colposcopy question

[dearanxiety.livejournal.com]

i've been trying for a few days to check the archives, but i can't seem to get vaginapagina.com to open and i'm not sure how long the site will be down.

so, i'm looking for advice on colposcopies. i'm getting one. how much pain/discomfort is involved? anything i should be warned about or prepared for?

thank you.

Comments

[i-bleed-magenta.livejournal.com]

the site is being moved right now, so it's down.

[jigglyqueen.livejournal.com]

Can't help you but there was an entry a while back with the exact info you need. somebody asking the exact same question!
Hope you manage to find it!

[jessfromva83.livejournal.com]

I was the one asking about it eariler today. Basically they will take a camara and look around, they put a speculm in like in a pap. They may take biopsies of your cervix. And beware if they do they put this stuff on to help with the bleeding that falls back out and looks like coffee grounds. I freaked cause I didn't know. The memories at the HPV community can help lots.

[dearanxiety.livejournal.com]

do you know the exact name of the hpv community?

most of that stuff i already knew, cause i did do some research. i'm just curious more about personal experience...like what it *feels* like!

thank you!

[jessfromva83.livejournal.com]

its called hpv. I had one done wend morning. Basically feels like a pap. Very crampy feeling. The biopsies didn't hurt me, the vinagar test burns. Takes some motrin before hand. It mostly hurts more afterwards. Cramping, bleeding, the nasty stuff coming out.

[dearanxiety.livejournal.com]

great. thanks. doesn't sound like big fun, but the motrin tip is a good one.

[ariellynn.livejournal.com]

Coloposcopy is when they actually take the biopsy. My suggestion is, just take some tylenol before hand. It's like a really big pinch and you're pretty sore for a few days.

but then again, I'm a wuss when it comes to pain!

[cherryb0mb.livejournal.com]

i think the worst part of a colposcopy is the ridiculous chair thing they put you in to do it. at my doctor, they don't use the usual bed with stirrups. they use this crazy fancy chair that tilts backwards, and the bottom of the chair is moved down so your crotch is at the doc's face level. its a pretty awkward position.

the procedure itself isn't really that painful. they spread you open a little wider than for a pap because the doc needs a good view of everything. the biopsies are just a little snip that hurts for about half a second. you should definitely take some sort of over the counter pain med about 30 minutes before your appt.

also, i've seen a lot of posts lately from girls freaking out about the monsel's solution. the stuff is nasty as hell, and will ooze out of you for a few days, but its totally normal.

[red-rogue.livejournal.com]

when the colposcapy gets done...you feel a cramping...nothing too bad, you just feel uncomfortable. It's not painful...I promise.

[dorothymonkey.livejournal.com]

I concur with the "not really painful" sentiment expressed by everyone else. I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of pain. It was about the level of getting a shot, I would say. No worries. :)

[mendax101.livejournal.com]

The worst thing I found when I've had colposcopies was the nurses insistance that I really should look at the monitor. I'm happy with looking at my vagina in a mirror but I'm pretty squeamish and I really didn't need to see my insides on a 24 inch monitor in glorious technicolour! Ew! The rest of it was uncomfortable and unpleasant but only while it was going on.