A Polyp

I had a slight scare last week. Without warning I experienced slight spotting and cramping and although the cramping went away after the first day, the spotting continued until I went to see the doctor.

If I were still in my 1st trimester, I would not have bothered but being 18 weeks, I was already into my 2nd trimester, which under most circumstances, should be the most stable and trouble free of all the 3 trimesters. Remembering the fact that my sister-in-law lost her babies in her 18th and 19th week didn't help to alleviate my anxiety.

So I tried to rest as much as I could, staying horizontal and putting my feet up. However, I could not have a complete bed rest as my hubby was away in Langkawi and my mother in law was not free to lend hand and my own mom, weakened by Hepatitis C, would not be able to cope.

After 4 days of uncertainty, I paid my obstetrician a visit. I had to strip from the waist down, and had my legs propped up so that he could have a good look inside. First he pried my vagina open using a special instrument so he could have a clear view, then he proceeded with some very uncomfortable probing and scraping and I honestly don't know what else. The whole procedure must have taken at most 5 minutes, but it felt much much longer. If you've had a pap smear before, you'll know what it was like!

After an eternity, the good doctor showed me a polyp which he found growing at the neck of my cervix, the size of a Malaysian 5 sen coin! Goodness knows when the thing started to grow there but it was the cause of the spotting as it rubbed against the cervical wall.

So my polyp is now being tested for malignancy in a lab somewhere and I should get the results in about a week. According to my doctor, polyps are usually harmless growths so I've not lost any sleep over it since.

So ladies, remember to get your pap smear done every 2 years, you never know what you might find!