i had my first abnormal pap on march 1st(got the results two weeks later) and have been diagnosed with HPV and moderate cervical dysplasia. it's stressfull, and i cried at each point new information came in that was not great. i switched doctors now and am very comfortable with the new one and the procedure she has scheduled me for(LEEP in july, a procedure where a thin, wire loop with an electric current will remove the abnormal cells). it's scary, but my family and especially my boyfriend have been very supportive. abnomalities/dysplasia are very common in young women, so remember that you're not alone. find out what you are diagnised with specifically, and do some research online- it will help you know what to expect and ask your gyn about, and demystify things a bit.
ob/gyns specialize in this sort of thing, so they can give you the best care. it might just mean monitoring and having frequent pap smears, or it might mean removal of the cells that are abnormal. if you smoke, you should stop- i could kill for a cigarrette but my doctor told me that quitting is the best thing i could have done for my cervix. if you don't already, you might want to look into a multivitamin.
i think i'm over the worst of it, but it still freaks me out. i likely have a strain of hpv that is high risk for cervical cancer, so i'll have to monitor my cervix and guard my health for the rest of my life. and that can be terrifying, but the reason paps are so important is to detect problems before they progress to the point where there is nothing that can be done.
good luck, ask lots of questions, and take care of yourself.
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Date: 2005-05-20 12:02 am (UTC)ob/gyns specialize in this sort of thing, so they can give you the best care. it might just mean monitoring and having frequent pap smears, or it might mean removal of the cells that are abnormal. if you smoke, you should stop- i could kill for a cigarrette but my doctor told me that quitting is the best thing i could have done for my cervix. if you don't already, you might want to look into a multivitamin.
i think i'm over the worst of it, but it still freaks me out. i likely have a strain of hpv that is high risk for cervical cancer, so i'll have to monitor my cervix and guard my health for the rest of my life. and that can be terrifying, but the reason paps are so important is to detect problems before they progress to the point where there is nothing that can be done.
good luck, ask lots of questions, and take care of yourself.