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Here's to Your Health:  HPV  |
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dargaonfly1054
True Blue Farmgirl
257 Posts
Georgette
Nicholville
NY
USA
257 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 28 2006 : 04:17:12 AM
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Hi everyone.....first of all let me say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...or happy holidays....... I don't get on here much anymore. Way to busy seems like.
But my reason for writing is this: back in March of 2005 I had a total hysterectomy because of a series of irregular pap smears...I had HPV, or dysplasia....it was high grade back then. Now a year and half later I had a pap smear come back as irregular again!!  I had another appointment yesterday and had a colposcopy and in about a week or two will find out the results of the biopsy that the doctor took. He said it was low grade now and he doesn't seem to be too concerned about it. But it isn't his body!! Any others of you out there with stories to share?
Take care all!! Georgette
"There is a voice that doesn't use words........Listen." |
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Beemoosie
True Blue Farmgirl
2077 Posts
Bonnie
New York
USA
2077 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2006 : 05:01:17 AM
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I haven't experienced this, but I just wanted to tell you that I hope all goes well for you.
Hugs,
Bonnie
O, Come let us adore HIM! www.beequilting.blogspot.com |
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Carolinagirl
True Blue Farmgirl
486 Posts
Kim
Rutherfordton
NC
USA
486 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2006 : 07:08:25 AM
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I was diagnosed with HPV when I was a teenager- almost 20 years ago. I had several outbreaks, all of which I had to have "burned" off," like you do a wart. Anyway, for years I had irregular pap smears and had to go retake them. The last irregular one I had, the doc suggested a coloscopy, but I moved right about that time. The new doc did another pap smear and it came back fine. That's been six years ago now and I've had no irregular paps since then. I haven't had any outbreaks of HPV in almost 15 years.
I'm not sure that the commercials about HPV are so good... the information isn't what my docs have always told me, and so the mixed messages are confusing.
I'd like to think since I haven't had any problems with HPV in 15 years, that it's cleared up and gone away, but docs have told me that HPV is always there, like herpes (not what the new promo info says). Not sure what to believe.
I hope everything comes back okay for you. I'll have my fingers all crossed. I'm sure it will be fine. :)
Kim in NC |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2006 : 11:24:31 AM
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I have HPV and have had it for over 30 years. I had irregular paps for 3 years in a row. Even had cone biopsy done, etc. Went to another gyn and the pap came back normal. I'm due again and hope it comes back ok. HPV can be very serious as it can lead to cervical cancer. It is not to be dismissed and you should have regular paps. If you have an abnormal pap then your doctor should recommend coming again in 3 to 6 months.
However, the commercials that are running right now are scaring people. Isn't it "coincidence" that for 3 or 4 months we've been having commercials regarding HPV and just in the last month one of the big drug companies has come out with a vaccine? This is geared at girls ages 9 to 18 and they're saying we should have our daughters vaccinated. HPV can be caused because of sexually transmitted diseases. Mine came from an STD that I got from my first husband in the 70's. Not all are though. There are over 100 strains of HPV with 30 being caused from STD's.
Here is some good info. http://www.cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm
The Rustic Cottage Etsy Shop http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands -Proverbs 31:13
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Edited by - therusticcottage on Dec 28 2006 11:26:52 AM |
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dargaonfly1054
True Blue Farmgirl
257 Posts
Georgette
Nicholville
NY
USA
257 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2006 : 04:20:37 AM
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Thanks Kay. I asked my doctor on Wednesday when I went in for the colposcopy if he could tell which strain I had and he said it didn't matter, what mattered was it wasn't a "serious" strain. Previously I had the more serious strain and consequently had the hysterectomy. Yes, I am having another pap in 6 months and as I've been through this before I will continue going in to monitor it closely. Even tho in my "total abdominal hysterectomy" my cervix was also removed, I can't get cervical cancer, but I know I can get some kind of cancer from these abnormal cells. The information I've gotten from the internet says that some strains go away on their own, or maybe they meant that it goes dormant and you don't have any symptoms? Yes, very confusing.
This is why I love this forum so much, I know I can always talk to someone who knows exactly what I'm going through and just maybe I can get some information that I hadn't gotten before. Thank you all.
"There is a voice that doesn't use words........Listen." |
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EnchantedWoodsGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
959 Posts
Kathy
New Jersey
USA
959 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2007 : 1:56:23 PM
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Hi! I had a total hysterecotomy also and still went for paps yearly - suddenly they started with this HPV testing with the paps and then when mine came back abnormal I got the letter like 6 months later - I paniced myself for no reason. Had a colposcopy and I am fine, have had a few paps come back abnormal but I don't panic anymore. The last time they were going to do a colposcopy the dr came in the room and wanted to know what I was doing there and then the dumb sh** hadn't even looked at my chart (she was the dr that told me to come in for the test) and started asking about my cervix, duhhhhhh....what is wrong with this picture.
Hope you are doing okay - I go back for pap every 6 months - they must like collecting the insurance copays hehehehe
Kathy of the Enchanted Wood
http://enchantedwoodmusings.blogspot.com/
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl
712 Posts
Holly
Abilene
KS
712 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2007 : 4:33:16 PM
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Saw today that KY is considering making it mandatory for vaccines for tween girls! CHAPS my hide something fierce.........in the first place ALL vaccines are optional and in the second I don't appreciate someone automatically assuming that ALL girls are going to be sexually active before marriage or even 15!!!
I realize this is a bad thing to have (one of my friends has similar issues to some of you ladies) HOWEVER there are ways not to get it.
just had to chime in
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
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bohemiangel
True Blue Farmgirl
2087 Posts
Bridget
Ligonier
pa
USA
2087 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2007 : 08:23:49 AM
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ew yeah the vaccine thing is freaking me out. HOWS about just don't have sex I know I know not realistic or monogamy(sp?) I just hate that they are telling all teens, tweens, and up to get it. I don't like the commercials at all. HPV is new to me I'm 24 and we never had any education on it in school. They made us watch a video on prostitutes that shot up on heroine and then how aids came into play from the gay bath houses. Don't get me started :-P and then people wonder why in my area I'd love to homeschool kids when I have them or send to a private school. Ok sorry for my rant! hugs!
"... to thine ownself be true." |
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Destiny~
True Blue Farmgirl
195 Posts
Dar
west
TX
USA
195 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2007 : 1:08:21 PM
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It pisses me off that women didn't hear anything about HPV until some pharmaceutical company comes up with a way to make money off of it.
I, too, was having abnormal paps for about 4 years, they tested each time for HPV-negative. I had two or three colposcopys, I can't even remember anymore. I was scared because my grandmother died of complications from cervical cancer. I'm betting she got the virus from my grandfather-he was a total loser.
My last pap was clear. Patience is all I can suggest.
Making it mandatory sounds like the pharmaceutical company is playing on people's fears and ignorance.
"Let us, together, sow seeds for a better harvest-a harvest for hope."
Jane Goodall, Harvest for Hope |
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl
712 Posts
Holly
Abilene
KS
712 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2007 : 5:40:49 PM
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and not having sex is NOT at all unrealistic it can be done -- just isn't considered the "norm" anymore. It wasn't that long ago that nice girls didn't "put out" just because! and there was a stigma associated with premarital relations and pregnancy out of wedlock! But assuming everyone will so it should be mandatory is just plain stupid!
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
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shmeg
True Blue Farmgirl
222 Posts
Megan
Granville
Ohio
USA
222 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2007 : 07:07:21 AM
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I wanted to comment on this thread because my cousin and I were just talking about it the other day. I didn't know anything about HPV other than the commercials I've seen lately for the vaccinations. I'm very leary of billion dollar industry like the drug and formula companies and do think they prey on the fears of people and I haven't vaccinated my children for anything yet, but let me just play devil's advocate for a minute. Babies have been being vaccinated for Hepatitis B for years and years which is also a blood and sexually transmitted disease. In ohio it is "manditory". Parents must decline it and in some cases sign a waiver. It is my understanding however that HPV isn't just sexually transmitted and can be passed through skin to skin contact. I read that it has even been found in nuns. Right now they are not vaccinating women over 26. To me the positive is that it is a woman's health issue that is being taken seriously and the connection between a serious form of cancer and a virus is a pretty significant breakthrough.
-Megan |
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl
712 Posts
Holly
Abilene
KS
712 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2007 : 07:50:34 AM
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well my 4th baby has not been vaccinated against Heb B either because it is a sexually transmitted disease and I just didn't know enough about vaccines and how to say no with the elder three.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
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Edited by - ArmyWifey on Jan 21 2007 07:50:58 AM |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2007 : 08:18:20 AM
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I too will play devil's advocate on this subject because what I am hearing here is disturbing. I in no way promote promiscuous behavior in anyone, but unless your children intend to be celibate their entire lives they will run a risk of contracting something from a partner if left unprotected. How many "good" people have been infected with innumerable illnesses because a spouse/partner has not been honest. Would you choose to allow someone else to play fast and loose with your daughters health? If I had a teenage daughter, she would be getting the vaccine and I do not think that sends the message that I am advocating promiscuous behavior. As with any vaccine, the intent is to improve the quality of health of the individual. As a person who nearly died from chickenpox at the age of 16, I sure as hell wish there had been a vaccine for me. After exposing my son "naturally" to chickenpox to the age of 5, when he didn't get it , he was vaccinated. We may not know all the implications of vaccinations (though statistically they do far more good than harm), but we certainly know the implications of these diseases and what they can irreversibly do. Our county just had a case of a little boy who was unvaccinated and died from measles. Measles, something he could have been protected from. From the tone of this thread, most of you will disagree with me, but I just felt I had to weigh in on the side of prevention. And for those of you who hadn't heard of HPV before, didn't you ever ask what your PAP test was checking for? Mine screens for a number of things, including HPV.
with a happy heart |
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Nance in France
True Blue Farmgirl
1438 Posts
Nancy
St. Laurent de la Salanque
France
1438 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2007 : 10:53:56 AM
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I have to say that I agree with just about everything you ladies have said, but my official stand (for Me, not being judgemental at all) would be to advise teens, tweens, and anybody else, keep your legs closed, for crying out loud! Maybe not the end of the problem, since some of ya'll have said that HPV is not always sexually transmitted, but I bet it would cut your chances of getting it really drastically. My teenage years were not in the least hampered because I wasn't sexually active, and I smooched hot and heavy as the next hormonally raging teenager. I did have the benefit of growing up with an intact, loving family that gave me a good sense of self esteem, but sadly that is not the norm nowadays. And when I found myself a divorced mother with young boys back in the dating world I realised quickly that we "weren't in Kansas anymore"! But my "to thine ownself be true" philosophy stuck and I lost scores of boyfriends during those years. My Mom called it giving them the "Nancy the Nun" speech, ha! I lost alot of guys but one thing I maintained was my self respect (and my health). Like they say, sometimes it's lonely at the top, but for me, it beats the heck out of feeling lost on the bottom. The commercials are upsetting to me because they automatically assume that sexually active teens are as normal as the sunrise each day, and that if their parents love them, they will have them vaccinated. Just another cha ching for the drug companies. I'm more oldfashioned than some people (and maybe unrealistic nowadays too) but I believe teaching our kids in a loving responsible manner, that it's way cool to "keep it to yourself" til the right one comes along, is a better line of defense, physically and emotionally. And that includes setting the example ourselves. Really, we worry about them eating healthy, getting good grades, etc. and this is also such an important concern that is too often an unspoken one. Heck, one roll in the hay with the wrong partner could be traumatic or even worse, deadly. I apologize in advance if I have offended anybody because that certainly is not my intention. I truly worry for this upcoming generation, because the ad people think (know?) sex sells so they plaster it everywhere from toothpaste ads to dandruff shampoo to car advertisements, TV shows, CDs. I gotta stop myself, sorry!
Back to the real point of this thread, I am sending postive thoughts and prayers to my friends here who are dealing with this issue. Nance |
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Jana
True Blue Farmgirl
482 Posts
Jana
Eau Claire
Wisconsin
USA
482 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2007 : 11:57:56 AM
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Georgette,
I had positive pap tests back in the late 80s and early 90s, having ablations to remove the lesions. The thing is , I always tested negative for HPV. (That actually means nothing to me, as I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue and had mono twice, but STILL test negative for Epstein Barre.)
Anyway, I eventually had a hysty and my cervix was removeded, but I'm still supposed to get vaginal swabs. It was all so traumatic and confusing I never have gone back in the almost 4 years since surgery for any swabs. I wish the medical community would get its act together so everyone gets the same info.
I can see why young people blow it off when they get half a dozen opinions and the locker room advice of friends about these issues.
Jana |
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shmeg
True Blue Farmgirl
222 Posts
Megan
Granville
Ohio
USA
222 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2007 : 6:21:10 PM
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| This is interesting and I enjoy being able to discuss things with people who have different opinions and respect one another. I guess I don't think that having your daughter vaccinated for this disease is synonomous with condoning teenage sex. It certainly isn't the same thing as putting her on the pill or giving her condoms, not that I would always disagree with that either. This could be protection against a deadly form of cancer which may or may not be transmitted through sex. I have more to investigate but will likely have my daughters vaccinated when they are old enough and I don't think that they would even have to know that it has anything to do with a sex issue. I think this one is bigger than that and I would explain that it is to help protect one aspect of their health and reproductive health but I really don't think it would send a message that I just gave them permission to have sex, not that they will ask for it anyway. I haven't vaccinated in the past, yet I try to be open-minded and just do what feels right for my each of my children, like all of us do. Pretty scary sometimes. |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2007 : 03:50:38 AM
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News that cervical cancer can be the result of a virus isn't new information. If your health care provider is just now talking about this I think it's time to ask a very important question - "Why didn't you tell me this five years ago?" If the answer is she didn't know, ask why not. Seriously - why not?? This is not new information.
I wonder how many health care providers didn't take this seriously, or possibly didn't know, until the ads came out on television. There have been posters about this in exam rooms for at least five years.
Assuming that our daughters will have one partner and won't be sexually active until their wedding nights isn't going to keep them safe and healthy. Infidelity happens. Marriages break up. Viruses spread to unsuspecting women. Been there, done that, had all the procedures, follow up paps every three months, went through the fear and a lot of crying. There's nothing like having an 18 month old child, the possibility of cancer hanging over your head and an ex who couldn't care less about what happens to anyone. I'm not saying everyone needs to rush to the doctor's office to have their daughters vaccinated. That's a very personal decision, and one I haven't yet made for my daughter. I am saying that assuming your child's marital life will be perfect could put her health in danger. Look at all the possibilities and options with an open mind.
Robin
www.robinfollette.com
www.thymeforewe.com
www.mainenature.org
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2007 : 06:21:53 AM
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I want my daughter safe whether married or on-married BUT, to me they put this commercial on tv for months just to get out attention so they could then give us their wonderful vaccine. I am sick of drug companies pushing everything on everyone. If we ran & got everyone of their drugs to "benifit" our health we'd be nothing more then "drug sombies" walking around w/ our heads up our buts! People need to make educated decisions for themselves & their families but to me its just one more drug most people don't need.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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Carolinagirl
True Blue Farmgirl
486 Posts
Kim
Rutherfordton
NC
USA
486 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2007 : 07:18:16 AM
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I got HPV when somewhere between the ages of 16 and 18. Because I didn't want to tell my mother, I paid for and went through the treatments alone. They are, at the least, uncomfortable, if not painful. I can look at the picture of my entire senior class and all I remember is how much pain I was in because I had had a treatment the day before.
If I had had the option of getting a vaccine to prevent this, I would have jumped on it.
If there were a vaccine for HIV, would any of you feel any different? Would administering that vaccine to a child mean that the parent was promoting sexual activity?
Of course the drug companies are promoting their drug- but that doesn't make the issue of HPV any less relevant. At least some company has had the ingenuity and the scientific know-how to come up with a vaccine to prevent this disease, which is at best cureable on its own, and at worst a cancer causer.
Kim in NC |
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl
712 Posts
Holly
Abilene
KS
712 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2007 : 07:57:47 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by bramble
As a person who nearly died from chickenpox at the age of 16, I sure as hell wish there had been a vaccine for me. After exposing my son "naturally" to chickenpox to the age of 5, when he didn't get it , he was vaccinated.
I had chicken pox at 18 and was fine, so again it is a personal thing. I simply don't think vaccines are worth the risk......4th son also reacted to the DTaP.... after much research and prayer, soul searching we came to the conclusion he has far more risk of dying from the vaccine than from Pertussis...Teatnus on it's own is the only vaccine my children will get from here on out until they are adults and choose for themselves but there are so many "new" vaccines out there that are simply ways of the drug companies to make more money. HPV is a scary thing and I feel for the ladies who have it but I'm not going to puposely infect my teenage girls with it (and yes I have two).
I agree with Nance in France as well. I don't expect perfection from my marriage but I do expect fidelity --- from a hubby who's been to Korea twice(where prostitutes wait outside the gates for GI's) and Iraq twice and is willing to keep it for meI know it can be done!
and now...back to your regularly scheduled program.......
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2007 : 08:49:32 AM
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Again I will say that this is a personal decision that only you can make. I am not a fan of pharmaceutical companies and their outrageous profit margins. There is always going to be an exception to every situation and those individuals will remain a minority.
I am going to disagree that avoiding HPV is all about remaining "virtuous", it can be transmitted a number of ways. Several here have mentioned they WERE in married relationships but had partners who did not protect them. And may it never happen, but what if one of us was raped? The CDC has some good information for anyone interested and would like to make an educated and informed decision. http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/hpv/hpv-faqs.htm#8
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Just think of what vaccinations have virtually irradicated from this country: small pox, tetnus, POLIO, measles, and many others that were considered a death sentence. I pray that those of you who are not vaccine advocates never have to sit beside your child's bed and watch them suffer and or good forbid die from an illness a vacine could have prevented. Sadly, it happens every day in countries were they have no choice or access. It happened here in my county and there are questions now about whether the parents should be charged with negligence.
with a happy heart |
Edited by - bramble on Jan 22 2007 2:29:37 PM |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jan 23 2007 : 1:22:23 PM
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There are ways not to get it, though I'm pretty sure that love and sense sometimes miss the mark!!!
I was diagnosed with dysplasia, irregular cells, etc...about six months after my first marriage--never had any problems before that, but there IS a reason I'm not married to him anymore :). Went through the whole leep-cone biopsy thing, and I've never had a pap come back irregular since--that was 11 years ago. My doctor did say that even with a reoccurence, the cells sometimes correct themselves with hormonal changes. I'll admit that I didn't feel really terrible about getting this....I mean, I was married, and my husband was a bit older (and more experienced)and the way the doctor put it, it was no big deal--in fact, my physician admitted that she had gotten it from her former fiance. It's THE most common sexually trasmitted disease (and herpes is making a comeback), and there are several different forms, just like herpes viruses--some more dangerous.
Now, about a vaccination--would I have gotten it if it was available before I was sexually active? Absolutely. Why? Because aside from "good girls don't do that", my mother and father didn't explain anything about sex, good or BAD. The doctor placed me on birth control pills when I was 16 because, as a dancer, I rarely had a cycle and she thought that was dangerous (cool to me, but, I digress), but it didn't encourage me to go out and test drive the pills to see if I could or couldn't get pregnant!!!
While I think pharmaceutical companies could spare us profiteering off old dudes and viagra and a host of other pill/totally livable conditions, I don't see that offering parents and girls an option in this instance is a bad thing. Your sexual health affects your total future. Plain and simple--you can be sterile, you can affect others, and oh, you can also die.
Look, I believe in protecting myself, because, frankly, I'm responsible for ME. It is true--you sleep with everyone THEY'VE slept with, and if you're lucky enough to find someone who hasn't been active, then ok, but the ratio is slim. As a dancer, I've seen way too many male friends die of HIV (and please, spare me the rhetoric about homosexuality) and that's both maddening and terrifying to me--it's certainly not just a gay disease. If there was a vaccination for HIV would you get it? I would--in a heartbeat, and I bet if you asked a woman in Africa, she'd jump at the opportunity. Honestly, I trusted my first husband with all of my heart, and I was wrong to do so. I see nothing morally wrong with taking care of my sexual health and self. As women we should all be empowered to do so.
So, in sum, I'm going to say the diagnosis of hpv gave me major self esteem.
Proceed. :)
Just think of all of the roads there are...all of the things I haven't seen....yet. |
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl
712 Posts
Holly
Abilene
KS
712 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2007 : 1:49:44 PM
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Did you see this? regardless of which side you are on this is just wrong! A blantant disregard for parental rights to choose.......the good thing is that there are still ways to choose but this is just wrong - there are more ways to get cervical cancer than hpv.
AGGGHHHHHHHHH
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070202/ap_on_he_me/cervical_cancer
sorry,
Holly
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl
666 Posts
Karen
Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2007 : 5:09:42 PM
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The worst part of this now they want to mandate the vaccination of girls before they are allowed to attend school!
Now wait a minute, what is the percent of the population that get cancer from HPV? To mandate a "new vaccine" for school children?
Texas Requires Cancer Vaccine for Girls
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/02/D8N1PVG80.html
Come on, sounds like another ploy by the big pharma.
Just one more thing that would push me to home school if I had kids.
Just my 2 cents
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
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Carolinagirl
True Blue Farmgirl
486 Posts
Kim
Rutherfordton
NC
USA
486 Posts |
Posted - Feb 03 2007 : 06:34:21 AM
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I asked my husband about this last night, what his opinion would be in regards to this vaccination and our two young daughters. He said we would do it, but we would do it when they were still young so that it was just another vaccine- not one we would explain its meaning. We don't explain any other vaccines's reasons, we just do them because its in the best interest of our children (IMO).
I think that the vaccine protects one against HPV, which is socially contractable, so it isn't about that you can't catch cervical cancer; the vaccine protects you from contracting HPV which can cause cervical cancer.
I think any vaccine that protects my child is a blessing- this one is no different from the others, IMO. And with the added opinion of someone who has HPV and knows the pain and fear it causes, that is enough.
Kim in NC |
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Here's to Your Health: HPV |
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HPV
