Hello. I know I should probably read a few of the posts that are already here and I can probably get some of my questions answered, and I will, I guess I am just a little hasty and have too many questions.
I am 22, and have had two children, one in 04 and one in 06, both c-section. I had an abnormal pap smear in Feb. 03 and was told by my gynecologist that it was HPV but it was nothing to worry about. He did not follow up, and I did not have any reason to question him. After having my first child, my pap smear was abnormal, but the follow-up was okay. Then, after my second child, my pap smear was abnormal, but the dr said it was nothing to be concerned about again, and just put me on the shot. I decided after a while that I wanted to try the IUD because the shot gave me horrible mood swings. I went to the health center in my town, because I am eligible to get it for much less than I would pay at a private dr. My pap smear came back abnormal and the nurse sent a referral to the "free" hospital in our area. I normally would have seen my regular ob/gyn but my husband had switched jobs and we are without insurance until next month. So I went to the free clinic and still had to pay for my visit because we don't meet the income requirements they have. I had a colposcopy and biopsy done. The dr I saw that day (March) said my ob/gyn should have done these tests back in 03 because she said it looked like I had precancer cells. I went yesterday for my results and saw a different dr. He seemed very nice and did not rush me out of his office. He went over my results. Everything was negative except the scraping, which showed precancer.
He said that I would need to come back every 3 months to have it checked out with a pap smear, scraping, and colposcopy. He said it could take 7-8 years for it to actually form into cancer so I didn't need to worry about it right now. I took his word for it, and came home, a little bummed out about having to have pelvic exams 4 times a year, but relieved that it wasn't more serious.
After researching it on the internet, I found out that it can be treated now, before it turns into full-blown cancer, and that it probably should be treated now.
So, my questions are, basically, does this sound right to anyone, being told to just wait and see? What is the usual treatment for this? I read about surgery, radiation, chemo, and all the other possibilities a little bit. I guess I just want to know from those who have had this experience.
And cost is a major issue. My husband's insurance kicks in next month, but of course, we have deductibles, and we are already pretty far in debt from medical bills that have been piling up over the last few years, that we jsut can't seem to make a dent it. How much do these different treatments usually cost? I just don't want to go to a private dr and then get surprised at teh end of the visit with a huge bill that I cannot pay.
I also have lupus, and have been pretty sick for the last 2 months. It began with a stomach virus, which basically led to a flare-up, and sort of wrecked my immune system, I have been fighting colds and flu since I got over my flare-up. Maybe someone can help me understand how this might affect the cervical pre-cancer.
I hope I have not rambled on too much, and that someone can help me with some of my questions. I appreciate your time.