Irregular Pap...need encouragement?!
Question: I am just looking for words of encouragement. I recieved a call today stating that my pap came back irregular...and needless to say, I am a nervous wreck. The nurse who called and left me a message was not available to call back and will not be available until tomorrow at noon...so I have all night to sit and fret about this. I am afraid of cancer, even though cervical cancer generally is not that bad to have....compared to other forms of cancer...but if you have any advice, input, or knowledge in this area, please leave a comment...I will greatly appreciate it.
Answers: I am just looking for words of encouragement. I recieved a call today stating that my pap came back irregular...and needless to say, I am a nervous wreck. The nurse who called and left me a message was not available to call back and will not be available until tomorrow at noon...so I have all night to sit and fret about this. I am afraid of cancer, even though cervical cancer generally is not that bad to have....compared to other forms of cancer...but if you have any advice, input, or knowledge in this area, please leave a comment...I will greatly appreciate it.
Pap smears occasionally come back odd, usually the report says "atypical squamous cells". Squamous cells are what the cervix is made up of, and what is scraped off for the pap smear. An atypical one just means it didn't look quite like all the others, or the way it should ordinarily look. In and of itself, it doesn't mean a whole lot. There are a few things that can cause it to happen, anything from a vaginal infection to having had sex in the day or so prior to the exam, to just not looking right to the pathologist. Although it's a lot nicer to hear the all clear, an irregular pap smear doesn't automatically transfer to meaning cervical cancer. Lots of ladies get one of these from time to time, and nothing bad ever happens. So you can let out some breathe here. It could also mean that the original sample the doctor sent didn't contain enough cells for examination, something the doctor won't exactly want to admit. When you get through to the nurse, they will likely reschedule you for another exam. They will want to check for HPV, unless they did that at the first exam. They may want to do another pap smear. Or they can just have you come back for another one in four to six months time. The one time finding doesn't mean anything, they can't tell what, if anything is going on. If they find atypical cells a second time, the next step is usually a colposcopy. That lets them see the entire cervix, to see if there is something in particular that needs a closer look. Then they can take a sample for a closer look. It's not the most pleasant procedure, but it's not painful, and really not much worse than a pap smear. Worst case scenaria and they find an area that is suspicious. the next step is a cone procedure, usually called LEEP, to remove that part of the cervix. That too, is not a major thing. No, not all that pleasant, and yes it is worrisome. But when things are caught in early stages they are much easier to treat, and with sucess. It doesn't automatically mean you are in for a hysterectomy and kissing motherhood goodbye. In a lot of cases, the second pap smear is clear and good- and the first one is just "one of those things" that happen. Some ladies seem to alternate between them, and never have any troubles at all. Fact is, atypical is sometimes in the eye of the pathologist, who errs to the side of caution. Not a bad thing, but not always conducive to a good nights sleep either. So, try to stay calm. It will all turn out okay, no matter what comes. It usually sounds much worse than it actually is.
No, you're fine. Mine came back irregular. You might have HPV, which can cause that as well. I have HPV (and yes, it's an STD, but no I"m not dirty or anything and neither is my partner, you can get this from sexual encounters, or you can also get it from the gym being around other girls/women that have it..so don't worry about that either) HPV DOES cause cancer, but if you stay healthy (depending on the type of HPV) you will be fine. You should have to come back again, for another pap, and she will explain everything. Honey, don't worry too much (and I can say this, based on experience) because remember God is on your side :)
I've said a prayer for you, and hope things work out! :)
When a pap smear is done, the cell samples have to be taken from the right area. A pap smear could come back "irregular" if the sample was taken from the wrong area. It doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. There could also be some early abnormal cell development that can be taken care of with an office visit to prevent further development of cancer.
Don't sweat it until you hear back because it could be absolutely nothing!
edit: Just wanted to add, that HPV CAN cause cancer. Just because a person tests positive for HPV doesn't mean they will develop cancer. In more cases than not your immune system will take care of it.
Try not to worry, I've had several irr. reg. paps. Mine were all due to just having my period, not enough "info" in there when I've just "shed".
B R E A T H
I've had an irregular pap and it turned out to be nothing.... irregular pap's happen fairly often from what I've gathered.
Try not to worry about it. There could be all sorts of reasons for an abnormal pap (even something as simple as a yeast infection). And even if it's the worst case scenario and it is cancer, know that you will have caught it early. I'll be thinking about you. Best of luck!
Lots of pap smears come back irregular, usually from minor things. If it were something really serious, they wouldn't tell you over the phone, and they would be more urgent about contacting you than they have been.
i wouldn't worry too much this early!! i got scared like this, too. they said it was irregular....some kind of abnormal cell, but not the cancer kind. they just told me to take folic acid, and i'm waiting for the results of my followup pap. they said there's a hundred reasons it could be this way, but it absolutely nothing to worry about. hopefully yours is the same!!
I had received a letter from my doctor a few years back that said i needed to go back in because i had an irregular pap. I wasted my time going in. All they did was look at the paper work and said that I was still in a normal range and there was no need to look into it any further. All my paps after that came back normal. If there is any concern of cancer (with that form) they can do blood work to tell if it's cancer. Nothing to worry about until you talk to the nurse or doctor again.
an irregular pap doesn't mean anything. Most HPV infections go away on their own, just make sure you boost your immune system, by eating nd living healthy