Mad Girl and the abnormal cervix

Okay, this one is just for the ladies. It involes a vist to the gyno and some very sensitive info about my cervix. Guys, go grab a beer and sit this one out - you'll thank me later.

So I went for my regular check up with my gyno (who is so awesome that I want to make her my BFF - is that weird?) and the results of my pap smear came back abnormal. I really wasn't surprised, if I have an angry vagina then why not have an abnormal cervix? I didn't really know what this meant, but my gyno assured me that it was not cervical cancer, but we would need to get checked out anyway.

I had to schedule an appointment to get a colposcopy which is a test that looks at my lady parts through a lighted magnifying tool. My doc also scraped some cells from my cervix to run some tests on them. I really didn't know what I was up against, but my doc did a fantastic job of explaining everything to me and I wanted to share my experience with you in case you or someone you know is in the same position as I am.

First off, you need to get a check up and pap smear EVERY year...got it? My test came back abnormal and it also turns out I have HPV. Did you know that 80% of us have HPV? There is a huge stigma around it, but chances are you have it. Yes, it's an STI, but my doc explained it like my vagina has a cold and while there is not cure, you can get over it. The part that sucks is that it doesn't show up for men. Why is life so unfair. Anyway, HPV can lead to cancer so it's important to get yourself checked out. Also, maybe the HPV vaccine for young gals isn't such a bad idea...

So I went in this morning for my procedure which was honestly just like a really uncomfortable pap smear. The feet went into stir-ups and my doc put some vinegar like substance in me. This dried out the wall of my cervix and made any abnormal cells turn white. She took a sample of these cells to analyze. The scraping part was uncomfortable and I guess some women experience cramping, but I don't think it was too bad. Besides, my doc and I were talking about mimosas most of the time.

The whole procedure took only about 15 minutes and then my doc handed me a pad and said I'd want to use that because there would be some bleeding later. She also told me to just try and lay around for the rest of the day (I can do that) and avoid sex for a few days (that one is going to be a bit harder to do). I came home and took a long nap and have just been chilling. Really not too bad at all.

Now I have to sit and wait for the results and hope that there is not too much craziness going on in my cervix. I'll let you all know what the outcome is, but in the meantime please do me a favor and go get a check up on your lady bits if you haven't been for a while.

UPDATE: So the good news is that it's not cancer. The bad news is that there may be something there and I need to get Paps done every 6 months. I like my doc and all, but I really need to boost my immune system so I can fight of the frickin cold in my cervix. With a little time and a healthier lifestyle my issue should clear up.