The Pap Smear Question

Well said expat. Doctors and patients alone sometimes like to forget what they consider "minor" to their patients can actually turn out to be life threating or still life altering. I know that my OBGYN in the states didn't even care about my dysplasia. She said "Come back in 6 months." without telling me what I had, what could be done, etc. I then went back after an agonising time to find out it had grown and that I should come back in 3 months. She said this AFTER I told her I was leaving in 3 days for Ireland for good. I called when I got here and was put on hold for 6 minutes to be told the doctor was busy. After one visit here I got an OBGYN who listened, helped and agreed that 3 years is too long to wait. I think health is more important and even in the US where healthcare is so high I would be willing to pay the few hundred every year for piece of mind. It's a shame that I now have to go every year but since I am clear at the moment I don't mind.

I can't believe you GYN blew you off like this, haunted!  That's awful!  Mine was detected at Planned Parenthood.  Even though I had no insurance at the time after being laid off and unable to afford COBRA, I made sure I got an annual smear test.  After it was detected, I had a colposcopy w/i a month and LEEP two months after that.  Luckily, I had also worked in the women's clinic at a county hospital in the past, so I had knowledge of how common this is, so didn't panic, but I still wanted the abnormal cells OUT yesterday. 

My dysplasia was detected in the US where I had been returning for annual smears. However once I found out I needed a colposcopy, I knew I had to switch to the UK system. (as an aside to explain this, I had come over as a student with the intent of returning to the US - meeting the DH changed all that!)

Getting into the UK system was a bit bumpy as I had a couple weird docs and we also moved several times which didn't help. However, I'm now getting smears every 6 months and have a  specialist on top of my case. The reason they haven't done LEEP yet is because I'm really borderline anyway and I have a low platelet count which has complicated matters.

Overall though, I'd have to say the NHS has been very good. But I'm pretty sure the practice I went to in the US would also have been good.

You can also have cryotherapy done.  That's a less invasive procedure than LEEP.  In a nutshell, frozen nitrogen is applied to the cervix and the top layer (and hopefully the dysplasia) is seared off. 

my sister had cryotherapy done.  Not a pleasant experience.

LEEP was no prize either....Ouch! with that needle. At least both methods are relatively quick and painless. No matter what they are worth the peace of mind if you have any abnormalities.

If I have either done, they're putting me under as I'm a wreck when it comes to this stuff.

Actually, I had the cryotherapy done and they will not put you under.  They tell you to take Advil like an hour or so before.  It doesn't hurt.  It is just cold.  I thought the biopsy hurt more.

You won't have to go under. They give you an anaesthetic for the LEEP procedure which to me was the worst. The whole procedure was done in less than five minutes. I can assure you I don't take pain killers well. I have a problem with it working well on me. I am one of those "wake up in the middle and want to scream" people. It was fine and worth it to know the cells were gone and not going to grow into cancer. Now, to get to my checkup to make sure I am clear

If I have LEEP they will put me under. They've told me they will. I was a mess just for the biopsy. 

If I have LEEP they will put me under. They've told me they will. I was a mess just for the biopsy. 

Really?  Then three cheers for the UK, b/c they won't do that in the US - the health risks and cost of administering a general anethetic for such a minor procedure are considered too great.  They will do IV sedation for those who don't take procedures well, but not a GA. 

I did know ladies who were prescribed a couple of Valium before their colpos and LEEPs and that seemed to help.  I had already had major surgery (ACL replacement) whilst still awake so this didn't bother me too much.  I figured, hell, they keep women awake for C-sections so I'm gonna get thru this.

It was over before I knew it and the colpo was worse. 

Well, they told me I'll be out. In all honesty I'm pretty sure they meant GA but I suppose I could be wrong - since they don't know if I'm having LEEP yet, we haven't discussed details. I'm having sedation for something else this week but I'm almost positive it's GA for the LEEP should I need it.

I'm not exactly proud of it I have to say. It's partially that my life is so stressful right now, I"m blowing everything out of proportion. 

I'm having sedation for something else this week but I'm almost positive it's GA for the LEEP should I need it.

I'm not exactly proud of it I have to say. It's partially that my life is so stressful right now, I"m blowing everything out of proportion.

Good luck with your procedure, that's enough to cause stress in your life!

About the origional question, there is one other reason to have yearly smears, which is the amount of missed positives read by the cytologists.  So if a mistake is made on yours, at least it will be caught one year later!

yeah leep sucks.

i had not one but TWO abnormal annual paps...and no one told me.  I went back on year three and they looked at my chart and said 'wait, did you ever get this treated' i said no, no one told me.  then they looked and saw it was irregular the year before too!!!!

I was so thankful it wasn't worse....but really 2 years of abnormalities.....come on.  pay attention docs.

..so I finally just  sucked it up and booked my  'smear' appointment..sure enough they asked  me  to estimate  when my day 10-12  would  be  of my cycle..     I did my best!!