ITT, more about Ang's vag then you wanted to know.

[Ang]

"WTF ANG?!"

You ask yourself as you click on this thread, despite your better judgement.

Well, folks, I'm glad I got your attention.

This is probably more than any of you need to know, but, being that I've known some of you longer than most of my real life friends, I've found it necessary to break the news here.

2 weeks ago I got the news that I had an abnormal pap. Now, for us ladies, this isn't always a bad thing, but the nurse that called me insisted that I come in for a closer look. A closer look being that, they needed to spread me open and see wtf was going on up there.

My diagnosis was LSIL, or, low-grade lesions caused by an HPV infection. 2 stages below carcinoma, or, cervical cancer.

On Tuesday, I experienced one of the single worst medical procedures done to my body ever as they took biopsies from all up ins my nether regions, I cramped, I bled, I cried, and I'm still sore today, and probably will be for the rest of the week.

I met with a nurse practitioner and an oncologist for my treatment options. As of right now, from what they saw with the naked eye, I do NOT have cancer, however, the biopsy could suggest otherwise. I will have the results in about 2 weeks.

I'm scared shitless.

I'm unemployed, single, and my life couldn't really suck anymore right now, and then I get hit with the possibility of having cunt rot because some douche I banged decided he didn't want to wrap his tool and loaded me with HPV (granted, this could have been my ex-husband, but whatever. Let me complain!)

So, yeah. Fortunately, we caught it as such an early phase that it's treatable, and it's not going to kill me, but if it comes back more advanced than what the pap showed, I could be in for a year or two of exciting treatments!



So, how's life for everyone else? What's for dinner?

[Bonnie was here]

Wow, that sucks. I'm so sorry, Ang! Catching it early is the best thing that could have happened other than not getting it. My aunt died of ovarian cancer, so ladypart problems tend to freak me out in a major way. One of my younger sisters has endometriosis and she's had to have multiple biopsy scares. I've been putting off gyno appointments for years because I'm not sexually active, but I really should just go.

Man. This thread is chock full of TMI!

Being unemployed sucks too, but try no to dwell on it too much. I went from 2009-10 unemployed and i thought it was the end of the world. Your health is far more important. Sometimes life just has a way of throwing all of this shit at you just to show you how strong you really are. Stick with the temp agencies and job fairs. Clean up your resume. When you finally get an interview, don't forget to smile!

I know we've had our share of bitchiness, but I do hope you're okay. I'm almost always online, so hit me up if you need to talk. Take care of yourself!

[Lissa]

Life sucks all around for everyone, I think...

You have my genuine condolences, Ang. Nobody deserves to undergo something like that... And Bonnie has the right of it, best you can do, really... Take comfort in the things and the people who you know will support you. We've had our disagreements, but I'm always here if you need to talk. ^_^

[Ang]

Go. FFS, Bonnie, go to the gyno. It's not fun, but a pap smear takes 5 minutes, tops.

All you ladies, JUST FUCKING GO. I know it sucks, I hate them, but right now I cannot stress how important it is. I lapsed with my annuals for a few years, thinking "Well, I'm not married anymore or having regular sex, so whatever." No. Wrong. Go.

Men too. Be more aware of HPV and the damage it can do. Wear a fucking condom (even though they've proven that if it's already present on your skin it won't protect you). Do whatever it takes to stop the spread of the virus. It will NOT show up in a man's STD screening, so don't go and get yourself tested right now, because it's not worth it. Best I can tell you is to support your girl, tell her to stay on top of her health, and be aware.

There is no cure, and 80% of the adult population of the world is infected with a strain of HPV. There's only a handful of high-risk strains that cause cancer, but somehow I got lucky.

If you're still under 26, get the shot. Just do it. I was already too old when they came out of with, so, go figure.

Be informed. Get the facts. End of story.

[Bonnie was here]

How are you dealing with all of this? I'd be a basket case.

If we're talking strictly STD's, then I quite literally have no worries because I'm a virgin (yay, TMI!) I know I need to do all these health check ups given my family history though. I have health insurance too, so no excuses, right? Oy. My doctor says even though I'm 28, I should still get the Guardasil shot.

[Lissa]

I got the shot. *nod* I was just young enough to get it when it came out, so I got it.

[James]

Well I'm a man. Only real thing I have to worry about is colon cancer. Thank the lord for that gem

[Jedi Master Kabraka]

And prostate cancer

[James]

you leave my ass out of this.

[Jedi Master Kabraka]

Sorry dude, didn't know you were so sensitive about it.

[James]

my ass is very sensitive.

[Ang]

The results of my biopsy came back early.

I'm further along than they thought.

It's still not full-blown cancer, but now I have a long 2 years of treatments ahead of me.

[Bonnie was here]

That sucks on a massive level, Ang. I'm sorry. What kind of treatments will you have to go through?

James, there's pretty much a cancer for every body part. There's also an array of other disorders that can be triggered or develop over time. You just never know it's there until you go looking. It's enough to turn a person into a hypochondriac.

[Ang]

Nothing that warrants radiation or chemo therapy, but essentially, a lot of butchering of my cervix until the cells are gone.

[James]

I know this. It was a joke. But thanks for the medical lesson.