My recovery following the LEEP procedure

The real deal 

The cervix takes 4-6 weeks to heal after a LEEP procedure. It's important to refrain from activities that can cause infection, like taking baths, swimming, having sex, or using tampons. We can find these guidelines online, but I prefer to wait until everything has healed. As with any surgery, you are at high risk of infection and bleeding after, so you really need to take your time and take everything slow.

Throughout the day of my LEEP, I had heavy bleeding and occasional twinges.

Home sweet home, even with my hospital gown still on, haha.

On day 2 I had more intense but bearable cramps, the bleeding had slowed down and gone darker; I was also very emotional (I was crying because I was fed up with everything)

Day 3 was designated as the day I would finally make my move and go for a walk. I couldn't stay on the sofa any longer, but when I woke up and went to the toilet, I had a little scare. I was ok for the rest of the day, just felt a bit disorientated.

Physically, I was fine on day 4/5/6, but mentally, I was not. I was very emotional, overthinking everything, having bursts of periods where I couldn’t stop crying. On these days, the blood was ok, just watery and pinkish. I could do more of the regular day-to-day stuff.

Day 7 started with a blood scare, leading me to visit my GP. It turned out to be an infection, so I was confined to the sofa. Thankfully, my kids are in school during the day, and I'm grateful for my partner's support as a great dad and boyfriend! He's always there to help and support us.

On Day 8, the heavy and alarming bleeding prompted me to contact the emergency gynecologist, who advised me to come in. I felt reassured by the doctors when they said there was no active bleeding during the examination, despite the gushing on the bed.

Although unsure of the exact meaning, the doctor was happy to discharge me and instructed me to continue my antibiotics at home. He suspected that the bleeding was caused by the infection, yet I still experienced intense cramps and heavy bleeding throughout the night. Due to fear, I tried my best to limit movement and stay on the sofa.

                              

                                     

On the ninth day, I woke up with a productive mindset and had to leave the house to restore my routine. Unable to handle lounging on the sofa any longer, I took the boys to school and picked them up. I also visited a shop in town and I may have gone a little overboard because the cramps afterwards were extremely painful. At tea time, my tummy was so swollen that I looked like I was 9 months pregnant. LOL.

I had a small breakdown about the pain while on the phone with my mom, dad, and partner, but then I regained my composure and moved forward. Despite the continued cramps, I persevered.

When I woke up on day 10, I felt rejuvenated and optimistic. I prepared the boys and headed to a superhero event in town. On this day, I made an effort to dress up and put on makeup. It brought back memories of my life before the cancer scare. A day filled with beauty, happiness, and niceness. The pain was tolerable, and the bleeding was minimal, resembling my usual period. My healing process after my LEEP may come across as daunting, but remember, this was only my personal experience. According to BC CANCER, patients typically experience minimal symptoms following their LEEP.