Things are about to get a little personal around here.
I have severe cervical dysplasia and am having a LEEP procedure tomorrow.
Let me back up.
Cervical dysplasia is abnormal cell growth on the cervix, the lower part of the uterus. Pap smears test for this abnormal growth and unfortunately it is very common for women to experience ‘abnormal’ cells at some point in their lives. The cervix is constantly replacing old cells with new ones and in most cases abnormalities fix themselves and never progress to cause any problems. Sometimes the cells continue to be abnormal and can eventually led to cervical cancer.
I first received ‘abnormal’ pap results a little over two years ago. I was living in Peru at the time and went in for my routine annual when I was visiting Portland for a wedding. By the time the results were in I was back in South America. My doctor at the time said ‘it’s not a big deal, these things usually clear up on their own. If you don’t want to go to the doctor in Peru then wait until you are back in the U.S and get another pap.’
Last May I got another pap and again it was abnormal.
I was seriously bummed. Even though I knew that abnormal results are common, I also knew that abnormal paps almost two years apart probably wasn’t a great sign.
The doctor recommended that I get the next test, a colposcopy. In my understanding, a pap is a screening, not a diagnosis, so the next step is to biopsy cells to learn more about the extent of the dysplasia.
I scheduled the colposcopy for the end of September and I got to work researching everything I could on natural treatments for dysplasia.
Here’s what I learned about the probable reasons why my body is acting this way.
- There is some evidence that cervical dysplasia can be caused by a folic acid deficiency. There is also a correlation between women who have been on birth control pills and dysplasia because the pill robs your body of folic acid. I was on birth control pills for nearly nine years but I am happy to say I’ve been off for over a year.
- I have known for years that my immune system was struggling. Eight years of insomnia left me susceptible to every little sniffle that came my way and a kidney infection landed me in an emergency room in Beijing at 3am last year.
- Living in Peru for a year and then traveling for six months was hard on my body. I tried to eat as well as possible but sometimes greens are sparse when you are hiking through the Himalayas.
- Up my folate (natural sources of folic acid) by eating lots of greens and beans everyday.
- Increase my selenium by eating a brazil nut each day. Women with dysplasia often have low levels of selenium and adequate selenium levels have been successful in preventing cancer. One brazil nut supplies nearly 100% of the RDA for selenium.
- Decrease my coffee, alcohol, and refined sugar. None of these tasty things are stellar for the immune system.
- Drink green tea.
- Continue eating fermented foods to boost the ol’ immune system.
- Take turmeric.
- Eat shiitakes. Shiitake mushrooms are super powerful immune boosters and delicious.
- Take astragulus, burdock, and echinacea.
- Get acupuncture and take Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs. I’ve had great success with acupuncture helping me with insomnia and preventing colds/flus in the past so I knew I wanted to include it in my POA. I firmly believe that the needles and the herbs have helped me calm down about the whole situation. Since starting treatment I feel much happier, more energetic, much more motivated, clearer headed, and less emotional. If it’s also boosting my immune in the process then bonus!
- Make sure to eat lots of foods containing vitamin A. These include greens and yellow/orange foods (easy now that it’s winter squash season!).
- Up vitamins C and E. Spinach, eggs, and sunflower seeds are great sources of E. Citrus and steamed kale are good sources of C.
So I had the colposcopy last month. It hurt, cost about $300, took the same amount of time as a pap, and the doctor took three biopsies.
The results were not good.
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia level three, or CIN3. Three is the last step before cancer develops, if cancer develops. There is still a HUGE ‘if’ there, the dysplasia can still reverse/never progress.
The recommended treatment is a Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP), or using an electric wire to cut out the abnormal cells. It is an in-office procedure that takes about the same amount of time as a pap but, despite local anesthesia, is probably going to hurt like hell.
Deciding to go ahead with the LEEP was very difficult. There are serious risks associated with pregnancy afterwards (which I definitely plan on) but maybe that’s a discussion for another day because this post is getting lengthy. The risks of not getting the procedure is cervical cancer and a hysterectomy as part of treatment. I was between a rock and a hard place and I made the choice that I felt like will lead to the least amount of regret, if any.
So why am I sharing all of this? Well, I didn’t plan on it because it felt very personal and not totally fitting with the jive of the blog. But then I realized that this is an incredibly common experience for women. I’ve been scouring the internet for information and personal experiences regarding dysplasia, colposcopy, LEEP, natural treatment, recovery from LEEP, and pregnancy after LEEP and I’ve really appreciated every single personal account that I’ve found out there. I am writing about my experience to perhaps connect with others who have gone through it and to let all of my readers know what’s going on with me on a personal level.
I do hope all goes well, Faith, and will certainly be sending positive, healing thoughts your way. You’re young and healthy and all you can do is make an informed decision and do what you think is best for YOU. Sharing your story is an honest and brave thing to do.
Sorry to hear you’re going through this, Faith! I had an abnormal result once and it was very stressful, but was resolved the next time I got a PAP. Sending you my best wishes…
I think you are doing the right things: being informed, being proactive, and taking excellent care of yourself. Good luck.
Thanks Barbara, it’s always helpful to hear that.
Thank you for sharing, Faith — it takes a lot of bravery to share something personal like this. But good for you for being proactive, doing your research, and doing what’s best for your body. I wish you all the best of luck and will be thinking positive thoughts for you!
Thank you Marian!
Oh I feel your pain, girl! I’ve had abnormal paps (mixed in with some normal ones) for a few years now. I’ve also had the colposcopy…so not fun — ugh! There’s definitely a correlation to well-being. When things are stressful and unhealthy in my life, that’s when I seem to get abnormal results. I hope all goes well for you. You’re right, it’s very common. Good luck!
It’s crazy how sensitive our immune system is to stress and fluctuations in overall well-being!
Sorry to hear you’ve dealt with this too, the shit’s stressful!
Thamk you Faith–i am thinking of you and sending my love during this process. I appreciate your bravery sharing all this, as you know i am going On my fifth year fluctuating between CIN 1 & CIN 2 And look forward to integrating Folic Acid And selenium into mu diet more And
More. You never cease to inspire me!
Loads of love right back at you.
Thank you for sharing this. It’s one of those things that makes you feel so alone and helpless, but it really is common! I had to have that procedure a few years ago, and while it was painful, I felt better within days and my immune system rebounded like you wouldn’t believe in the months that followed.
I know it’s scary, but it sounds like you’re in super in-tune with your body and making the right decisions for you : )
Thanks so much Jess! If you don’t mind sharing, what was the follow-up like? Paps every few months?
Yeah—I think it was every three months for the first 6 months or so, then I went every six months for three years. Now I just go once a year and so far so good, fingers crossed : )
I’ve been reading your blog for a little while but haven’t commented before (so hi!), but just wanted to say that I have had that procedure too (in the UK though). It was rather uncomfortable but not hugely painful and I didn’t have much discomfort afterwards either. The anasthetic did make feel slightly drunk though so I was grateful that I had my sister there to take me for tea and a big slice of chocolate cake afterwards (it definitely helped!).
Hope it all goes ok tomorrow, I’m sure it will.
Thanks so much for commenting and sharing Sarah. I am braced for pain and hope that it isn’t as bad as I anticipate. I thought I had a high pain threshold but the colpo hurt! Maybe it’s because it’s CIN3 or maybe it’s just because it’s a really sensitive (emotionally and physically!) spot. In any case, I really appreciate hearing that it wasn’t that bad.
Tate is going with me and we both have the rest of the day off for cake and tea.
Hi Faith – I’ve never really commented before, but I wanted to let you know that I had the exact same diagnosis about two years ago. Went through the colposcopy, found out I had CIN3, like you, and then had a LEEP in December of 2009. The LEEP wasn’t pleasant, but honestly it hurt less than the colpo! The worst part about the LEEP is getting the numbing shots…after that, it was pretty quick and painless, for me at least. Fast forward to now – I have had pap smears every 6 months and they’re all coming back normal! It feels great. Thanks for the info on selenium and folic acid – I didn’t realize that. Anyway – best of luck to you!!!! Hope everything goes ok and you’re getting a clean bill of health six months from now!
Thanks so much for sharing Kati, especially since you also had CIN3. At this point I am just looking forward to getting it over with and moving on, hopefully to healthy and full term pregnancies in the not to far future.
Did you take it easy afterward? I always get very concerned about infection risk, etc., and plan on only light exercise and no baths, tampons, or sex for a month….did your doc mention any of this?
Hmmm..I think my doctor said no sex or tampons for a week – but I can’t remember! I’m pretty sure I exercised within a few days…the recovery was much easier than from the colpo, probably because the wound is instantly cauterized.
Faith, what a difficult thing to have to experience. Your healthy lifestyle will no doubt help you in getting through this. Best of Luck and I will keep you in my prayers.
Yes, I’ve had a colpo biopsy before and it didn’t feel great, but it wasn’t terrible either. Mostly, it was a very emotionally traumatizing experience. My results came back fine, but I do have to monitor it every six months for the next year. Just hoping the cells never move on to the C word. Hang in there, faith.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I had an abnormal pap smear about a year and a half ago, and I’m (past) due for another exam. So this is a good kick in the pants. I’ve been avoiding it, I think. I have had a number of issues with that area of the body and I think I’m almost afraid to find out what’s going on. I’m a little terrified that I’ll end up being infertile. Anyway…
Thank you for all of the information in your post. This give me someplace to start.
I totally understand, I put it off a little longer than suggested (almost two years between paps) because I had a lot of anxiety over finding out if things were still out of whack. It’s an incredibly stressful issue, especially if you are interested in still using those reproductive parts! BUT we must remember that, like Rosie commented on, stress is part of the problem! When our bodies are strong and not under stress they can usually handle this sort of thing, clear the abnormal cells and continue on normally. As disappointing/annoying/stressful/fearful as my situation has been, it has also taught me that I need to manage my stress and never forget the serious implications that it can have on the body.
That was a bit rambly but what I want to say is that if NOT getting a pap is causing you stress and anxiety than it’s probably worth taking the next step and getting checked out.
Sending you lots of love and happy cervix thoughts!
Best to you Faith, thank you for sharing….life is so much better when we face our personal difficulties. I think it opens the door to goodness and healing.
Thank you.
Oh Mama, I am sorry to hear of this diagnosis. Wishing you all the best in the procedure and beyond.
Namaste.
Renée in Jersey
I had a similar experience in 2005 — the abnormal paps, the colposcopy, the research. I talked with a bunch of friends and it came out that one had abnormal paps every time she was under unusual amounts of stress. I had been under a lot of stress at that time, my immune system was not strong. Before I did any additional proceedure, I wanted to take some time to see if there was something to the stress theory and if I could “fix” it myself. I started taking Noni juice…I think this is available at Whole Foods these days?? Noni juice and yoga. When I went back for my follow up, my pap was clear — the doctor was in disbelief. And it’s been clear ever since. However we get to where we are and however we get through it, sharing our experiences in hopes of passing some wisdom on to others, is huge. Thanks for your courage to share the details. Very best wishes to you on your journey!
Christy, thanks so much. I fully believe that stress has played a huge roll in getting me where I am today (with a leep scheduled tomorrow). In an effort to see the silver lining I believe the lesson in all of this is that I need to be under less stress! I am learning cultivate an attitude of “not sweating the small stuff (it’s all small stuff)”. I really appreciate hearing that you followed your instinct, sometimes I feel like the docs don’t know a whole lot about this cervical dysplasia stuff and that their only tool is to cut it out and hope for the best.
Thanks again!
Thank you for sharing Faith. I will be thinking and praying for you. I have never had a pap before and this is a good reminder for me to finally get one.
Thank you for sharing this, Faith. I am overdue for my own annual (pushing bi-annual at this point :/ ) exam and this is definitely a good kick in the pants to get my ass to the doctor. Sending healing thoughts your way!
Check out the link I just posted for the updated annual guidelines.
Good luck today Faith! Thanks for sharing your story. I think it’s great how much research you have done to make your decision, and to be as healthy as possible.
Thanks Lindsey!
Just saw this. Sending positive energy your way. All will be well.
Faith – thank you so much for sharing this. I have never had to deal with this particular issue but if I had to, it is good to be able to read someone’s first hand account. I am not dealing with this exact issue but another medical issue that is quite common and not talked about at the amount due to it – chronic, high levels of heavy metals. I am trying to share through my blog my first hand account of my journey first to find out what was wrong with me and then how I’m dealing with it. i hope I can help someone, even just one person, by writing about my personal issues with metals. I am sure that you writing about your experience is helping many other women that are or will have to confront this issue.
Thanks again.
I look forward to checking out your blog. I am really grateful for the blogospere as a resource and community and if I can add to that in a positive way by writing about my experience I’m happy to share. Best wishes on finding your healthiest self!