Dr. Heidi Wittenberg

I had a horrible experience with Dr. Heidi Wittenberg SRS. After two years of having HPV, a pap smear showed that the cells were no longer normal.

I don’t understand the disease entirely, but usually, it resolves itself within two years, but in the worst case, it can result in cervical cancer.

I was unhappy that it hadn’t cleared up and had gotten worse.

During my first visit Dr, Wittenberg did a small biopsy.

She also drew a picture of a scale with cancer on one end and fine on the other.

She told me I was at the excellent end of the scale.

Then I got a call that the biopsy didn’t look good and that I would have to come in for a LEEP procedure, one in which they use an electrified wire to cut off the end of your cervix and hopefully any potential cancer with it.

So I wasn’t happy about my health, and I wasn’t pleased about having the end of my cervix cut off, but I don’t blame the doctor for that.

I don’t even blame her for cutting a blood vessel – I mean, it can happen when you’re cutting into someone’s flesh.

I blame her for how she handed the “bleeder,” as she called it.

I was in the stirrups for two hours as she struggled to stop the bleeding.

She did not have the proper needles or thread in her office to put a stitch in to close it.

It’s an effing gynecologist’s office! They should probably have some vagina-specific needles on hand!

She called all of the other medical staff into the office.

I had four women all crouched over, peering into my vagina, coaching each other on how to get the stitch in. “Try a backhand stitch with your left hand.”

She asked someone to get something from the pharmacy downstairs.

She never told me what it was, but I think it was a topical sealant-type thing.

She asked for one brand/medication, then another.

The nurse or whoever called down said they had a third type.

“Yes!” she said, cutting the nurse off. She thought she was being funny by sounding so urgent and not listening to the nurse describe the medication.

Maybe she already knew what the nurse was saying, but I didn’t think it was funny.

She also said, in a super cute voice, “you scared me!” Like haha!

Doctor, you didn’t scare me, but I was incredibly uncomfortable and baffled by your pretty ridiculous professional behavior.

That scale was totally out the window during this appointment, with me way down at the ‘no cancer’ end.

She told me that it was unusual for there to be a blood vessel there, so she thought there might be some growth (cancer).

I laid there for two hours with a crowd of strange women peering into my vagina, crying and thinking about how I would probably have to have a hysterectomy.

Then, know what? After she got the bleeding to stop with whatever medicine she got, she ripped out the speculum, which by this time had all of my pubic hair stuck to it with dried blood.

I don’t expect spa treatment from the gynecologist, but a minor consideration.

I’m sorry this isn’t better, but I just wanted to share my story.

Maybe what happened with me is unusual, but any doctor should be prepared for things that might come up during a routine procedure.

I couldn’t believe how unprepared she was.