Biopsy - painful? Manage pain after?
Posted , 11 users are following.
Hi Everyone -
I'm having my biopsy done on Aug 8th and am already anxious about it. I'm assuming it's pretty painful and not fun. I expect those responses, but I'm more curious on healing time, tricks on how to manage the pain/uncomfort afterwards. How long does it take to heal? How long did it take for you to get your results. Any information you want to share about the process and actual procedure is welcome. You won't freak me out more, I'd rather know.
Thank you ❤️
0 likes, 34 replies
Tybear hannah19230
Posted
I ALSO HAD MY RESULTS IN 10 DAYS XX
rubydee hannah19230
Posted
Had mine about a year ago...numbing shot a bit uncomfortable, had a couple of stitches and really didn't feel a thing afterwards. Wore underwear, worked out, abstained from sex until stitches fell out which was about 7-10 days. Got results in a week or so.
hannah19230 rubydee
Posted
Thanks Ruby! I'm glad yours went smoothly!
brigitte_27336 hannah19230
Posted
Hannah, good evening....had 2 biopsies. first one no pain because well frosen. second one 4 years later....painfull punch biopsie because i think he didnt freese me well and he seemed in a rush. he had like 20 pacients waiting. healing not painfull and resorbes day by day...on a 2 week base for me. hope this helps. so tell the doc to freeze you well....but after its just about polysporin ointment. good luck.xx
brigitte_27336
Posted
it healed with no scaring.. for me...cant se it xx😉
hannah19230 brigitte_27336
Posted
Thank you so much! I'll make sure to tell her to numb me good! I know she'll be in a rush too as I only have a 30 min appointment, which I'm already annoyed with bc I have so many additional questions!
Debbz1989 hannah19230
Posted
Hi Hannah -
I had my biopsies done in May. I've read so many people's experiences with biopsies from it being a cake walk - to it being horrible... everyone is different - and everyone's pain tolerance is different. I'll tell you about my experience...
I took a friend with me because I was super duper nervous and had no idea how I'd feel afterwards. I had four biopsies done... one on my inner buttcheek, one on the perineum, one from my labia minora, and one from my clitoris hood. (They weren't punch biopsies) So - the numbing shots were uncomfortable - just breathe. AND - if you're like me - and don't numb easily at the dentist and need extra numbing shots in your mouth - then you need to tell your doctor to give you extra shots down there! I learned that the hard way when I felt her first "snip!" OUCH!
Anyway - I was ok afterwards - I went to lunch with my friend and then went home and took a nap. But - once the numbing wore off... I hurt. My doctor didn't give me anything to numb it or anything afterwards. She just told me to keep it clean and dry. My recovery was long.... I couldn't go to work for a week because I couldn't wear my uniform pants. NOTHING could touch me down there because it hurt. 😦 I wore no underwear for a week - wore loose pajama pants where the crotch hung low so nothing touched me at my biopsy sites. No wiping - only dabbing after bathroom trips or showers. (My doc said no baths.) I had the dissolving stitches. It took a month for me to feel "normal." 😦 But it took me about 2 weeks to not be in pain... 😕 Sorry - I'm not trying to scare you - but this was my experience.
I got my results 2 weeks after the biopsies.
I hope your biopsy appt is easy and you heal up quickly. Hopefully your doctor will give you something to put on the site afterwards to help with the healing/pain. 😃
Debbz1989
Posted
Oh - one more thing - I do have some scarring. The biopsy on my buttcheek left a dime size scar... and there's a little scare on my clit hood, but not very noticable. The one on my buttcheek is the most noticable scar.
hannah19230 Debbz1989
Posted
Hi Deb -
I'm sorry your experience was tough. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and get numb super easy at the dentist, but I'll def make sure to ask her and make sure she's giving me enough. I'll also ask for pain meds ahead of time. I'm writing up a list of questions about LS in general that I'm going to email her so I get all answers. I didn't even think about possibly needing multiple in different areas, did you have visible signs of LS to get these biopsies? Or was it symptom based, if so, what were your symptoms?
Thank you!!
Debbz1989 hannah19230
Posted
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner! 😃
So - now that I know I have LS - and know what it's about... I think I've had it a while. Id get the occasional small tears on my vulva, but nothing else. I had itching, but not in the vulva area... I had it where my pubic hair is.
ANYWAY - what made me go in to the doctor - was I noticed that my orgasms became non-existent... and when I looked at my clitoris to see what was going on - it looked like it was shrinking! I also noticed some white patches, but thought maybe my skin was always discolored like that and dismissed it (I didn't usually look closely down there!) So when my doctor took a look - she was concerned about the patches - and she told me that my clitoris was fused to the hood. 😕 So that's when she scheduled the Vulvoscopy (I think that's what she called it - she looked at me down there with a magnifying glass - after she sprayed me down there with vinegar!) - and that's when she did the biopsies.
I didn't have "much" itching down there... it was very little itching - and I associated it with my Brazilian waxing I was having done.... I think the waxing flared my LS... because it flared up (with the white patches/clitoris problem) after I started waxing down there.
hannah19230 Debbz1989
Posted
Hi Deb -
Thank you for sharing more of your story. Has the clob or anything helped to unfuse? I've heard from some people that they've been successful in reverse fusing, which I hope worked for you!
I'm trying to not think about this until I go to a fresh doctor tomorrow. I went crazy last Thursday/Friday pretty much examining myself at least 2 times an hour. It was really obsessive and unhealthy behavior, so I distracted myself all weekend. I've felt much better the last 4-5 days itching wise as well.
I'll keep you guys posted after my appointment tomorrow - this Gyno writes about Lichen right on his bio, so I'm hoping he has some advanced knowledge and treatments!
Debbz1989 hannah19230
Posted
Hi Hannah -
No.... 😦 unfortunately the fusing hasn't changed. And this bothers me a lot.... because I want it to unfuse. (I'm not very patient about it.) I've started soaking in Borax baths because I hear it helps a lot and can also help unfuse.... so I'm hoping it'll work. (fingers crossed!) 😃
I completely understand your "obsessive behavior".... when I first found out I had this - I was a mess. I bought a bunch of books - was all over the internet trying to find information about it, etc... not to mention looking down there to see what was going on - and lots and lots of crying.... I'm finally better emotionally about it - now I just read posts in the FB pages I've joined about LS - read stuff on this page, etc... I'm much better educated on it and have a better understanding about it - which makes me a bit more comfortable with this diagnosis.... I'll never be HAPPY about it - but at least I understand it better.
I'm so happy for you that your Gyno actually KNOWS about LS! My Gyno is sweet, but she doesn't know about it... and gave me incorrect info. Like when she told me that the clob was going to unfuse my hood from my clitoris and everything would be back to normal again.... Uhhh... no..... nothing will ever be "normal" again because this LS will be here forever - and I'll have to manage it forever! 😦 BUT - I am extremely thankful that mine isn't as bad as some I've read about. I don't itch much... I'm not in pain like some people... I can still have intercourse without pain (I just don't have orgasms like I used to - UGH!) So I'm grateful that my LS seems mild compared to others. So I need to look at the positive. 😃
Good luck at your appt with your Gyno! And sorry I went off on a rant! LOL! I'm thankful for this group of people that can relate to how I feel and what I"m going thru. It's been a godsend. If you haven't already - and are on Facebook - I recommend getting on some of the LS pages. They're private and super helpful. I've gotten a lot of good info from them. 😃
Take care!
hannah19230 Debbz1989
Posted
Omg please never apologize for a rant.. I've had many on here and created new threads so many times. My specialist just gave me NO information and was so nonchalant when she "diagnosed" this.. basically just said, well i don't see any signs, but it must be LS bc we've ruled everything else out. Which does make some logical sense, but you guys have provided more information than I've gotten from any doctor. I'm trying to stay positive until at least tomorrow lol.
This just all happened to me at a horrible time, I'm 32 and had just broken up with my boyfriend who I didn't have a great sex life with - I was so excited to date again and find myself again - I've always been very sexual, almost promiscuous, but that's just who I am. So to have my sexuality basically stripped from me right at that time has been devastating.
I'm also bipolar and high anxiety and already see a psychiatrist monthly for that, so this has NOT helped my progress in those areas either. I wish this stuff wasn't so taboo, its hard when no one understands. That's why this group is a live saver. Even if mine doesn't end up being LS, this has been helpful getting through my difficult times with my symptoms.
Debbz1989 hannah19230
Posted
Oh Hannah - I feel for you because I separated from my husband a couple years ago and was ready to get out there and have SEX again.... and JUST when I find a guy that I like and we start having incredible sex - I realize my orgasms started sucking! Like - I couldn't have one like before... and thats what sent me to the doctor! I wanted to know WTF was happening! And thats when my doctor noticed the white patches.... UGH! So I got diagnosed with this - right when things were getting fun. (insert eye roll here) 😃 But - I'm pretty lucky because I can still have intercourse without the pain that others with LS have... I just wish my clitoris was more sensitive like before. 😕 And I don't know if that's a side-affect of LS... or if it's because my clitoris is fused to the hood.
Good luck Hannah ... don't give up on sex or dating or whatever you want to do. 😃 If you're physically able - just do it! 😃 They say "use it or lose it".... so use it if you can!
❤️ Hang in there. And - I don't know if you're on FB... and I know a lot of people don't want to be on the LS groups on FB because they don't want to show who they are... but I've joined some good FB groups (they're private.) There's so much information on those sites... people with LS sharing their experiences, "go to fixes", etc...
(((BIG HUGS))))
hannah19230 Debbz1989
Posted
Hi Deb -
You're so right, I just need to start trying to live my life again, I just feel like its a lot to have to explain to someone and deal with. I'm going to have to find a very compassionate and understanding partner. I'm so young and have no idea how mild or severe this will get. Thank god I don't have any visible signs, hoping I can just forever keep it at bay! Who knows!
I was an absolute wreck yesterday, I haven't really had a crying outburst about this yet and I just let it all out. I went to a fresh doctor yesterday in Beverly Hills, he was SO NICE and so empathic and compassionate, I was really hopeful and positive, and when he walked in I was like "oh this is going to be good and good news" --- as I continued listing my symptoms he mentioned LS as well. I was devestated. He then examined me and was like yea, you look perfect, no visible signs at all. He mentioned Mona Lisa laser might help, but didn't recommend it now - would be a potential down the line treatment and said insurance actually might cover some bc LS is a medical problem and I wouldn't be doing it cosmetically.
I have my follow up with the specialist next Wed (she's the one who initially brought up LS), who he also agreed is like the godfather of Vaginas in Los Angeles. I'll see if she even has a place to biopsy, bc the guy yesterday said it would be a shot in the dark to choose where to. So that might have to wait, will be up to the doctor.
My new plan is to try amitriptyline to see if this is more of a nerve issue. Doctor yesterday agreed that it is strange in LS for my itching to jump around in different locations of my Vulva within seconds/minutes.
After the amitriptyline, if it doesn't seem to do anything - I will try the Clob, not sure why she didn't start me off with the strongest steriod, maybe bc there is no white patching.
Soooooo, still no answers and lots of crying yesterday
Thanks for being here for me ❤️ I honestly can't express how much this group has helped me. My friends are very supportive and trying to be here for me, but its just not the same.