at a bar in a different state. I was with a friend who didn’t care that I was carried out of the bar by a stranger and I never spoke to again.
I got high risk hpv from another boyfriend. I had to get a biopsy of my cervix and almost passed out from pain. I was told it was low risk of cancer and that most people tolerated having hole punches in their cervix fine.
I had another biopsy where I couldn’t stand for 30 minutes because it was so painful. I felt like all of my trauma was culminating into one even after years of therapy.
Over and over again I have to spread my legs unwillingly to be hurt. Now I’ve learned I have to get a surgery with possible side effects that could leave me never having feeling in my vagina. I have to undergo another trauma. I’m tired of this. I wish I needed a finger chopped off instead. Why does it always have to be my vagina…..
(Obviously there are far more details to these stories but I’m really feeling the weight of many issues dealing with my lady parts tonight and the possibility of them finding cancer during LEEP is scary)

31F - currently taking methylphenidate 30mg twice daily (only been taking these for 2 months). In 2022 my smear test came back with low grade dyskaryosis and high risk HPV positive, this has now developed into CIN3 high grade severe dyskaryosis and I have recently had an LLETZ/LEEP procedure (awaiting results).
I had my first period when I was 13 years old, and it caused severe cramps and vomiting - saw my GP who put me on microgynon which made me vomit so much that I had to be put on a drip. I was then given the implant which I had for several years and had no periods.
Then I started bleeding daily, so I had the implant removed (around 12 years ago) and have not used hormonal contraception since.
My periods are usually very regular, 28 day cycle and I bleed for 4-5 days. Not massively heavy but have very occasionally passed clots that are around 3-4cm.
My issue is that I have severe cramps that extend through my thighs and back, usually starting a day before my period and continuing for the first three days. This pain is getting worse to the point where I can't stand up straight or do normal tasks (and cannot work). I have always experienced nausea but the last few periods I have been vomiting. I get severe headaches, find it painful to go to the toilet, and suffer really badly with bloating and trapped wind.
I experience occasional period type cramping throughout the month, and I also experience random stabbing/shooting pains that feel like they're in my vagina? I have experienced pain and bleeding both during and after sex on and off for years. And not sure if relevant, but in the last 12 months I have experienced noticeable hair thinning (my parting has widened and I can see my scalp very easily).
I have approached doctors with this several times and have been told this is all normal, but if it is, I don't understand how other women can function normally during their period. Am I just being dramatic? Do I need to push to investigate this? If so, is there something specific I should ask about?
Thank you.

i had a colposcopy today and wanted to share my experience since i was scared out of my mind by reading these threads and others on reddit.
i was just diagnosed with HPV 16 in my mid thirties after not having a pap for ages (don’t be like me). pap came back normal but this is standard procedure for someone in their 30s. paps aren’t always accurate. i waited one month for the colposcopy.
yesterday my gyno called me in a prescription for 1 xanax, 1 norco, 1 promethezine. i told her i have high anxiety and i’m glad she did this. i never take pills, i don’t even take ibuprofen on my period as i have a pretty high pain tolerance and my periods are not painful.
i was pretty out of it once i arrived at the appointment and didn’t have a care in the world due to the meds. this was exactly what i needed.
she said she saw two small areas needed to be biopsied and performed some kind of invasive cervical swab (worse than a pap). with the meds i felt barely nothing, it just felt uncomfortable and weird. i felt the swab the most and couldn’t even tell the biopsies were being taken. i also allowed two other nurses in the room because i simply did not care and felt the extra female energy to be nice. my gyno is a woman and she also was born and raised in mexico and i picked her specifically because of this. she completed her schooling in mexico. i have a hard time trusting male and american doctors. my gyno is also a MD which was important to me. i read reviews online for many gynos before choosing her.
i bought myself dark chocolate to eat in the waiting room after the procedure was over. they told me i couldn’t take an uber, but i did it anyways and ended up falling asleep in the backseat for most of the way.
now i will continue to take my thousands of supplements that i’m on and wait to hear back about the results. i don’t have any bleeding at all but i’m still on day 1 so i’m prepared for that happening tomorrow.
i think it’s important to advocate for yourself to get drugs that ease your anxiety and pain or use a teledoc to get them. i’m not sure if 800mg ibuprofen would have done it for me.
if my results come back CIN2/CIN3 i will most likely be getting a LEEP due to my age. i have already decided this due to having HPV 16 - i want it gone for good. playing a waiting game isn’t safe for me as i don’t live a life where i always have health insurance lol.
wish you health and wellness on your journey 💕❤️

hey everyone, just wanted to share my (25F) positive experience with the LEEP in the hopes that i can give a little hope to anyone else who is anxious about the procedure like i was!
i wrote a previous post about being extremely anxious about this procedure - truly, the waiting for the procedure and the overthinking is the worst part of the process!
my timeline so far:
Feb 2024: got a kyleena iud placed. i was 3 years overdue for a pap smear and STI testing so the nurse practitioner did one for me before my iud placement.
March 2024: get a call saying that they found abnormal cells in my cervix (HSIL), referred me to my local womens hospital to get a colposcopy and biopsy.
April 5, 2024: did the colposcopy/biopsy/pap smear. didn't feel a thing, they booked me for a follow up pap smear in 6 months but would call me if "there's changes to my follow up plan" (aka if things get worse and need to be addressed asap).
April 23, 2024: received a call saying my follow up plan has changed as the pap smear found HSIL again and the biopsy found AIS. booked for a LEEP in 2 weeks, they didn't discuss any other treatments (eg. CKC).
today, may 8: leep day! im on day 3 of my period with a moderate flow (i fill up just under half of my diva cup) but the nurse assured me that the procedure could still be done while on my period.
they recommended i take out all of my jewelry beforehand. i took out all of my earrings but i forgot to take off my watch during the procedure (oops), im completely fine tho. it started off with a talk with the nurse, going over my medical history, the results of my colposcopy, then about the procedure itself. it was actually this time when i found out i had SMILE. the nurse told me there were two types of precancers: one where the precancerous cells grow in different spots in the cervix and the other is when the precancerous cells are deeper within the tissue glands. i have the latter which makes it harder for the LEEP to "catch" all of the precancerous cells. as we do not know where they exactly are in my cervix due to it being deep inside my tissues, so there is a chance of reoccurrence and the only way to fully prevent this is with a hysterectomy. it was a little disheartening to hear this but since im young and still want to have kids we will just monitor more closely until im done having kids. i've always told people that at the end of the day, if it came down to it i would not want children. however I feel like this process has almost forced me to think about that, and made me realize that I do still want the option to have kids.
overall, the procedure itself actually wasn't painful at all for me. the absolute worst part was feeling the needle going in for my local anesthesia but it quickly passed once the anesthesia hit. i had anesthesia that had adrenaline in it (lidocaine) - it hit me pretty quickly. i immediately had ringing in my ears (went away almost immediately), my legs were shaky, and i was SUPER dizzy. the nurse told me beforehand that that was all normal. fun fact the nurse told me: typically at the dentist when you get a filling, they give you ~2ml of lidocaine. for this procedure i had 10ml of lidocaine! i remember i kept blinking a lot and taking really fast but deep breaths. my boyfriend came with me and he said i looked like i was tweaking lol. the dizziness lasted the whole procedure, i almost felt like i was really, really drunk.
while the doctor was doing the procedure, the nurse put a cold patch on my leg, let me hold her hand while the needle was going in, and gave me a cold towel to put on my forehead which i really appreciated. the device was loud but not to the point where i was overstimulated. i still have my kyleena iud in and the doctor said that the procedure could be done, however she might have to cut my strings. at the end she said my strings "popped out" so no cutting was required.
they cut off ~1cm from my cervix, so im at a higher risk for a premature labour at 32-36 weeks rather than at 40 weeks but the nurse assured me that there have been women in similar situations to me that have carried to term, and an OB would closely monitor me for this if i do get pregnant.
im not sure if i have a high pain tolerance or something but i really didn't feel any pain or cramping at all. i took 2 ibuprofens before as well as my anti-anxiety medication (sertraline 50mg) so i don't know if that made a difference as well. i took the same amount of ibuprofen for my colposcopy/biopsy and it literally just felt like a pap smear. i had med school resident performing my colposcopy/biopsy so in my head i was like, did you even do anything?? lol.
after the procedure i was still dizzy so they gave me juice and crackers to get my sugar up. then i left and went home. 6 hours later, i still feel a little loopy/tired and my legs feel restless.
all in all, i'm thankful i got my IUD, even if it lead me down this stressful, crazy process.. i literally got it on a whim as i hadn't had any form of birth control in like 3 years and I'm terrible at taking pills regularly. i know that my lazy self would have never gotten my follow up pap smear and who knows what it could have turned into. i guess it's just stressful knowing that i might have to do this all over again, or ill need a hysterectomy sooner than i think, or that it might be worse than i think and ill have to be referred to an oncologist. also the SMILE diagnosis scares me. i haven't seen a lot of talks on this subreddit and what i've found is that it is rare and i might supposedly be at more risk for lung related complications. can anyone relate/provide some hope?
im supposed to get my leep results in 3-6 weeks, wish me luck! thanks for reading my rant, for anyone who made it this far.

So 9 years ago I had a leep procedure to remove the cancerous bit on my cervix. The doctor was awful and I did not keep up with regular check ups. Of course now I’m pretty angry w myself. I started having severe pelvic pain and suddenly developed kidney and bladder issues. I’m 47 and have never had so much as a uti- so of course I’m worried about metastasis. On April 18 I received results from gyno appt. She sent a bit of tissue that was protruding from my endocervix. Adenosquamous carcinoma. I’ve been to the er twice for kidney pain the first time they saw a stone but recently they said the kidneys and bladder were clear but I probably have a kidney infection. So I don’t know if they are related or not. My question is- in general what can I expect from my first appointment w oncologist (which is not until May 16 which has felt like a lifetime now) typically what is done on a first appointment? How do they go about staging? If imaging shows nothing in kidney or bladder does a pet scan show something different or more? Do they do another transvaginal ultrasound and set you up with further imaging? I know everyone is different but I guess I’m just wondering if after my first appointment more appointments are scheduled and more waiting lol- so just generally speaking what happens at the first appt?? I go from googling ad nauseam to pretending this isn’t happening. I’m expecting my first grandchild in June and of course this is just looming! Thanks- this group has been very informative

Hi Friends,
Thanks to all of the kind people who supported me the other day in preparation for my LEEP. I'm glad it's behind me and it wasn't that bad. I didn't love the lidocaine injection, but I am pleased with how much easier it as than I originally thought.
I have questions about how I will feel this week. I realize everyone is different, but when did you go back to work? Did your cramps and bleeding worsen as the days went on? Right now, I'm having a watery, pink/orange discharge and sometimes it is light brown. The most "bleeding" happened right after my procedure.
I'm just trying to figure out how I'll feel after the next few days. I plan to work tomorrow because I work at home. I do feel a little emotional and not quite myself. I have to say that the cramps and vaginal "sting" and soreness have been the worst of my side effects. I have read that many people don't bleed until the 2nd and 3rd day after the procedure, so that's why I'm asking.
I already miss having a bath, LOL. I am too tired to shower tonight, so I guess I'll just shower in the morning. Thanks for listening. Now begins the wait for my test results!
Have a good night.

Hi all,
30F, for the past year or two I’ve been experiencing spotting between periods pretty often. Some months it’s only for a few days before my period, other months I’ll have spotting for 1-2 weeks straight before my period starts. No pain associated with this (even during periods I don’t get menstrual pain, I just feel more like tingle or funny feeling in my lower abdomen).
It’s gotten worse lately and the last couple times I had intercourse with my bf it triggered light bleeding.
I’ve had ovarian cysts years ago when younger and I’ve had a couple of abnormal paps and a positive HPV test 10 years ago, had a LEEP procedure after which my cervix was clear. I had my most recent Pap smear back in November of 2023 which came back negative, and I’m now in the process of scheduling an appointment with a gynaecologist for an exam and ultrasound etc. I’m just getting pretty scared of what they might find. Has anyone else had similar issues and what were their findings?

Just wanted to put this out there for those of you who might one day search for this kind of post. Potential TW: some gory stuff. So I'm 30 and had a pap smear come back with worrisome results. Then I had a colposcopy where they took 3 pieces out of the servix for a biopsy. I had to ask for pain management - it was not offered. We used a topical anesthetic and the procedure went with no issues. Came back as CIN II (not the worst result, but definitely not good and LEEP was called for). For the LEEP, I decided against any kind of sedation because 1- I don't have anyone to drive me and 2 - I felt safer being fully conscious and aware. I had to request topical anesthetic gel again before we did the injection of anesthetic. I consider myself lucky in that I love medicine and know quite a bit and researched enough to know what's going to happen. Mostly. Doc went over it with me anyway, but seemed to use rather broad terms to explain the procedure to me. I knew stuff was going to be burned away, but what I didn't know was that the hot tool was going to be used to slice out large pieces of my cervix. I didn't know this until I saw the specimen jar with my flesh in it after we were done. Charred pieces of my body in a jar - kinda cool if you're into that kind of stuff, but also a bit disturbing. Doc also took a very good sample of cells from the center of the cervix while it was numbed up - that was in a separate jar. A large q-tip caked in dark-colored chunks of tissue. So the speculum had a tube attached to it to suck up the smoke I guess. But it wasn't on the whole time, so I got to smell my own burning flesh. Fascinating. When I got up, I saw blood sprinkled everywhere: there was blood on the floor, there was blood on my thighs, and there was a nice outline of my ass on the pad that was under me - an outline in blood. Anyway. The procedure itself was relatively quick and I didn't feel any pain aside from the discomfort of the speculum that the doctor seemed to be twisting inside of me. The ride home was okay, with some mind discomfort. The rest of the day I just had this feeling like a light stamp that wasn't going away (maybe 2/10 on the pain scale). My vagina was so irritated from the speculum that I was unable to put my birth control ring (Annovera - it is quite large) back in, so I was worried I'd have to deal with withdrawal bleeding on top of the recovery. The next day, I had no pain from the procedure, thankfully. Today is day 3 and I was able to put the ring back in with only slight discomfort. Very glad for that because, at this point, I started having menstrual cramping and started lightly spotting. I will mention that I stopped my periods several years ago and I really didn't want to deal with it again. Overall, it wasn't a terrible experience. I am frustrated that I had to ask for adequate pain management - I don't care that these kinds of procedures are quick and somewhat common - we deserve better. Also, I think that the procedure should have been explained in great detail because, while I personally am relatively knowledgeable, another person may not be and so something like this would be deeply disturbing and scary. If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer.

TL;DR - Struggled for 6 months, LEEP and difficult recovery, 3 months clear - hopeful.
So I've been waiting a while to post my journey here. Very early on while having an ocd breakdown I was promising myself to be back here posting on whatever outcome there was once it was all over, for I truly believe throughout reading posts here that most folks who ditched this mf never cared posting positive stories about it, as they just wanted to move on from this mental shaking experience, leaving a rather depressing ratio of struggle posts around here.
For those of you who are still struggling, I feel for you, pray for you, and believe it will get better soon.
Health background- Bi Male, 30, in a relationship with a man for years, swinging couple times a year. Healthy weight, powerlift training 3-4 times a week, smokes cigarettes regularly, drinks occasionally.
On my BDay, mid-June 23, after having sex with my bf, I started feeling a little dryness in my anal canal. A week later, while staying at the hotel for work, I noticed an actual wart. Examined more just to find two of them, right up my butt.
Booked an appointment for a proctologist right away and was diagnosed within a week with lots of warts up my butt. Little did I know it was a homophobic doc that didn't push on doing anything right away "It's simple, just don't have anal sex" and had decided to wait for several months for an appointment at a big serious hospital covered in my ensurence.
During that time I was praying for this to be over by itself, trying to pray before bedtime, kept my gym routine, tryed de-stressing, took vitamin C, D and zinc, but none of this made it go away. Sex was not a part of my life anymore, and warts itched like hell on most days. Luckily my bf decided to stick around, always reassuring to me that we can go the private clinic option anytime I decide it's too much for me.
It's a really overpriced surgery here, and I did not feel comfortable going for a treatment that I know can possibly be one of many, while it's not my ensurence that covers it, but his money - so I bet him to save this money for us to travel with in the future when I'll be clear.
Days go by, and a series of unfortunate events lead me to have to postpone the surgery and go through five months of deployment. Only time warts got worst in months since I noticed them but it stabilized again throughout that time. Went for the pre surgery lookup, took the Gradsil 9 first dose on Jan, and went on my surgery on Feb 2024, full anesthesia, and woke up for a painful week. Doc said that by the way things seems - her method of choice was electronic way rather than laser. I refused to take any narcotics, and just struggled through, as I believe it is better for me than to have to go through a withdrawal. My Mom was my company, and I thank God for her, she did not let me feel weird for even a second, she clearly knows my roommate is my bf, a different story, but she was just lovely supportive and respectful. She told me along the way my sis had the same exact journey but up front, which shocked me as I would never be able to guess it, and made me wonder maybe we are genetically sensitive to warts. She's clear for a year, both of us are cigarette smokers, which is just generally bad, and specifically bad. That gave me a lot of hope.
Taking shit is painful, a lot of like having fissures but I felt it wasn't as bad of a pain, just so that I had s much of them, so it is. Im anti drugs so I went naturally with the pain, decreased over the course of a week, second week wasn't a walk in the park as well, as cramps and craps were still affecting my everyday life so I was practically grounded. Hemorrhoids were starting to swell along with it and it was quite the shit-show trying to balance it all out, but I did.
During that time I was stressing about a lump while wiping that felt either like a wart that got away, a pimple from having my butt shaved at the surgery or a scar. I decided to not be anxious about it, trust the process, take my vitamin C pills regularly and focus on healing from the current procedure, keeping in mind I have a second dose of GS9 waiting for me in just few weeks, a follow up at the doctor in two weeks, and there's a good chance it'll either be gone by then, doc will check on it, or the shot will help it disappear - so all odds are for me at this point.
On the fourth week I noticed the lumps are getting smaller, follow up was positive towards healing and biopsy showed low risk, so I was somewhat relieved.
A new month of having better and better morning poo's was through, with one occasion of stiff poo leading to bleeding, vitamin c + magnesium helped softening it and it healed. It also happened though less dramatic on the third month - That was the first time I checked whats up there myself and although it bleed a day after due to stiff load, it felt healed and smooth. It was a surprise to experience such a prolonged healing period, but basically for me anything past first month was completely bearable.
Now I hope it stays clean, I'm after the second shot, bf took his first one - and I made sure to disinfectant all my underwear and gym shorts w/ hydrogen peroxide. Still taking my vitamins, as I believe it does help with my immune system regardless of physical warts.
I decided to publish my little journal now even though it's an ongoing thing, as a success story. I highly belive it is, as I felt reading stories here - most of HPV stories are, but kept unpublished.
If it will come back at any point, I'll keep you up tothe final success, if not, it stays my success story - It'll suck going through this again but I know better now, and I'm no longer terrified. It gets better!
Here for any questions, will be happy to help from my experience.