Hi there! I've been all over the place with this HPV thing! First, a positive HPV in June 2007 with normal cells. Very upset, but got over it. Then, abnormal pap in Jan. 2008. Very upset then came to terms with it. Then, the need for a colpo with biopsies. Freaking out, calmed down then went through with it. I had a pretty bad experience and felt a good deal of pain during the biopsies and mainly after when my doc had to stop the bleeding with the big q tips. I started turning white and my lips were turning blue so i was told. i started shaking and seeing stars and feeling like i was about to throw up. I got kind of dissociated from reality like i was about to faint and apparently became instantly sweaty on my forehead. It really was a negative experience. The nurse called the Dr back in bc i was looking pretty grim. I was in bed for the entire day with terrible cramps, but my boyfriend was there during the colpo, so that was very helpful.
The next week, I get a call from my doc who said it looked "pretty good in there" during the colpo, but they wanted me to come in to talk about the test results and getting a Leep. I was again very very bummed out to hear that it actually was bad news.
I went in to see my doc who said that one biopsied specimen was CIN 1 and the other was CIN 11-111. She said she agreed it would be best for me to go under general anesthesia for the Leep because of how bad I did with the colpo.
My boyfriend was freaking out and insisted i get a 2nd opinion. I went to another doc in my network who agreed with my 1st doc but said in so many words that my first doc (who he had heard of) is not someone that he would recommend but that he was sure she was capable of preforming the procedure. The 2nd doc appeared older with maybe shaky hands and a weird fungal growth on his thumb. So I didn't completely trust him to do the leep either (even though it is supposed to be a simple procedure).
This was all unsettling so i ended up paying out of pocket to go out of my network to a doc associated with a top gyno hospital.
Sorry for the long backstory, but here's my question. This 3rd doc says that i don't need general and that it is very unneccesary. He said he can drug me up with something in my IV where i'm basically in Lala land and just do it locally. After he left breifly and came back into the office he says, "you know what, it's your choice, we can go ahead and do it in the surgical center if you really want to under general though it does not seem worth it since you're paying out of pocket" He gave me time to think about it, but i really need to make a decision quick!
My question to the board is: what would you recommend doing?
I have to pay $1000 out of pocket for doing the leep it in the office locally and $2400 out of pocket to do it in the OR under general. I'm really torn, the price difference is an influencial factor, but i just still don't know.
From what I'm hearing, people generally have a better time with the leep under general anesthesia and more chance of feeling traumatized and bad with the local. Can someone speak on these 2 options and let me know what you think someone with a lot of anxiety over the leep and a bad experience with the colpo should do??
Thanks so much for any help!!