I have been exactly where you are. I had an abnormal Pap, watched and waited, had cervical carcinoma in situ and a LEEP; the whole deal. This was right before I went to nursing school.
The fear is the worst part of the whole thing. I had a LEEP and cervical cone procedure meaning they took part of my cervix as well. You don't feel any of it, the procedure is really fast. When I came home I was tired, of course, from the anesthesia and there wasn't really pain, more of a kind of twinge or light pinch once in a while if I lifted something or made a fast move. This only lasted a few days. The first day I had the odd sensation of feeling like my guts would fall out when I stood up. I don't know any other way to explain it. It just made me want to walk slowly with my legs together. Naturally nothing fell out, it was just the sensation. I felt the same way when I was dilated 2cm for a month before my son was born.
The weirdest part of the whole thing is that since the LEEP kind of cauterizes the tissue in your uterus, you will go to the bathroom and have what seems like an ashy period. It won't be heavy, but stuff that is like black ash will show on the toilet paper. This is totally normal, but if you aren't expecting it, a bit of a surprise.
I really had very little discomfort with the whole thing. It is now maybe 15 years later, and I have no repercussions or any problems at all. When I go to a gynecologist they can tell my cervix is kind of funky looking since they took part of it out, but no other issues. I didn't need any kind of chemo or radiation or anything else, the LEEP and cone were curative.
Please take a nice deep breath and know this will be a much bigger deal in your head due to all the fears that go with it than your body, which will barely notice anything happened.
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Hello Ga-Girl-
I have been exactly where you are. I had an abnormal Pap, watched and waited, had cervical carcinoma in situ and a LEEP; the whole deal. This was right before I went to nursing school.
The fear is the worst part of the whole thing. I had a LEEP and cervical cone procedure meaning they took part of my cervix as well. You don't feel any of it, the procedure is really fast. When I came home I was tired, of course, from the anesthesia and there wasn't really pain, more of a kind of twinge or light pinch once in a while if I lifted something or made a fast move. This only lasted a few days. The first day I had the odd sensation of feeling like my guts would fall out when I stood up. I don't know any other way to explain it. It just made me want to walk slowly with my legs together. Naturally nothing fell out, it was just the sensation. I felt the same way when I was dilated 2cm for a month before my son was born.
The weirdest part of the whole thing is that since the LEEP kind of cauterizes the tissue in your uterus, you will go to the bathroom and have what seems like an ashy period. It won't be heavy, but stuff that is like black ash will show on the toilet paper. This is totally normal, but if you aren't expecting it, a bit of a surprise.
I really had very little discomfort with the whole thing. It is now maybe 15 years later, and I have no repercussions or any problems at all. When I go to a gynecologist they can tell my cervix is kind of funky looking since they took part of it out, but no other issues. I didn't need any kind of chemo or radiation or anything else, the LEEP and cone were curative.
Please take a nice deep breath and know this will be a much bigger deal in your head due to all the fears that go with it than your body, which will barely notice anything happened.
Good luck.
April 9, 2010 - 7:05amThis Comment
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