What the hell does "low grade changes" mean?

[TeniBear]

I just got back from getting the mail, and I'm a little worried. Apparently my pap smear has "been reported as low grade changes" - what is that supposed to mean?

A quick google has got me even more worried - I'm seeing HPV, cervical cancer, possible infertility... Can someone please ease my mind a bit? I'm scared...

ETA - If it does turn out I have HPV (I know it's fairly common), what does that mean for TTC? Do I have to wait til it goes away? what if that's the reason Ianto died?

[BrightSparkles]

Hun I really have no idea. I just wanted to offer some Hope you can get some answers soon. xxx

[Olive]

i had this too pre kids, i had to have smears every 6 months for a few years, i had no changes after that time, it was also related to the HPV maybe ring your Dr

[Pandora]

Ring you DR or GYN, and (in my nicest most friendly voice) stop googling.

[TeniBear]

Ring you DR or GYN, and (in my nicest most friendly voice) stop googling.

I can do the second bit. The note says that it'll be discussed at my appointment on the 13th, so I suppose I'll have to agonise over it until then

[Glamourcide]

I'm sorry I can't offer you any advice hun, as I have no idea what that means... but I hope it turns out to be nothing and that you can relax between now and your appt!! Best of luck hun.
xo

[Mildez]

I have had this show at my 6week postnatal check up. I had to return 6months on which was normal then returned to have a papsmear every 2years like normal.

Cell changes or low grade changes can be related to HPV but my Gyno told me it was the hormones from pregnancy which most likely caused mine and without actually testing for it or having something more major or having visable warts it didn't mean I had the HPV virus. You do hear that this can only be caused by having the HPV virus but according to my Gyno thats not true. So hopefully its just from your pregnancy with Ianto that caused some minor change and when you test again it will be back to normal.

I would continue to ttc as you have been and if you do get pregnant before having another test then you can put it off until after your babies birth. If it showed CIN 1,2 or 3 I would probably advise seeing a Gyno before ttc (and I am sure you would recieve more then a letter if this was the case) but with minor cell changes I am sure your more then safe to continue to ttc before your next test.

Infertility from HPV is usually caused from it turning cancerous or from multiple treatment to remove CIN 1 OR 2. And usually it affects you carrying the baby if anything (preterm labour, or not dilating well during labour) not actually getting pregnant.

I can remember freaking out to but other then having a colcoscopy and an extra papsmear nothing has ever become of mine and my infertility isn't related to that.

[Olive]

my Dr wont do pap smears at the 6 week check for this reason!

[Mak]

Teni - Go ring the Dr's office. That will be a standard letter that everyone gets sent. Rather than going mad until your appointment ring and either speak to the Dr or try and get your appt brought forward. You can't wait until the 13th with the questions you have. Don't take no for an answer - go get the phone. Let us know how you go. xx

[TeniBear]

Okay, so it's a fairly common thing at 6-week checkups? That's good to hear, but they could've at least told me about it before they asked if I wanted the smear done there!

ETA - Mak, it was done at the hospital. I've called them (read: got my hubby to call them) once before to try to talk to a doctor and they said to wait til my next appointment if I had one, and if I didn't, to make one over the phone. The appointment I already have with them for the 13th is for bloods results too, and some other post-birth things I have no idea about, so I'm not sure they'll have all that information ready for me if I move it earlier.

[PumpkinZulu]

I'm not too sure hun but try not to worry too much. It is probably just your body recovering after birth. I reaaaaally hate getting letters like that from the hospy etc; I remember when I got the one saying I had PID and group g strep...that's all it said, no info etc, i had to go to my doc to make an appointment and get it sorted.

I hope time just zooms until the 13th my love xox

[feeb]

Hun dont googling!!!!!!!

Low grade changes are common.

I had CIN3 on my first pap smear at 23 (high grade step before cancerous cells) I had to have 3 monthly check ups for 6 months then 6 monthly for a year then yearly for 2 years before back to 2 yearly.
Yes it is a form of HPV but often it can just disapear on its own as mine did, other people need laser treatment.

Wait and speak with DR.

xoxo

[Alan]

Hi TeniBear
Google can be a scary place especially when you are pregnant so, if I hear that you have been googling again I will come round to your place and slap you round the head with a muslin bag full of week old fish guts!!!!
Low grade changes means that there are some very small changes to the cells that they scraped from your cervix. These changes could be related to being pregnant and yes they could be related to HPV. However low grade changes only mean that the cells have changed. At this stage you are in no danger of anything bad happening to you. You could continue to have this low grade change change for the rest of your life without any problems. You could also find that your next pap smear is normal. It may be a good idea to have a pap smear more often than every 2 years.

[Miss E]

I had a low grade abnormality awhile back. I was sent to a GYN for a coloscopy? where they spray a solution into your cervix and then look at it with a special light to see if there is anything there, they then take a sample and send it off for testing. Mine came back as a possible CIN1 (the lowest grade). I was told to come back for a pap smear in 12 months, but if I wanted to TTC that would be fine. I got pregnant about 9 months later and nobody was worried, they just told me to wait till after the pregnancy to have the follow up papsmear. So 3 months after DS was born (almost 18 months after the original one) I did and everything was normal, so now I need to have another one in 2 years time.

I also had a friend who had a CIN3 when she had her first pap smear in her late 20's. She had to have a minor surgical procedure (might have been a D and C but I can't quite remember) to remove all the cells in her cervix, but was fine afterwards and won't have any lasting effects from the procedure.

Try not to worry too much. I totally freaked out when I got my result and was petrified that I was going to get cancer or not be able to conceive. Those fears were all unfounded. Apparently cervical cancer is one of the slowest forming ones so you can have a low grade abnormality that will take 10 years to progress to cancer, that's why they only recommend a pap smear every two years.

HTH but if you are worried maybe make an appointment to see your GP in the meantime. GL x