My initial appointment is tomorrow

Hello.  If you have a competent doctor you won't feel anything when she does the biopsy.  Although it took me over a year to get up enough nerve to have one, it really was painless.  She numbed me sufficiently that she could get a biopsy.  THe healing was not pleasant, but at least the biopsy came back negative for cancer.  I have had lesions and bumps, etc.  They do need to be watched.  It's all become a constant obsession for me monitoring what is happening down under.  The advice on this forum is terrific.  Good luck with the biopsy.

Hi Susan, hope all goes well for you.

I have had both a punch biopsy then later removal of a sore area under local anaethesia. By far the worst part is the injection of anaesthetic. The rest was fine, and no problems after. I hope this gives you confidence to go ahead I worried too before the first one, but personally wouldn't go for a general.

My punch biopsy was painless and the injection of the anesthesia was about a 3 on a pain scale of 1-10 worth it.

Agree with the competency of the doctor..mine a female so she knows how parts down there feel. You will be fine.

Tomorrow's appointment is just with my GP not a gyno or derm. I absolutely revile this GP. She's a new graduate, only practicing since 2015 and when I went for my pap smear she had nothing to cover me with, so I lay there naked. Another appointment for heartburn she didn't look in my throat at all but insisted on poking my stomach and when I told her she poked too hard she just ignored me and kept going, I was sore for days. For tomorrow, I'm wearing a dress so I don't need to lay there naked and exposed to give her access and there's literally no chance that I would let her perform a biopsy even if she wanted to. I will insist on a referral to a gyno. I'm sure she'll be happy with that because when I say that my "downstairs" looks shocking, I mean it, it's looks like a dropped bleach on myself.

Hi Melanie, sorry you have LS! 

The white plaques of skin that you describe are classic Lichen Sclerosus symptoms...NOT cancer.   If you do some research look for your nearest Vulva Clinic because if you can find one of those you will get to see someone that will be able to give you a Visual diagnosis, like many other women that post on here...myself included. 

The list of symptoms for LS is long and with the white plaques of skin it is easy for someone that knows their stuff to diagnose it.  The skin tag you refer to is white because everything else down there is.  The lump you describe I dont know...which is why you need to see someone that is competent.  Some people do get lumps and bumps (are they red)? as well as the white plaques of skin and so it might be that. 

Let us know how you get on.

I got diagnosed today. My terrible GP didn't know what it was. I then told her I thought it was LS. She got out a text book and spent 20 minutes looking. She thought it was vitiligo until I reminded ger that vitiligo doesn't itch. I said I wanted a referral to a gyno. She laughed and said a gyno wouldn't do anything. She relented and reffered me to a dermatologist but put it as elective none urgent and told me it would be a waste of their time because I wasn't that sick. Thank god she figured out to put me on a steroid until then. She said don't worry. LS is a harmless condition that needs no follow up and that I was making too big a deal out of needing a referral. This is why I dislike this doctor and if she would have wanted to do a biopsy I would never have let her near me.

Hi Melanie, I feel your emotions. Take deep breath. First they will numb you and do biopsy. Make sure you are numb. Tell them that. You shouldn't feel pain. Please let me know how you are. Ladies are wonderful and will talk with you. Your not alone.

In follow up, I actually wrote a letter of complaint to the clinic manager and sent it via email. Today, not even 24 hours later and I got a call with an appointment with a Gynecologist this coming Tuesday afternoon. Squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Well done Melanie, you did the right thing. We need to be proactive where our health is concerned.Let us know how you go on. Good luck.

The Gynecologist is amazing. She did a thorough background and exam. She isn't 100% sure it's LS, it fits for the most part but there's some other features that aren't quite right. We sat together looking at pictures of different disorders and came to a list of maybe 4 possible things with LS being the top contender, vitiligo, a major fungal infection and cancer. She says it's likely that there's more than one pathology at work. She said I really needed a biopsy, in fact two biopsies. When I explained my anxiety she prescribed some Ativan and scheduled the biopsy for the next day (yesterday). The Ativan REALLY helped. I would compared the biopsy procedure to similar discomfort from a dental extraction. No stitches and very clear after care instructions were given. Pain and bleeding has been minimal. We decided to try two treatments while we await the rush biopsy results. So for the moment I'm on a steroid cream and an antifungal. She made a follow up appointment for June 6th, she expects the results to be in by then. She promised me that no matter what the results, she will follow me throughout treatment and if it is LS, she will see me every 6 months for life.

She personally called me today at lunch hour to see how I was doing and to remind me that she's in clinic all week, Sunday and all next week if I have any issues at all she would see me between patients. WOW. She's quite the change from my unprofessional family doctor. I am so happy to be in such good hands.

Hi , Melanie, so glad that you got a great consultant.

Wish we all could have one. I hope that all your results are good. Thinking of you, Ann