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Seeking perspective: (slightly long)From: Angela (anonymous@obgyn.net)Tue, 3 Feb 1998 12:10:49 -0600 (CST)
First, I'd like to thank Dr. Marchbein and Barbara Nesbitt for responding so rapidly and reassuringly to my previous question. Second, I'd appreciate some perspective on an experience I had at the age of 13: My mother took DES during her 2nd trimester with me, to prevent the miscarriage of me and my malformed twin (who did not survive). When I reached puberty, and when my mother realized she had taken DES and that there were young 'daughters of DES' being diagnosed with cervical cancer and other problems, she took me for a pelvic exam. The pap smear came back abnormal and I underwent a cervical biopsy. Diagnosis: benign adenosis(sp?), to be watched carefully in case it turned pre-cancerous. (That same doctor also told me I'd "never be able to have normal sex" without surgery, due to vaginal size, which was not good for my self-image during my teen years, I assure you. (I had the surgery at 18.)) I'm 31 now, and have had at least one pap smear done every year since then, by that doctor/lab and many others. I have *never* had an abnormal result come back again after that first one. Is it possible that the lab erred on the pap smear diagnosis? That I underwent the biopsy - and a great deal of fear - unnecessarily? Or perhaps that the abnormalcy disappeared when I got through puberty? Or something I haven't considered? I've wondered about this for years.
-- --angela
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