When you said clear off, it mean you will not have it at all? Im so confuse!

congrats on the normal pap!

if i've learned one thing about this hpv business, it's that you need to live for today! TODAY you have a normal pap! and tomorrow it's going to be normal too! next week? probably still normal!

don't spend the next year worrying about the results of your follow up! that's just an excessive amount of time to drive yourself insane!

...and i'm speaking from experience! being diagnosed with oral hpv has sent my anxiety and hypochondriasis in to overdrive... to the point where i know see a therapist. this is no life to lead!

Thanks for the encouragement morty. My follow-up is in December. I also was seeing a therapist and was on anti-depressants for the anxiety and depression all of this caused. I'm off them now. The diagnosis and subsequent anxiety hurt my relationship with my significant other, and the relationship has since ended. I would say it was a major contributing factor but not the entire cause. Best wishes to you with your therapy and your health. Right now, I am focusing on the other areas of my life - work, family, volunteer and fun activities. Trying to keep a balanced perspective on all things, which is difficult at times. Will keep you all posted.

Hello and Happy New Year. Thanks for all the support from Fredo, morty, norah, and other members of this message board this year. You cannot imagine how much your words of encouragement and your stories have helped me during this difficult time. My most recent Pap smear and HPV test last week came back as 'within normal limits' and negative for HPV. I am happy to hear this news and it goes a long way to making me feel a lot less apprehensive than I have in a long time. I hope this is encouraging to others who are going through a similar diagnosis and are waiting to see if HPV clears or are undergoing treatment.

I still feel just a small amount of apprehension and worry at times, thinking that it will reappear at some point, but I am living a healthier lifestyle - eating lots of fruits and vegetables, taking vitamins, drinking green tea ever day, not drinking alcohol, no smoking, trying to reduce stress (easier said than done at times, but still trying), exercising regularly.

Unfortunately, my relationship with my significant other ended in June, partially due to the stress and anxiety both of us felt over the diagnosis and my resulting fear, but more due to other factors. I had hoped that once we had both dealt with our anxieties that things could have worked out for us, but it was not to be, and he is dating someone else. It will take a long time for me to even consider the possibility of dating, if ever again at all.

I've learned a lot through this experience and hope to become a stronger person as a result of it (still working on that part).

Best wishes to you all for a happier and healthier 2011.

Hi again guest1234,

Thanks for the update, and what good news! I appreciate that you've been part of our message board over the past year or so, and hope you'll continue to check in and post. Your story will mean a lot to others who use these boards.

Take care, thanks again, and best to you in 2011 and beyond.

Fredo

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ASHA Moderator