How I Healed my CN3 Diagnosis

HealthHealingWellnessReproductive HealthHerbs
Written By Nicole Miles

Week One—Overall cervical health

“The content of this blog includes discussions of medical procedures and depicts photos of medical offices.”

January was cervical cancer awareness month.

What is cervical cancer? How does someone develop cervical cancer?

Let’s start off with the basics…

What is the cervix/its importance?

The cervix is the lower portion of the uterus, it’s a “neck” of fibromuscular tissue that connects the vagina to the uterus. There are two main portions of the cervix: the ecotocervix which contains the cervical os and endocervix or endocervical canal. The ecotocervix is the part of the cervix that can be seen from inside the vagina during a gynecologic exam (pap smear). The endocervix, or endocervical canal, is a tunnel through the cervix, from the external os into the uterus (WebMD). The area where the endocervix and ectocervix overlap is called the transformation zone. 

The cervix is pretty awesome! It serves as the “door” to the uterus, keeping out bacteria, producing discharge to keep sperm out, and changing position during pregnancy. The cervix also serves a source of sexual pleasure. For some people, when the cervix is stimulated during deep vaginal penetration it feels pleasurable. With its many functions, the cervix must be protected. Part of good cervical health is prevention.

Pap smear

Ah, the dreaded pap smear. This procedure is to test for cervical cancer (for more info on a pap smear). During the pap smear, the provider examines the vaginal tissue for any abnormalities, looks at the cervix for abrasions or lesions, and swabs the cells around the cervix for testing. 

HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is widely known, but often misunderstood. HPV is present in both males and females. The virus is passed from person to person during intercourse (vaginal, oral, or anal sex), but can also be passed via skin to skin contact with an infected person. There are more than 100 strains of the virus, with only 40 that enter the body during sexual contact. Typically the virus sheds on its own and does not cause any issues, however, if HPV does not go away it could lead to gential warts or cervical cancer.

Signs and Symptoms of HPV and CIN

HPV and CIN do not cause any symptoms. Prevention is key when it comes to identifying abnormal cell changes. 

Prevention

  • Self-examination 

Did you know that you can examine your cervix! Self-exam is a great way to look at your cervix, feel its position and know what YOUR normal feels like. Feminist Women’s Health Center sells a self-exam kits ($25)

Gynecological Self-Exam

A self-exam can be treated with or without a speculum. Hello Clue has a detailed blog on, How to find and feel your cervix. 

  • Routine pap smear- As outlined in my previous blog, a pap smear is a screening test used to screen for.. This screening can be performed by your primary care provider, which includes, but is not limited to physicians (family medicine, internal medicine or ob/gyn), midwife (certified professional midwife or certified nurse-midwife), or Nurse Practitioner. If abnormal, the healthcare professional will follow up with a colposcopy.

  • Colposcopy is a diagnostic tool used to detect cervical lesions.

  • “A colposcope is an optical instrument that penetrates epithelial cells by intense light to amplify the cervical epithelium and subcutaneous blood vessels. By observing the reflected light, the doctor can judge the changes of the cells and blood vessels on the surface of the cervical epithelial cells, find out the possible areas of cervical lesions, and evaluate the nature and type of the lesions” (Bai et. al, 2019)

“Colposcopy is the primary diagnostic method used to detect cervical cancer in women. It can identify and determine the severity of the lesion so that a biopsy of the highest level of abnormality detection can be taken, when necessary. Colposcopy includes a visual assessment of the system of the lower genital tract (cervical, vulva and vagina), primarily for the appearance of a metaplastic epithelium, consisting of a transformation zone on the cervix [10]. During the examination, a volumetric vinegar solution is applied to the cervix, resulting in abnormal whitening of the metaplastic epithelial tissue. Cervical precancerous lesions and invasive cancers exhibit significant abnormal morphological features that can be identified by the colposcopy. Pathological features of the cervical epithelial tissue, such as color characteristics, opacity, edge division” (Cooper, 2021).

Treatment

  • LEEP

Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) uses a wire loop heated by electric current to remove cells and tissue in a woman’s lower genital tract. It is used as part of the diagnosis and treatment for abnormal or cancerous conditions.

With LEEP, an electric current passes through the fine wire loop to cut away a thin layer of abnormal tissue. This tissue will be sent to the lab for testing. LEEP can also remove abnormal cells to allow healthy tissue to grow. (Hopkins Medicine)

 

Click the arrow in the bottom right corner as I will be discussing my journey with CIN3.

  • Bai, B., Du, Y., Liu, P., Sun, P., Li, P., & Lv, Y. (2020). Detection of cervical lesion region from colposcopic images based on feature reselection. Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, 57, 101785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bspc.2019.101785

    Beautiful Cervix Project. (2018, August 12). View into the vagina during cervical self-exam: Beautiful cervix project. Beautiful Cervix Project | Love Thy Cervix! Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.beautifulcervix.com/view-into-the-vagina-during-cervical-self-exam/

    Bethesda (MD). (2020, January 27). Cervical dysplasia - series-procedure, part 2: Medlineplus medical encyclopedia. MedlinePlus. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/presentations/100080_4.htm

    Contributors, O. B. O. S. A. & M. (2021, September 6). Self-exam: The cervix close-up. Our Bodies Ourselves. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book-excerpts/health-article/self-exam-the-cervix-close-up/

    Cooper DB, Goyal M. Colposcopy. [Updated 2021 Dec 16]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564514/

    Hancock Health. (2020, January 27). What is the cervix and what does it do? Hancock Regional Hospital. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.hancockregionalhospital.org/2020/01/what-is-the-cervix-and-what-does-it-do/#:~:text=The%20cervix%20is%20an%20incredible,you%20get%20regular%20Pap%20smears

    Nazario, B. (Ed.). (2020, June 15). Information about human papillomavirus (HPV). WebMD. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/hpv-virus-information-about-human-papillomavirus#1

    Pathak, N. (Ed.). (2020, December 20). Cervix (human anatomy): Diagram, location, conditions, treatment. WebMD. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/women/picture-of-the-cervix#1

    Spectrum Health Lakeland Ear, Nose, and Throat. (n.d.). Leep. LEEP | Spectrum Health Lakeland. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/lakeland-ear-nose-and-throat/ent-health-library/Content/3/82216/

Nicole Miles
Next

Week Two— My Story