Adventure in colposcopy

Note: I am not a doctor and I do not intend to give any medical meaning/significance to this post. This is merely a personal log of my colposcopy appointment and experience. Why? Because if you are like me, you have Googled the term after it was recommended by your doctor and you have read lots of stuff on it; sometimes scary, sometimes technical. Obviously, this post is more suited for women.

Even though I don't have a family doctor (for a number of reasons), I visit my walk-in clinic every year to get tested for STIs and also to get a Pap smear test. In the past, I have had a few abnormal cells showing in my results. They were noted in my medical file and I was often recommended to come back for another Pap test 6 months after (instead of the usual yearly one). That follow-up test that always came back normal. To tell you the truth, I assume they came back normal because I never got a call back.

I want to say though, for me and anyone else, man or woman: don't wait for a clinic to call you on your tests results. Call after 2 weeks (or the time they say it takes to get results back) to make sure your results are negative. It's best to be annoying and persistent than sorry later on because some clerk forgot to call a patient.

Recently, I went to get my STI testing and Pap test done. New relationship and new everything, so I wanted to start on a clean page. I carry on with life and 2 weeks after, I have a voice mail saying that the doctor wanted to see me for my results. Every woman's heart is sinking when they hear that. It wasn't the first time I was hearing it, but it was still the same reaction. You immediately think the worse is waiting for you. Luckily enough, the clinic is within walking distance from my house, so I went. The alternative of waiting until the next business day, leaving me worried and stressed, isn't an option when it comes to yours truly. Within 5 minutes, I was sitting in the exam room and sure enough, it was abnormal cells once again, although this time, it was in the high-grade category and the cytology lab recommended (love the choice of words) a colposcopy to look further into it.

The appointment, which surprisingly was scheduled just a few weeks after at a local hospital, went well. I get there, worried that my periods are going to start at that moment (and I had called previously to ask if they would do it during periods, which they said yes they would do). I wait for registration, wait to get into the waiting room (you have to wait to wait...), undress from the waist down to slip into the very fashionable hospital gown and wait my turn for the doctor to call me in.

They know we are stressed, especially the newbies like me. But they are all smiles and attentive to everything, very professional (which is what you would and should expect). No men in this place - doctors and nurses, volunteers and staff are all women. Love it. I am observing the woman who's just before me and I can see she is nervous, she has the same procedure than me. She goes in, comes out 10 minutes after, looking relieved. I tell myself it's not that bad.

I get called in a few minutes after. The nurse takes my purse and asks me to sit on the table. The doctor comes in, very cool... she makes small talk, notices my French accent, starts to speak French to me. I relax while she asks questions such as when my last periods were, if I plan on having kids, if I'm married, if I had the exam before, my Pap test history, birth control, etc.  I'm asked to lay on the table and put my feet in the stirrups for the exam to begin.

Then comes the "cool" stuff (as cool as it can be, feet in stirrups, right?). The colposcope is/has a powerful camera that is transmitting the internal exam on TV for my enjoyment.  I thought that was pretty cool. She explains everything she is doing, which is like a Pap test - speculum to spread vaginal walls, a few swabs here and there and a visual observation. She puts some vinegar solution on a cotton ball and dabs the cervix with it, then repeats a few more times. You can see all this on TV and also feel it internally, which isn't painful; it's just a weird sensation to see your insides being pushed against and feeling it at the same time. She then asked me why I was sent here, because she sees nothing suspect at all, no trace of cancer or anything wrong. Apparently the vinegar solution is supposed to turn to white any suspicious cells that need to be analyzed or looked further into. Nothing turns white in my case, yay.

She proceeds to the biopsy part regardless, which is a bit painful, but as she explains, it's like menstrual cramps (and she's right). The only difference is that you see your menstrual cramps on TV! I felt my insides being pulled and tugged on (probably from cutting off a small piece of cervix for the biopsy). When I looked back on the screen, there was a bit of bleeding (actually it looked like it was gushing, but that's just the girly girl in me exaggerating stuff), but no pain. I was given a pad in case there would be some bleeding during the day. I was told to abstain from any sexual activity for 72 hours or until the bleeding stopped, whichever came first. Even after 3 days, take it easy, as there could be some discomfort and bleeding.

Then you are sent on your way home. It's a 15-minute exam that is relatively painless. I booked an appointment to get the results after my vacation, but I don't want to be concerned for now. Just a few points... 

• A colposcopy does not mean you have cervical cancer. It is a preventive exam to diagnose why you have abnormal cells.
• Each woman should get a Pap test every 3 years (to start with; sexually active or not)
• Don't wait for lab results (either for your Pap test, blood/STI testing), be persistent and ask for them
• Log your periods and know your gynaecological history

I hope this helps anyone who happens to read this, especially if you are worried or wondering what the exam is like.