The LEEP Procedure
When I got the results of CIN3 from the colposcopy last month it was recommended that I get a LEEP Procedure to remove the dysplasia.
Being a modern day women, I immediately hit the Google and read everything I could find on the procedure.
First thing I realized is that this is incredibly common among women in my age group.
Second thing I realized is that each experience is very different depending on the severity of the dysplasia and each women’s response to treatment.
Third thing I realized is that I hadn’t found a good, first-hand account of the procedure.
As I said, every women, circumstance, and doctor is very different but here’s what I experienced today with the LEEP.
The set-up was exactly the same as it is for a pelvic exam.
The speculum was huge and uncomfortable in and of itself.
The doctor injected Lidocaine internally into the area for local anesthesia- PAINFUL but short lived.
Here’s the scary part; the “loop” is just a little thing, about the size of my pinky nail, but it burns anything it touches. The doctor let me know how important it is that I stayed completely still while he was using it. It sounded a little bit like a drill and hurt really bad for the two seconds at a time he actually used it. My entire body was tensed up and my jaw was clenched in an effort not to move a muscle. As soon as he took it away it just went back to being uncomfortable but not painful. He said that it was rare to experience pain but I most certainly did. I have a decent pain tolerance, I have two tattoos and used to pierce my own ears when I was a teen!
I was SO relieved when it was over, which was about 10-15 l-o- n-g minutes after he started. I heard that sometimes you feel a little woozy afterward but I just felt a tiny bit weak. I was still glad that Tate was there to drive me home because I immediately started experiencing bad pain/cramping low in my pelvis. Ibuprofen and a hot water bottle have helped but it’s been a low key day.
My doctor recommended the following for recovery;
- No vigorous exercise for a week
- No baths or swimming for 2 weeks
- Nothing in the vagina for 3-4 weeks
- Follow-up Pap in 3 months
- No wait necessary before TTC, after the 4 weeks (just sayin’ 😉 )
