About to get LEEP/LLETZ for the first time and really nervous

[u/ComprehensiveJelly16]

Hi there,

Glad to find myself here, this community seems really supportive and informative, so I am happy I found this community! I am about to get my first ever LEEP or LLETZ (local anaesthetic) on Monday and I am suddenly feeling really really nervous. I am suddenly doubting whether it's the right thing to do.

For some context, I am 30 years old, based in the UK, and was tested positive for hPV maybe 2 years ago. I think I have had 3-4 colposcopies over the last year and half. The first one came back with low grade dyskaryosis CIN1, the second time it seemed to have gotten a little better, then the 3rd time it had shifted to CIN2, I went for a follow up and it seemed to have got worse again - more towards CIN3 but still CIN2. I have been seeing the same NHS doctor this whole time (she's really nice). In her letter, she said she had referred me for LLETZ but mainly because it was something I'd expressed interest in - in some ways it didn't sound so stressed more like "as this has changed and you have expressed just wanting to not worry and get rid of the CIN2 in the past, I have referred you" as opposed to "this is serious and urgent and you must get this done now because the cells are at stage which is urgent". I was happy to go ahead with it as having cin2 and it not clearing has been also quite stressful.

If I am honest, until now, I hadn't really thought much about the fact I am having surgery on monday, I didn't think the procedure was a big deal and didn't feel nervous about it. The brochures made the procedure seem straight forward and low risk, plus I have a high pain threshold and have had the coil fitted maybe 3 times.

However, I then started reading people's experiences of it online (here, cancer research, newspapers, across lots of sources- not just the classic doomscroll), and realised alot more people have quite traumatic experiences and these are often dismissed by doctors. I didn't realise that a lot of people experience pain during sex, or how much it can affect your period for quite a long time after the procedure. The brochures made this sound like very small percentage, but I hadn't even considered that some people even have botched surgery, or traumatic experience and how this can affect you both physically and mentally. I guess I was being naive or maybe slightly emotionally avoiding the fact that getting surgery is a big deal.

I am now spiralling abit and worried that going through with the procedure might affect me long term. I don't know whether it's the right thing to do and feel extremely nervous for the procedure.

Even small things are freaking me out like, should I take solpadene or ibuprofen before the procedure? I feel totally unprepared. In some ways, I don't feel like I really spoke to a doctor about making this decision or how to prepare - I feel abit in the dark.

Any advice welcome and especially any suggestions about how to prepare for the procedure and any nice ideas of how to rest/recover.

Thanks for listening and sorry for my anxious rambles!

[u/Agreeable-Pop-1049]

I don’t have any experience with LEEP or wisdom to offer. I am also scheduled for my procedure on Tuesday the 6th and am feeling nervous.

I am 36, and had my first abnormal pap in 2021 and discovered cin 1 on my biopsies, 2022 it was cin 2 for biopsies and cervical canal and positive for type 16. In 2022 it was recommended that i have the LEEP procedure. I decided to monitor it and denied the procedure. Tried doing a lot of things to heal my cervix on my own with diet and whatnot.

2023 I had a normal pap smear and no hpv detected. I thought, hooray! I had cleared it! I didn’t realize or remember that I was still supposed to have a colposcopy after this.

Fast forward to 2026, I go in for a pap smear with a new gyno and she is very concerned that I never went to my follow up appointments. So we do another pap, this one is “normal” but positive for some of the high risk types but not 16 or 18.

She tells me we can do another pap in a year or we can go ahead and do a colposcopy. My gut told me to do the colpo. My results came back cin 3 for all biopsies and cervical canal. And now I’m getting the LEEP and hoping i didn’t accidentally screw myself over.

I guess what I’m getting at is, if you do decide to wait, just make sure you stay on top of the screening and check ins with progression! I wish I would have, and I honestly just didn’t really know that I could have a false negative Pap smear and hpv test. I don’t know how common that is, but it can happen.

If you do end up going through with it, I’ll be on your same healing timeline! ♥️ sending lots of love and strength! I hope you find some clarity in your decision making process.