HPV & Cervical Cancer

I've been having pelvics and pap smears since I was 14. At 14 I had my first in order to get my birth control prescription. Then I began to have yearly exams at 18, and I never miss one. No matter the fact that for me they are physically painful - it's the healthy safe thing to do. I always get screened for STI's as well. Just to be safe. I've been physically intimate with 6 men and 2 women in my lifetime. I have been told this is in no way a high number (and I'm including oral in that count, though not kissing on the mouth - go read Essen' Em for some incredible thought-provoking posts on what 'sex' can be defined as).

Well, this time my pap came back abnormal. So I had another one done. That one came back showing high risk cells. So I went to get a colposcopy this morning (The CDC's website on HPV and cervical cancer is excellent if you're curious about it). It was uncomfortable, but not painful.... until she had to biopsy two sections. I handled it like a champ - my normal method of getting through medical procedures is to remember it's not their fault, stay relaxed, bite my hand and imagine being in the ocean... but I'm definitely feeling freaked now. I won't know what the real deal is for 2 more weeks, she was hesitant to say much at all to me.

Here's what I do know:

• They thought my wearing a dress and knee high socks was brilliant, since it meant I didn't have to strip for them and stayed warm. :)
• I have really low blood pressure, like usual.
• I 'should' be low risk according to the half of family medical history I know of, the fact that I've never smoked, and haven't had lots of sexual partners (though I wasn't sure wtf that meant).
• BUT - One of the areas she sampled was out of range of a Pap smear, so it coud have been there for a very long time, and the cells there worried her the most.
  
• She was concerned enough she wouldn't classify the cell types for me at this time.
• She told me when I come back it'll be to discuss the results and what they mean for our treatment options - which means I need some kind of treatment, we just don't yet know how serious these cells are.
• I am a bleeder, so now I get to hurt and bleed for a couple of days which is a constant reminder that I may not be ok but that it'll be two weeks until I know

So, I can't imagine I'm going to want to post anything sexual, I certainly don't want to today. I'm not freaking out, but I am consciously redirecting my thoughts to keep from doing so sometimes.