Colposcopy No. 2 Results
Colposcopy No. 2 … sounds like a lucrative perfume empire doesn’t it? I should really hit up Coco Chanel’s people and see if they’d like to endorse it. Sorry this update has taken me a while to publish – life has been extremely busy with social media buzz from that misleading CNN article, family health stuff (prefer when it’s me that’s sick than people in my family!) + new job. So my apologies for the delay!
Anyways on January 18 this year I went and had my follow-up Colposcopy No. 2 – 6 months after Colposcopy No.1. Last time I had the procedure done in hospital under anaesthetic in case there were any abnormal cells that needing lasering off. CIN2 cells were found on my cervix during that procedure which meant I had ‘pre-cancerous’ cells developing.
They were lasered off on the spot. This was obviously quite a scary thing to hear but knowing that the cells were immediately removed and that I would be closely monitored from now on gave me major peace of mind and honestly, I haven’t been worried since then. This time around the Colposcopy was performed in my doctor’s rooms just like a PAP test but a little more uncomfortable and it took a little longer. The procedure is of course slightly different too and rather than just taking a quick swab, the cervix is painted with dye to detect abnormal cells.
Here are (some of) the results from my most recent Colposcopy:
As you can see, my results this time showed that
HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS EFFECT IS PRESENT
HPV (Human Papillomavirus) was detected but that it was a lower grade than last time. This means that I don’t need to get any cells lasered off but that I will get a repeat colposcopy in 6 months. Good news! It’s really hard to decipher a pathology report like this one (it went across 2 pages and had lots of words I didn’t understand throughout). At first glance I misunderstood what I was reading, didn’t notice the ‘Recommendation’ and only saw ‘HPV IS PRESENT’ !!!! That is why it’s really important to go over your results properly with your doctor or specialist to save you unnecessary stress and ensure that you know exactly what’s going on. My doctor patiently went through my results with me over the phone to re-assure me that my cervix is mostly totally chill and that I can relax.
You can also see that I had
Low-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion
According to the Queensland Government Health website,
“This low grade abnormality indicates cell changes are present, most likely due to infection with HPV. The follow-up of women with possible or definite low-grade abnormalities is generally the same, but may vary according to your age and whether you have had abnormal results in the past. Your Qualified Health Care Professional will explain the follow-up you require.”
That’s pretty much it!
Nothing to stress about and all under control. Next one in 6 months.
In terms of how I feel day to day – I feel incredible.
I have a tonne of energy and I’m pretty much living pain free without Endo flare-ups. I’ve been taking Visanne every day since July 2015 and keeping up with my daily routine of doing stuff to make me feel good. I mostly do this through following an anti-inflammatory diet, eating foods that nourish my body and heal my gut, regular exercise, mindfulness, rest, minimal stress, positivity. I feel fantastic and live without fear of pain or fatigue, which I do not take for granted and am constantly thankful for. Visanne has been a great choice for me. I will always stress the importance of self-management though – that is performing daily rituals and developing healthy routines that you incorporate as part of your lifestyle to make you feel as healthy as possible. Eating the right foods (especially for breakfast when you start your day), taking the right supplements, exercising or just moving your body outdoors regularly, really looking after yourself every day – these are the things that will really make a difference in how you feel not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well.
Self-management of Endo is ESSENTIAL to you feeling better. I’m proof of that.
I literally get girls asking me all the time:
– What do you do to feel better?
– What do you eat?
– What can I do to be pain free / How do I reduce my pain?
etc.
I need a way for my answers to these questions to be readily available in one place all the time and would be very open to suggestions on how I might do this. But a lot of what I have learned and done to be pain-free is available on our EndoActive DVD on Endometriosis. My presentation on ways to cope with Endo is all there… Just me talking about all the things I did and do every day to kick Endo in the face and feel fantastic. Click here if you haven’t already bought a copy.
As always this is a Public Service Announcement to
GET YOUR REGULAR PAP TESTS AND FOLLOW-UP ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES FOLLOWING UP !
Your health is your responsibility. It’s your responsibility to yourself to stay healthy so you can live your life to the fullest and achieve all the things you want to achieve. But as we all know the health system can get tiresome and confusing and medical appointments can be a pain royal in the vagina. I get that. But it is so important to stay on top of health issues of any kind and if you can’t be bothered following up for the sake of your own health then do it our of love for your family and friends. They love you and they need you around!
I feel particularly passionate about this seeing as so many close members of my family have had awful health scares recently (all cancer-related). They all had warning symptoms which some of them delayed tending to or taking notice of now they want to encourage others to listen to your body and to be bothered to go to the doctor if something isn’t right.
For more information about living and coping with Endometriosis, get the EndoActive DVD!
Take care y’all.
x x Syl