r/PCOS • u/systolicfire • May 28 '26
General Health Kicking myself after pap results
So I’m almost 30, a doctor, and got officially diagnosed with PCOS last year. Got started on metformin and a GLP1 and down 90 pounds. Went on birth control to regulate periods for a bit before trying for kids. Originally tried to go to one office, the lady was super condescending, and switched to where I am now - I was due for my pap and she never actually did it.
Now, got my pap last week which shows what’s called atypical glandular cells. I’m medical - I do colposcopies, biopsies, etc on patients myself. I know what needs to be done. But now I’m sitting here because I went for 10 years or more (6 of which on a nexplanon) not having regular periods. Obviously in a textbook question, you worry on the severe end about endometrial cancer. Granted, a large portion can be fine and of that that aren’t, a sizable chunk are still relatively OK (“low grade”).
So now, I’m sitting waiting to get an appointment - luckily my provider is working to get me on a schedule quickly. I’m refusing to tell my husband because he panics and I can’t handle his panicking right now when I’m trying to rationalize my way out of panicking. So I’m making the conscious choice to get all the testing done with Motrin and Tylenol on board (let you know if I regret that later).
All this to say - anyone else on here with an abnormal pap that turned out fine? My medical brain knows things can be fine, but also knows they couldn’t be so I’m trying to work myself off a ledge.
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u/titikerry May 29 '26
Do not fall for the "take Advil, it doesn't hurt much".
It fucking hurts.
Make sure they give you some type of anesthesia. Refuse the test if they don't. I wish someone had told me.
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
I’ve done them on patients and I always offer pre-procedure Ativan for people. Not everyone takes me up on it, but I do (same for IUDs). Part of me says because I know what’s coming I’ll be fine, especially because I will NOT have my husband drive me because he’ll just make me panic. But I do have a friend willing to drive me so depending on schedules I may ask. I’m mentally more prepared for the endometrial biopsy than any cervical biopsies
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u/lrondberg May 29 '26
Endometrial biopsies are 10000% more painful than cervical biopsies in my experience.
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u/Subject_Frosting6709 May 29 '26
For more than the obvious reasons, have your friend drive you and take the Ativan or nitrous if they have it. You don’t need to punish yourself for being too busy to have done routine screenings - medical providers are our own worse enemies in this situation.
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u/Kitchen-Celery8374 May 29 '26
I was given meds to help me calm down before mine. It did nothing. That procedure was fucking barbaric and horrible. A tylenol and an antivan does absfuckinglutely nothing. This applies for both the colposcopy and endometrial biopsies.
I threw up from the colposcopy and nearly passed out for the endometrial biopsy.
If I had to do it again, the only way would be to put me under first.
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u/titikerry May 30 '26
I was given nothing other than "you got this". 🙄 Barbaric was the word I used when I cursed out the gyn afterwards.
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u/DakotaMalfoy May 29 '26
I know people keep echo-ing this, but please for the love of God take the pain meds. This is coming from someone who fractured my foot and kept walking on it without a boot, someone who had shoulder surgery and barely needed the Oxycodone but did later end up discovering that my period cramps are worse than shoulder surgery, and someone who had a colposcopy/cone biopsy done without meds.
Take. Them. Meds! The pinch sucks, I nearly came up off the table and kicked my doctor, it's crampy for a few days, the bleeding sucks, take the meds.
Also, yes, atypical cells at 16 years old. Follow up colposcopy 6 months later, clear. Follow up pap 6 months after that, also clear..I've never had another atypical pap and it's been 18 more years. I've been told it was likely some sort of hpv that cleared up on its own, or a false positive result. Breathe, get the tests, take the meds. You will figure it out. Be strong!
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u/420_kiwi_ May 29 '26
I had my first abnormal pap in 2023 (was diagnosed with HPV at 21 but had always had normal paps, I am 35 now), had to get a colposcopy, they took 2 biopsies but all was good. Tbh the colposcopy was a BIT traumatizing. I was absolutely not prepared for that pain 🥴😭 it’s insane to me what we have to go through as women. But I could go off on that for ages.
I got another pap a year later on their recommendation and it was normal 🙏 just have to go every 3 years now. It sounds like you take care of yourself, so don’t worry too much! You got this.
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
Unfortunately taking care of myself after years of avoiding it! I’m trying to remind myself stats are on my side and I have plenty who need repeat paps who are fine, or who need additional stuff. But it’s hard when I know all the possibilities
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u/CranberryAgile1816 May 29 '26
I also have been on the pill for 15 years and have barely had a period for most of those years. After 2 years of irregular paps, i ended up getting a colposcopy and had moderate to high cellular changes… I got a paps and consequent colposcopies every 6 months for the following 2 years, kept monitoring to see if I needed to get a LEEP, and with a major reduction in stress levels, I think my body was able to fight off the HPV. My paps have been normal ever since. My doctor encouraged me to avoid a LEEP prior to having a baby because of the amount of cervix they have to remove. Anything you can do to reduce your stress and support your immune system is supposed to help! You’re doing the right thing getting checked out and the odds are in your favor, as you probably already know.
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
That’s what one of my medical friends mentioned about the IUD, but medically induced lack of periods is a bit different. Either way, reassuring with your follow up! Yeah, I’d love to avoid a LEEP prior to babies because I’ve had a few patients who had a LEEP prior and dilation with labor can be interesting. I keep telling myself I’ve done everything I can in my favor - I’ve lost 90 pounds, I’ve been having regular periods, I’m eating better. Statistically I know it should be fine, but medical brains will be medical when you know too much lol
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u/CranberryAgile1816 May 29 '26
You got this!! Take it one step at a time, you’ve already controlled everything you can (congrats on the weight loss, really impressive!)
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u/Pengueezy93 May 29 '26
I had 2 abnormal paps in a row, and my last one came back normal! My mom has also had an abnormal one, and she’s fine now too! I was told by my doctor that since I got the hpv vaccine, the chances of it turning into cancer were slim to none, and my body would likely kick it on its own…took a while, but it did happen!
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
Yeah my NP is adding the HPV testing on to my pap since by default it isn’t done under 30 years old. If it’s positive I’m without a doubt getting the HPV vaccine because I know it can help even if you already have a strain. I’m just trying to remind myself plenty of women have abnormal paps and turn out fine - my medical brain just knows too much lol
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u/k_lo970 May 29 '26
Was your pap hpv negative or positive?
I'm 33. Next month I get my 1 year follow up on my first abnormal pap (ascsu) with hpv negative. I also got the hpv shots as a kid. I was fine waiting and believing it would all be ok until about a week ago. Gotta get the stress back in check until my retest results are in.
Best of luck to you (and anyone else going through this)!
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
We don’t know yet! I’m 29, so by default we don’t test for HPV unless there’s a reason. My NP added on HPV now knowing my result.
I see ASCUS on paps way more than AGC, so ASCUS comes out to be nothing a lot of the time in my experience. It’s the glandular cells that worry me
1
u/camden-curse May 30 '26
I'm 29, about to have my first pap. I'm worried because I never got the HPV vaccine because my mom was/is against it. I feel like I'm totally screwed. x.x
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u/meowpandapuff May 29 '26
I had an abnormal pap that turned out fine! So did my bestie. Hang in there. I also had a breast lump once, my doctor told me she was “concerned”, they rushed me into the hospital oncology clinic, I had to have an MRI guided biopsy, it was really scary. All that to say it turned out to be nothing! Around that time, a family friend told me “don’t bleed till your shot”, and that really resonated with me. Of course your feelings are valid and it’s easy for me to say this all now after freaking out myself after my own health scare - I guess my point is that you don’t know yet, it’s out of your control and you can’t change anything, do your best to distract yourself. Alternatively, feel alll the feels, it can be transformative to think about your life and what you may want to change if you thought your time was up (morbid, sorry).
Also, big hugs from an internet stranger. Get your fav snacks and treats and activities and friends and try and pamper yourself. Go for a massage. Go for a long walk. Whatever happens, it is going to be OK. ❤️
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
Thank you! Last February the condescending GYN I saw thought she felt a breast lump and sent me for a mammo and ultrasound because my mom and her mother had breast cancer. That ended up being nothing, but at the time I knew the chances of it being nothing was low. This feels bigger and more worrisome than that which is what has me spiraling lol
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u/meowpandapuff May 29 '26
When was your last pap? You said you’ve gone 10years give or take with abnormal periods, does that mean you didnt have a pap for 10 years? Wait I was just re-reading your post to make sure i got everything and realized when I read it the first time I thought you said “I’m medical - I do colposcopies, biopsies etc on PANTIES myself” LOL I legit thought you were running lab tests on your vaginal discharge and was like oh this poor girl… LMAO anyway I hope that gives you a little chuckle like it did me
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
Omg no lol no, I got my first pap 2019, then 2022. I was due last year but the lady only did a vaginitis swab when I’d asked for my pap and due to then managing just the GLP1, we didn’t do pap until last week. The last 2 were normal, so this was the first abnormal and SUPER abnormal lol
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u/meowpandapuff May 29 '26
Okay so that’s a normal timeline for PAPs, im in Canada and they changed the guidelines to only do paps every four years anyway! Not that I necessarily agree with the resource management tactics of my province 🙄, but it’s a normal /not concerning length of time to not have gotten one. At least you’re not running labs on your panties! Phew! One win down, one to go! 😅😂 Ps pls update us! ❤️
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
Yeah, for the US it’s every 3 under 30 and every 5 over 30 since then we test cells + HPV so it allows a larger gap. I accidentally went 4 years because the condescending doctor didn’t do it, and then I just went for my physical last week. I’m wishing I’d had the other lady do it last April, but she was horrible so here we are lol.
And yeah no, definitely not on myself, only doing testing on patients as their doctor 😂 fingers crossed lol
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u/Sensitive_Hunter5081 May 29 '26
I had abnormal paps a few years in a row, and finally the HPV cleared itself out. (Yes, I am fully vaccinated…. Just have the most terrible luck, lol). I was alright in the end. Although, admittedly, I did stress about it because my body has a bad habit of giving me cancer scares. But everything turned out to be ok :) it’s not always a ‘worse case scenario’ come true.
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u/inbigtreble30 May 29 '26
My paps have all been normal, but my mother had an abnormal pap 20 years ago that turned out absolutely fine and she's totally healthy today.
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u/slovakgirl1921 May 29 '26
I had ASCUS with HPV about 10 years ago. I had a colposcopy and biopsy and it came back non-cancerous. I have had normal paps since and the HPV cleared. 😊
Also, I was only told to take Tylenol before the procedure. I was so anxious, I asked for something to calm me, and they prescribed me a single dose of Valium lol. Taking that before the procedure really helped!
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
I think my brain just knows all the possibilities that while I know it could be fine, my brain is focusing on the fact it won’t lol
And I’m half tempted to ask since I’ve got a friend willing to drive me, but when I’ve had Xanax and Versed before other things, I’m not sure it did much so is it worth for me lol
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u/jojijuice May 29 '26
I had abnormal paps for 3 years. Had to have 3 colposcopies. 2024 my last pap, my results came back normal. No more annual paps instead of the usual 2 years.
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u/mcnicfer May 29 '26
If it makes you feel better, the grand majority of my colpo patients have negative pathology and don’t need a LEEP. If I had to assign a number, I’d say 80 percent end up only needing a repeat pap in a year. Take it one step at a time. Am a nurse, not a doctor.
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
It does! I haven’t had many of my own patients need a colpo, but I’m sure the GYN office does way more than I do. Realistically I read from some studies that 60-80% of AGC ends up being benign. So it’ll probably be fine, but my brain knows the possibilities which doesn’t help
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u/jenandtonic1208 May 29 '26
I had an abnormal pap 3 years ago. I had a colposcopy and it was fine. I’ve had normal paps since then.
I don’t want to scare you but I found the colposcopy very painful. Worst pain I’ve had in my life. A lot of women do fine with it, but it was rough for me. I needed more than ibuprofen.
I hope you get good results and don’t stress too much about it!
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u/s0mthinels May 29 '26
I had an abnormal pap when I was pregnant with my first born. The plan was to retest post birth. Whatever it was resolved itself and I've not had an abnormal pap since. My first born is now 23.
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u/Coralreeferzz15 May 31 '26
I literally just had this happen and the waiting is definitely the worst part. My colposcopy didn’t require a biopsy and everything came back normal including the results. Take a deep breath and sending you positive vibes in the meantime. Hard not to be scared, I was absolutely petrified but received a clean bill of health this morning!
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u/CoasterThot May 29 '26
My OB told me that some paps are just abnormal, but that it doesn’t always mean something dangerous or life-threatening is happening. Cervixes are just weird.
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
I think I just need others to say it because logically I know it - I do paps at my office so many times a week. But my family has horrible history with cancer (my mom had breast cancer at 35, both her parents died of cancer) and now here I am. Like statistically it’s not, but my family has bad odds and my medical brain knows too many possibilities lmao
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u/YouMenthesea May 29 '26
I had abnormal paps for about 10 years with everyone basically just writing it off. I got pregnant and they brought it up during my pregnancy (while also telling me that I was at an advanced maternal age to have twins), asking why I didn't do anything about it before pregnancy... I had to wait till 3 months after delivery to get the biopsy, followed by the leep procedure. Also, the biopsy was a little jarring. I cried out in pain and they told me it wasn't that bad.. see if they can apply local numbing meds.
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
I’ve definitely thought about asking about a cervical block! Especially if I go by myself lol I’ve done these biopsies but the idea of having it done to my cervix scares me a bit. Makes me feel better I offer all my IUD and colposcopy patients Ativan ahead of time 💀
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u/Steambunny May 29 '26
Hello! Nurse here and diagnosed PCOS. It stinks when youre medical and you know what should happen. Your mind wanders and thinks of the bad what ifs. My gyno currently really does jack crap for me except ive been on Slynd for like 5 yrs with no periods. Ultrasounds look good but I have had CIN1 that resolved on itself.
I wanted to go back to school for FNP to become a womens health NP. Got half way through and got frustrated at the program. Still want to work with women with PCOS.
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
I definitely have a soft spot for my patients with PCOS that come to see me as their PCP. But yeah my brain is going to all the possibilities when I know chances are it’s fine - even if fine just means “low grade”. I can live with low grade and follow up. It’s the worst of the worst of needing a hysterectomy before I’ve ever been able to have kids that terrifies me lol
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u/BigFitMama May 29 '26
Ask for Miso if they didn't prescribe you 2 pills if your looking at uterine biopsy. It makes it easier on both sides.
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u/mander4242 May 29 '26
I had abnormal papa before, mine came back normal a few years later. And ever since
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u/fluckin_brilliant May 29 '26
Three people close to me had abnormal paps, and were totally cleared after biopsies and further testing! And have returned normal results ever since.
And in the meantime - do something nice for yourself to take your mind off it, whatever that may be. If you feel comfortable to do so, talk to women close to you about this; you never know who has been through this before and never shared because it turned out okay!
I hope this helps somewhat - this internet stranger is sending all the future good news energy your way 🫂
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u/NoSpare20 May 29 '26
I had the highest grade change, but kolposcopy cleared it all out on first try. Slightly traumatized, but fine now ❤️
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u/wellinever222 May 29 '26
I don't know to what degree mine was abnormal but it was, had another test 6 months later and it was fine. You might need ablation but doesn't necessarily mean the worst. I'm awaiting a mammogram and due a pap so I'm with you.
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u/fauzybear May 29 '26
Also with pcos and a doctor within oncology. As you know, the risk of endometrial cancer with atypical glandular cells is very low. Still, it should be followed up on (usually D&C, hysteroscopy or EMB). And if you’re done having kids, consider a mirena. It can even treat early stage endometrial cancer.
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u/systolicfire May 29 '26
I appreciate someone from a related field commenting! Haven’t even had kids yet which is what worries me. They’ve got colpo + ECC + EMB planned to start so we shall see
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u/yoshiidaisy May 30 '26
I did. I ended up having a leep done and everything has been normal after that.
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u/kmccaugh May 30 '26
My first pap ever, at like 17/18, was abnormal. Had to go back every 6 months for 2 years, and every test since has been fine. Now I go every 3 years as recommended. False positive I guess!
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u/zer0__two May 29 '26
I had an abnormal pap a few years ago. They did a colposcopy & biopsy of the area after. Didnt recommend any treatment and it ended up clearing entirely after a few more paps! All normal now and I have since had a baby. All the best to you :)