16/08/2022
Reposted from .naganova
I rarely write about personal things here, it's not my thing. But this may help someone, as similar reviews once helped me a lot. And I promised myself to share my experience if it turns out to be successful.
Several years ago, at a routine checkup at a gynecologist in St. Petersburg, I was diagnosed with HPV (human papillomavirus) of high risk. I should say right away that my visits to the gynecologist were always as regular as to the dentist (I'm afraid to imagine how it would be otherwise). My doctor assured me then that it was nothing to worry about, and even if the virus starts to cause cell changes, it is a very long process, it takes decades, not one year, to reach the cancer stage (as it turned out later when I started actively studying this topic, this information is outdated and from initial stage of dysplasia CIN1 to cancer can take only a year. Unfortunately, a huge percentage of gynecologists don't know this, just like they don't know much else either... Once again, I was convinced that you have to look through a lot of information when it comes to health problems to be somehow sure that you are moving in the right direction...)
In October 2019, after another visit to my doctor in the USA, I received the results: Pap test - Abnormal. The biopsy showed mild dysplasia - CIN 1, HPV had not gone anywhere. My immune system could not fight it.
At this stage, no treatment is presumed as there is a chance that the body will get rid of the virus and it will not progress further. I had to go for another visit in a year.
Then I started actively looking for information about the treatment of high dysplasia so that I would know where to go if the situation got worse.
I searched through a lot of information: from forums (absolutely disappointing stories) to scientific articles and protocols followed by American and Russian doctors. It didn't bring any relief because the main method of treatment both here and there was conization, which, firstly, does not eliminate the virus and, secondly, in a great number of cases, relapse occurs after this procedure.
I was desperate, to say the least. Fortunately, I decided to search on Instagram and came across a post of Maxim Stanislavovich Afanasiev, oncogynecologist , where he was telling me about the method of photodynamic therapy to get rid of atypical cells, as well as HPV. It was a breath of air at the time, a hope that there was a way out after all.
I started searching about this method and found several articles by American and German authors. Their and M.S. 's statistics were the same, incredibly encouraging!
In the U.S. it turned out that this method is not used to treat CIN, and not all doctors are aware of its existence. I even found a clinic that uses PDT, but only at the cancer stage.
Of course, I had my doubts, was it really going to work? Was this doctor as good as he seemed? Live broadcasts where the professor gives a very detailed, professional coverage of the topic and answers the questions helped a lot + communication with the patients of Maxim Stanislavovich who went through PDT several years ago and were healthy and many got pregnant quickly and without problems after treatment (unlike conization, which negatively affects this process) was incredibly important and inspiring great faith.
In 20, the COVID epic began. Our trip to Russia in June was canceled (as well as the appointment). Without waiting a year since the last examination, I went to the gynecologist again at the beginning of August 2020. The result was high degree dysplasia (CIN 2-3). I went from mild to advanced stage in 10 months. I could not wait any longer (it turns out that in Russia some doctors at this stage try to treat women with some medications and lose time this way. Or worse, they allow women to get pregnant with this diagnosis).
Thank God I managed to fly away, thanks to Turkish Airlines. And thank God I had my green card, which allowed me to go back to the U.S. with no worries...
M.S. usually operates in Moscow. I was very lucky because when I had my PDT appointment, he was in St. Petersburg.
I arrived in Russia on August 23 (it took a lot of nerves because I was not used to flying in the present conditions and with such a purpose, to say the least...). I was examined three days before my PDT and all the necessary tests were taken (Oh, thank you very much, Olga, the wonderful administrator, for your organization, responsiveness, and kindness!) Then we had PDT on 29.08. It took me a week to recover. The temperature rose on the second day, the maximum was 38.5, and for 5 days I was in bed with a fever, drank a lot, and ate almost nothing. Sometimes my stomach felt heavy, but it was quite bearable.
It was good that by the day of departure, both my temperature and my well-being more or less normalized.
I will not write about the procedure, there are a lot of articles and information in the account of Dr. Afanasyev.
The professor operated on me with his colleague, wonderful Tatyana Georgievna Grishacheva (Tatyana, thank you!!! For your answers, for your experiences, for your hard work! Appreciate it a lot!)
Two months after PDT, I was examined again in the U.S., and there were no abnormal cells or HPV. It is such a relief, such a joy to see good results, to know that I continue to live, live without this headache, live with my family, with my adored children, and my energy, my strength is not spent in large quantities on the disease.
Maxim Stanislavovich, thank you! A huge thank you from me and my family for my health!
Girls who are reading this post. Make sure you visit your gynecologist at least once a year.
If you have HPV or dysplasia, there is a way out. Don't do conization. Try PDT, but don't go to just anyone for the procedure. It's very, VERY important to know and know how to do PDT. Some doctors cripple women without understanding how it works and what to do about it. Take care of yourself!
Maxim Stanislavovich answers all questions in great detail, I wish there were more doctors like him.
Take care of your health! This is the most important thing we have :)
If you have any questions, write to me. Be sure I will answer!
