So it was unavoidable that LEEP op must be performed.
My fate is sealed.
I oped for G.A for my LEEP op even though it's more expensive. There are several reasons why I choose to do the more expensive version
Reasons
- I squirm alot even just during pap smear. I find it hard to keep my legs wide open without sliding up.
- I have low tolerance for discomfort. Since I do not have cramps during period, even coloscopy is very very uncomfortable for me.
- I cannot be confident that I wont move during LEEP, which in my personal view may result in more complication. The doc may cut the wrong area when I moved, or the doc is so stressed by all the movement interruptions that the doc cannot concentrate on what needs to be done. A doc can get stressed too...and a stressed doc is not the one u want operating on u.
- I read all about the burning flesh smell and pain experience and I would like to skip all that...
I spoke to my doctor Dr Lam and she left the decision to me, though she did agree that in my case, GA would def take the pressure and stress off her during the op but she said in the end, its entirely up to me if cost is an issue.
The Op
So came April 12th and I checked myself into the HK Santorium hospital into the day ward. Surgery is performed by Dr Helena Lam. I like her. She is nice, friendly and upbeat but also serious when required.
My op is at 1pm but they wanted me there by 12pm. No food and drinks by 5am the day before.
Before I was wheeled into op room, the anesthesiologist came over to say hi, and to tell me to relax. He asked if I have any allergies, or if I have a tendency to get motion sickness. I replied yes and he told me in that case he will adjust his medication injection accordingly so that I will not feel nauseous when I wake.
Inside the op, I sat myself onto the bed and the anesthesiologist poke the needle into my hand and that hurts. In less than a min, everything blacked out.
POST Op
I woke up at 2.15pm. The op took about 25mins.
I feel groggy but fine. However I was cold. So the nurse gave me a hot blanket.
My doc came by to say the op is over and told me to avoid ginseng.
I was to expect some bleeding, or brown discharge.
I asked her if it had worsen but she said no.
I asked her under what situation is considered abnormal, she told me excessive bleeding.
I would be given antibiotics for a week to combat any possible infections during the cervix healing.
Also, she told me she would see me in the followup in 2 weeks time.
With that, I was wheeled into the day ward at 2.45pm. I was still cold. So I asked for another hot blanket.
While lying there, my head was still groggy and suddenly a mild cramping hits me.
I went back to sleep and by 3.30pm, the cramp was gone and i was feeling better.
The nurse came over and told me they cannot release me unless I can consume some food and pee normally.
So about 4.30pm, I took some minced pork congee and finished it coz I was starving.
At 6pm, I was discharged. I felt fine really.
I changed into my own clothes and I didnt see any bleeding.
****************
Post Op Day 1
Date: 13th April.
Nothing much happened.
Post Op Day 2
A watery discharge happened. It was clear. The smell was like mild disinfectant but nothing bad.
Needed a change of panty liner twice. No cramps
Post Op day 3
Still watery discharge, volume increased. Needed change of panty liner 5 times a day.
No change in smell or visual, except the discharge is very very faint pink almost undetectable.
No cramps
Post Op day 4
Watery discharge volume increases. I cant use a panty liner anymore. I need a light day pad to hold the watery discharge. It is still faint pink. Only need a change once a day
No cramps
Post Op day 5- 7
Still using light day pad. Still change once a day.
No cramps.
Post Op day 8
Date: 20th April.
Signs of my period coming. I was spotting. It's pretty easy to tell it's period because the blood texture is just different.
Post Op day 8 -14
Date: 20th - 26th April
Still spotting and no real sign of normal period.
Post Op day 14 : FIRST POST CHECKUP
Date: 26th April
Dr Lam did a quick check and she proclaimed I was healing nicely. That's where my good news stop.
At the same time, she also reviewed my specimen analysis with me.
There is no good news, only some worrying news.
She had to go deeper but she didnt want to overdo it as she know I was going to try for pregnancy. However, she discovered my CIN has spread to the inner cervix canal and she can only hope that the op which burnt the skin will also burn the cin affected area inside. Other than that, the rest of the affected area was fully removed. She said, only the next pap smear will determine if I have any CIN virus left after op.
Was it depressing news. What do you think? Of course it feels shitty.
I was paranoid about my healing so I requested for a second checkup in 6 weeks.
Post Op day 15 :
Date: 27th April.
Period finally arrived. No unusual symptoms. No cramps etc.
However, it lasted 8-9 days instead of the ususal 6-7 days.
However, there were smaller blood clots which I normally dont get in normal periods.
It felt strange to have jelly thing passing out.
Post Op day 21: The BIG scare. HUGE blood clot.
Date: 3rd May.
This friday night I had the weirdest thing happening. At about 9pm, I realised I was started to bleed. It soaked through my panty liner but I still didnt think much of it. So I just grabbed my stuff to go have a shower and to my HORROR, a HUGE LUMP of blood clot the size of a pig's liver just gushed out of me. I am not kidding. The sheer size of it freaked me out, the fact it was bigger than my whole hand was enough to send me into panic mode. Having read so many "sudden heavy bleeding" posts on internet forum, I thought to myself, this is IT. It's happening to me too.
The color was simply liver red. Dark red and jelly form. The next part that had me panicking was the fact that bright red blood was streaming out of my vagina NON STOP. I mean literally like a turned on tap. So I sat (I have a sitting ledge in the shower area) in the warm shower for at least 20mins or so. It was subsiding but the volume was exactly scary. I just assumed when the blood clot was released, the fresh blood could flow. I had to wait a while longer before I could get out of the shower wipe dry and put on my pads.
This time round, I knew it was just blood and NO blood clot. It was almost as if the clot had all been amassed and passed out as a huge lump.
I was still wondering if I should head to ER but thankfully, the gush of sudden non stop blood flow ceased to normal within 2 hours. I was relieved!
My period dwindled to nothing in the next 2 days.
Life went back to normal finally but at this point, I am determined to watch my food intake and cut out as much refined sugar as possible.
Post Op day 14 : SECOND POST LEEP OP CHECKUP
Date: 24th June
Dr Helena Lam took a quick look and was very satisfied with the wound healing nicely.
She advised me to do a Pap Smear before I embark on my IVF so that we will know the CIN status before any pregnancy journey. Normally, the 1st Pap is done 4-6 months after the Op but since I want to start my IVF asap, I booked in for my first Pap on 19th July. That is about 3 months after. I was told no fast and hard rules as to when I can get tested so it was fine but only reason I brought it forward instead of early Aug was my IVF doctor was going away on 2 weeks vacation leave so I thought better to catch her before she leaves so that i can have my result while she is away. I figured if all is well, i can get started soon.
Dr Helena Lam also advised me to have one normal round of period first before I start IVF so that means I have to forgo my June window. However, I took her advice because I really trusted her.
