Hi, althea, Here's my $.02 for your questions: -In my experience, the bad/scary test results get sent back to the doctor as soon as possible. If she didn't get my results back yet, I'm assuming they were okay. Thoughts?
Find out for certain, by speaking to the doctor herself, prefereably in person with her showing you your chart. That way you can make sure there are no more mixups, and ask questions until everything is clear.
-Also, if the Pap was normal, then I'm guessing I probably don't have any cancerous cells...right?
If the pap was normal, you do not have any precancerous (or otherwise abnormal) cells in the area tested by the pap. You may wish to be re-tested more often than standard for your age/health group (say, yearly or 6monthly instead of every three years), to keep tabs on the progress of your HPV infection and its effects on your cervix. Since you had positive results for both high-risk (potentialy cancer-causing) and low-risk (potentially wart-causing) HPV, plus PCOS, there's a lot going on in your reproductive tract! You may be able to manage symptoms, improve possible outcomes, and ease your worries by making a plan to take more than ordinary care.
-If I do, what comes next? Do I have choices, or is there only one treatment option? I felt kind of ambushed the day I had the biopsies done. She said I didn't have to have them done that day, but I wanted to get it over with.
You have several choices for treating (pre)cancerous lesions on the cervix, and which one(s) are best for your situation is something you should discuss with your doc, after doing some research. Options I can recall off the top of my head are LEEP, cryotherapy and laser removal.
-Has anyone ever heard of women with PCOS needing an endometrial biopsy? My doctor said she didn't think there was anything wrong but that she wouldn't feel comfortable telling me I was fine unless she checked. O...kay? I guess.
I haven't researched PCOS, but waving that in front of the common-sense-o-meter, that does seem a reasonable, if painful, extra precaution.
(BTW, if you were wondering why you were advised to have colposcopy and cervical biopsies instead of another pap, that was probably because of the HPV. Colposcopy and biopsy are standard diagnostic proceedures following a positive test for high-risk HPV.)
-I *think* she told me to wait two weeks to have sex, but I wasn't sure and I didn't get to ask on Friday. Now, I've got my period and I'm wondering if it's okay to use my DivaCup. Does anyone who's had cervical biopsies know if that would be okay?
Two weeks wait is standard for minor biopsies, I think; it's what I was told when I had colposcopy & biopsy. during those 2 weeks, you're not to insert anything in your vagina. After that, you can return to 'normal use', including penetrative sex and menstrual inserts (I was SO glad to be able to use tampons for the last few days of my period, having had most of it within those 2 weeks).
Best wishes... with all the stress, sounds like you need them!
no subject
Here's my $.02 for your questions:
-In my experience, the bad/scary test results get sent back to the doctor as soon as possible. If she didn't get my results back yet, I'm assuming they were okay. Thoughts?
Find out for certain, by speaking to the doctor herself, prefereably in person with her showing you your chart. That way you can make sure there are no more mixups, and ask questions until everything is clear.
-Also, if the Pap was normal, then I'm guessing I probably don't have any cancerous cells...right?
If the pap was normal, you do not have any precancerous (or otherwise abnormal) cells in the area tested by the pap. You may wish to be re-tested more often than standard for your age/health group (say, yearly or 6monthly instead of every three years), to keep tabs on the progress of your HPV infection and its effects on your cervix. Since you had positive results for both high-risk (potentialy cancer-causing) and low-risk (potentially wart-causing) HPV, plus PCOS, there's a lot going on in your reproductive tract! You may be able to manage symptoms, improve possible outcomes, and ease your worries by making a plan to take more than ordinary care.
-If I do, what comes next? Do I have choices, or is there only one treatment option? I felt kind of ambushed the day I had the biopsies done. She said I didn't have to have them done that day, but I wanted to get it over with.
You have several choices for treating (pre)cancerous lesions on the cervix, and which one(s) are best for your situation is something you should discuss with your doc, after doing some research. Options I can recall off the top of my head are LEEP, cryotherapy and laser removal.
-Has anyone ever heard of women with PCOS needing an endometrial biopsy? My doctor said she didn't think there was anything wrong but that she wouldn't feel comfortable telling me I was fine unless she checked. O...kay? I guess.
I haven't researched PCOS, but waving that in front of the common-sense-o-meter, that does seem a reasonable, if painful, extra precaution.
(BTW, if you were wondering why you were advised to have colposcopy and cervical biopsies instead of another pap, that was probably because of the HPV. Colposcopy and biopsy are standard diagnostic proceedures following a positive test for high-risk HPV.)
-I *think* she told me to wait two weeks to have sex, but I wasn't sure and I didn't get to ask on Friday. Now, I've got my period and I'm wondering if it's okay to use my DivaCup. Does anyone who's had cervical biopsies know if that would be okay?
Two weeks wait is standard for minor biopsies, I think; it's what I was told when I had colposcopy & biopsy. during those 2 weeks, you're not to insert anything in your vagina. After that, you can return to 'normal use', including penetrative sex and menstrual inserts (I was SO glad to be able to use tampons for the last few days of my period, having had most of it within those 2 weeks).
Best wishes... with all the stress, sounds like you need them!