“BAD” Pap test, HPV & MP3
Planned Parenthood called me today my PAP test came out as Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance (ASCUS) AGAIN! So I have to go for another PAP test in 4 months and if that is ASCUS again, I will have to get another Colposcopy and Cervical Biopsy.
What is Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance (ASCUS):
This term is used in the Bethesda System for reporting Pap smear findings and indicates that some flat (squamous) cells look unusual and may or may not be pre-malignant or malignant. Of all Pap tests with an ASCUS reading, 90-95% are caused by benign conditions, chiefly infections. Some reports have indicated that there is a 10-40% rate of mild dysplasia/cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) found in patients with this report. The remaining 5-10% proves to be precancerous or cancer. Invasive cancer is very rare.
Dysplasia (latin for ‘bad form’ ) is an abnormality in the appearance of cells due to disturbances in the cell maturation process. This is indicative of an early step towards transformation into a neoplasia. It is therefore a pre-neoplastic or pre-cancerous change. This abnormal growth is restricted to the epithelial layer, not invading into the deeper tissue. Though dysplasia may regress spontaneously, persistent lesions must be removed, either with surgery, chemical burning, heat burning, burning with laser, or freezing (cryotherapy).
The best known form of dysplasia is the precursor lesions to cervical cancer, called cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). This lesion is sometimes caused by an infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV). Dysplasia of the cervix is almost always unsuspected by the woman. The purpose of the Pap test is to diagnose the disease early, while it is still in the dysplasia phase and easy to cure.
(HPV) Human papillomavirus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted and they can infect the genital area of men and women who become infected with HPV. Most will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own. Some of these viruses are called “high-risk” types, and may cause abnormal Pap tests. They may also lead to cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Very rarely, HPV infection results in anal or genital cancers. Others are called “low-risk” types, and they may cause mild Pap test abnormalities or genital warts.
Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. Over 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new HPV infection each year.
The types of HPV that infect the genital area are spread primarily through genital contact. Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms; therefore, most infected persons are unaware they are infected, yet they can transmit the virus to a sex partner. The virus lives in the skin or mucous membranes, usually causes no symptoms. The virus can remain dormant for many years.
Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests, along with a specific test to detect HPV DNA. The HPV DNA test may be used in women with mild Pap test abnormalities or in women over 30 years of age. The results of HPV DNA testing can help health care providers decide if further tests or treatment are necessary.
For more information you can check out the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm#common
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My brother in law, Paul’s Birthday is on September 27th. He is in the military and being sent to Iraq on the 21st. For his birthday he wanted an MP3 player to take with him, so my parents and I decided to get it for him and my eldest sis and her hubby are contributing too by purchasing some MP3 accesories. So Rob and I spent most of wednesday driving around to 5? stores pricing MP3 players and being bit dismayed that everything in the $90-120 price range was out of stock or crappy. So I ended up putting almost $170 on my card to get a nice 2Gig one with a 2 year warranty. I figured he would need a warranty and the store employee assured me that as long as the MP3 wasn’t damaged by unusual means(run over by a tank, blow up by explosives ect.) it would be repaired or replaced. Then Rob purchased and dowloaded over 100 songs from a list of musical artisist Amber had given us and added half a dozen photos of Aaron(3yr old son), Amber(wife) and Family onto it. Then Rob shipped it FedEx Express ONE DAY so Paul should receive it tomorrow(Friday).
This is the one we purchased, the intro advert is cute: http://www.lilmonsta.com/ Well unless you have a fear of rat like creatures 
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Hi—
I stumbled upon your blog looking for something medical, and started reading your entries with some interest. If nobody has ever suggested it to you before, I would **strongly** urge you to look into celiac disease as a possible source of a lot of your problems. I speak from personal experience, the experience of friends in my celiac support group, and the large amount of personal research I’ve done looking into it after my own celiac disease diagnosis. “IBS” is a very common misdiagnosis for celiac. Hashimoto’s (and thyroid problems in general), bone pain, neurological problems, diabetes, reproductive disorders in women, and other autoimmune disorders all go hand in hand with celiac disease. I’m about 10 years older than you. My own health has never been great. Then about 6 years ago I developed serious chronic pain (made permanently worse by having an EMG!). I also had thyroid problems, “female” problems with cysts and hormone imbalances, an “excitable stomach,” and some other autoimmune problems that have evaded diagnosis. Celiac Disease causes an autoimmune reaction when you eat the protein that is found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. This really caught my attention:
“Tuesday August 29th I saw my rheumatologist, Dr.Dowd. He didn’t give me much insight into why I am having joint/bone/muscle pain and problems. Except that he often sees, severe vitamin deficiencies in people with similar complaints to mine. Yet he can’t explain what causes the deficiency. “
This bit of ignorance on your doctor’s part really made me angry. This is classic celiac. Celiac causes vitamin and trace nutrient deficiencies, along w/ sometimes rather intense bone and muscle pain (and sometimes degenerative joint and bone issues). Doctors don’t usually test for celiac largely because they weren’t taught much about it in Med School. The thinking for many years has also been that you have to be thin to be a celiac. However, there are many people with celiac who have problems with being overweight. There are researchers now who believe that celiac causes weight gain. I personally know someone who lost a whole bunch of weight after finally getting a proper diagnosis. With celiac, your gut becomes damaged and you don’t absorb your food well. One theory is that what sometimes happens is you absorb your calories fine, but you’re still missing trace nutrients your body needs. So, your body thinks it’s starving.
Celiac Disease is thought to affect about 1 in 133 people—it’s actually fairly common. Unfortunately, it has taken the wider medical world a while to learn more about it. However, knowledge about it is steadily growing. Also, the only treatment is dietary. There is no pharmaceutical cure. Our medical system is generally geared to meds and surgery.
Anyway, I hope I don’t sound like a lunatic. I’m just someone else who has suffered horribly with very similar medical problems to yours for years. I’m still not able to work, but my life and health have improved a lot since I finally got a correct diagnosis and stopped eating the gluten that was slowly destroying my body. I hate to hear about other people going through the grind of going to multiple doctors and getting nowhere. (And reading things like what your rheumatologist said makes me almost insane!)
A good article about it:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/pbcsouth/content/local_news/epaper/2006/08/04/m1a_CELIAC_0804.html
and a good place for info: http://www.celiac.com
Good luck,
E. G.
Talked with Paul’s wife today. He is very excited and happy to receive the Souped up MP3 Player with music and a few pics down loaded and the accompanying package sent by your other sister & husband of a charger kit and traveling case kit. I can’t believe how bloody expensive a silly traveling case can be (over $30)! It’s crazy! Oh well… such is life, lol.
Do you believe in the Lord Jesus christ? Him alone can heal you of all your sickness and disease, call on Him today, ask Him to come into your life, and pray Him to heal you of all your sickness and disease, and try go a church Jesus will heal you.
You are healed in Jesus name! Amen.
Eseosa
WOW… SPAM ADVERSTISING on a blog… Eseosa isn’t a person it’s a website designed to get money out of you.
Love the Stock missionary photographs.
Don’t bother visiting.
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