Dear good Dr. Georgios Papanikolaou,
First of all, let me thank you for inventing the pap smear exam. I am sure you have helped save many women's lives by detecting cancerous substance from our cervix (if any) in the course of the very important exam, thus help prevent cervical cancer by early detection.
However, I must tell you that having the cold speculum inserted into our Ms. V is not something so pleasant, you know (*cringe*). Perhaps you can think of a more comfortable and cringe-free method to take a sample of our cervical cells.
Please do take my comments and suggestions seriously, ya good doctor.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
From your patient suffering from pap exam phobia
This is sooo not pleasant!!
I should go for a pap exam soon. The last time I did so was in Jan 2007 - 2 years and 2 months ago. The gynae tells me I should have it done every year. Errr... do I really have to??
I also have a foreign object in my uterus - the IUD. It was inserted about the same time I had my last pap exam. Obviously, the IUD serves no purpose now (the IUD prevents sperm from joining with an egg). I want to get it out. I think removing it would help prevent the severe stomach cramps I have right before my period. I never used to have those cramps and I want to believe that these cramps started to appear just two years ago (when I no longer have a s*x life). Does it make sense? Is there a gynae out there who reads this blog? Hmmm...
And so the question is, why is it still there? Simple. (cringe). Takuuuutttt. I am not going to volunteer lying on my back, legs spread apart with my feet positioned in stirrups and have somebody insert a cold speculum inside me (*cringe cringe cringe*). Anybody else share the same sentiments?
But I know I have to give the gynae a visit one of these days. I can't just leave the IUD in me forever, can I? I wish I have best friend here with me to hold my hand (like he always did during these not-so-friendly visits). Sigh...
But I can do it. I must. I should. I'll be brave enough, insya'Allah... (*cringe cringe and cringe somemore*)
28 comments:
I hear you! I hear you!
I am one of the scaredy cats too. Cring cringe cringe!!! Sigh, wish there is a more pleaseant way to do it. But anyway .... I hope your gynae visit turns out well. Just grin and bear (bare?) it.
The feelings are mutual MHB. I wish there was some other better way t do this kan. Just close your eyes and imagine the beach or something soothing k.
Salam ... cringe..cringe.. U R not alone..
akak....saya x pegi pun buat pap smear..byk reasons- i didnt take any contraceptive pills and i dont have sex. haha. so no need la kot eh. and i seriously think the cramp is due to lack of SEX!!
but..go take the IUD off. how can u survive having that all this while la?? hehe..
QOTH -- I ni memang penakut no.1!! Last time I had the pap exam, I asked the gynae if I could have an epidural first!! haha... drama queen betol...
yeah... I'll take your advise -- grin and bare (hehe) it!!
Wiz -- I am not alone, huh? I can be so scared that I will feel faint macam nak collapse after the exam tau... usually best friend will accompany and we'll go out merendek to make me feel better.
Imagine the beach?? I have a better idea... I'll imagine your sweet pastel fairy cake creations... that'll put a smile on my face!!
somuffins -- rasanya ada tak women yang tak takut langsung nak put their legs up in the stirrups tu ye??
lilinbiru -- haha... what to do, ye dik!! sabo jelah... hehe
I SO want to take the IUD out but takuuuttttt...
Hi MHB,
My advice on the IUD removal visit - Go and see your gynae a couple of days after your menses end. At that time your cervic is still tender so it won't be that painful to either insert or remove the IUD.
You can also kill two birds with one stone during that visit to the gynae. Let her do the pap smear soon after the removal of the IUD. It's not painful, trust me. Just a slight and 'sekelip mata' discomfort aje. Before you know it, your gynae will ask you to get up from the bed. A little discomfort is better than not knowing if you have cervical cancer or not, betul tak?
It's good to do the pap smear test once a year, esp if someone is sexually-active. Ask your gynae what is the best timeline for your routine pap smear test.
I do hope you find my words comforting and you will go ahead to do both the procedures soon.
MTT -- you sound like someone who works at my OB/GYN clinic!! hehe
I know the pap smear exam is not painful... had it several times but still... takutttt. It's the thought of inserting a cold steel is the thing that scares me the most... and yeah, it only takes a few seconds, tapi perasaan berdebar2 and takut tu... tak tergambarkan... I can be so lemah lutut after that you know...
had an IUD inserted and removed once before too... it didn't help that the gynae had trouble removing the IUD... it was embedded so deep inside that she had to do a scan to locate it!! that DID NOT take a few seconds... memang macam nak pengsan... so I have a phobia now... dahlah Ms V haven't been utilised for quite awhile now... to have a foreign object in there... TAKUTx1000!!!
urggghhh...memang la horrible..tapi best la baca surat tu..hehe...
i hate that too...masa nak give birth pun hurts too...aiyaiyyai...
Ladydi -- best ke surat tuu?? :o)
it is not the pain I'm scared of (sebab sebenarnye tak sakit pun).. it's the ngeri-ness... eeee... ngeri.. ngeri..
same here....
takut dengan IUD. cukuplah sekali...Pap smear memang x pernah buat.
MHB,
I think u should go get it removed (the IUD) nad the pap smear over with cos its gonna cause u more stress dear...
I just block those visits out of my mind... but I could do without the IUD too. The cramps I get after IUD is nothing like I have ever expereinced before. And my hormones are giller...
Kalau u need someone and do not have ur best friend with u (I know...) get someone who is just as close to help u in such times.
Hugs.
Leney -- your gynae tak buat pap exam sekali ke masa masukkan/keluarkan IUD??
Aida -- yes... don't you just hate the cramps?? ... i have been procrastinating this for so long now. I just gotta do it!!
Thanks for the comforting words + hugs!!
MHB,
Breathe in ...breathe out. That should help when the gynae does the pap smear. And yes the trick is as MTT put it, go just when yr menses finished. Same thing with the IUD, it's easier to insert and take out when yr cervic is tender. But you make sure you get a good gynae to do it for you.
I want to relate my own experience at getting the IUD out. My gynae has always been a guy, Dr H*ris from SJM*. However, a few of my girl friends told me that there was another lady doc who is also good with this IUD thingy. So yrs truly pi lah visit this lady doc.(Kononnya lebih confortable seeing one of the same gender, padahal all those times masa pregnant dok lah pi jumpa male gynae) To my surprise she wasn't a QUALIFIED gynae, but she has treated patients with O&G problems (how she got to doing that, waulahhualam).
Anyway, to cut the story short, once I was on the bed and she tried to get the IUD out, she korek and korek but tak boleh jumpa!!! Walhal, when she did the scan we saw the image of the IUD. There I was fidgetting and knees already mengigil coz takut and others.
In the end, she said she really couldn't do it, ie. she couldn't get the darn thing out!! And I was already in pain due to the force trying to get the IUD out. I left her clinic furious!!! I could have kicked myself for not following my instrict ie. to go see my usual gynae.
It took me a while to get over the trauma. In the end, I went to see my dear old Dr H*ris. He was such a pro, before I knew it, the whole procedure was over. Bawak keluar the old one and got the new one in. No pain..no nothing. Fuuhhh that was a relief.
I don't mean to scare you or anything, but moral of the story is, go to the one you trust (and the rest will just fall in place)
kay -- phewh... sakit perut baca!!! cringe cringe cringe... I went through the same thing 2 years ago!! wanted to take out the IUD after 5 years and was gonna replace it... korek korek tak jumpa and after that baru scan and nampak... had to go again two days later and alhamdulillah... this time easy peasy.
But yeah, the korek korek incident tu la yang scarrryyyyy... and dah phobia sekarang!! (I went to my trusted gynae Dr W** at Gl*n*agles... she has been my specialist for the past 12 years). Change gynae?? don't think so coz I trust her and have been with her through the child-bearing years etc... just the unfortunate incident tu yang buat I sakit perut when I think of it!!
how long did you have the IUD masa kena korek korek tu? An ex-colleague said she too had a korek korek incident sebab after 6 years the thingy dah serasi dengan isi!! arghhh...
My pap smear test pun is well overdue. Bukan lah takut, tapi malas. I should make it a point to go, really.
Jom pegi sekali nak? Jumpa my gynae, Dr A. Hee.. hee.... you'll be a happy cat!
MrsN -- who is this Dr A?? Dia handsome bangat, eh? ;-)
HaHA!!! Sorry dear, tapi tergelak betul I baca your entry ni!!
The last time I did my test was not long after my late husband's passing. I think it was even during my iddah. Felt like slapping the nurse when she asked whether I was pregnant/having sex.
Me? I memang pengecut (any injection makes my face go pale, and feet go wobbly), but hentam je...
good luck!
D -- wah... u so brave to have it so early!! Now I have phobia la after a not-so-pleasant incident while removing my IUD.. plus so long oready never been in that lie-on-my-back-stretch-my-leg-up position!! haha
Same here! Kalau tak preggie, just plain TAK RETI nak 'tunjuk' kat orang...haiya!! Mine is due too...asyik postpone aje. Bad, huh?
ms hart -- ahaha... I know!! bukan shy-shy cat tapi malu betol2 kan...
just go babe. i'm not sure about the 'just after menses'.. but I always tell myself to relax... cause when you're tensed, ur cervix pun tighten.. and that can make it uncomfortable. RELAX. :)
insyaAllah.. you can.
heheee....nak tergolek i trying to stifle my laughter... very witty of you dear..... i loike the letter....
hmmmmm... i ni abnormal kot coz' i never experience sweaty palms, berdebar2 and kecut perut each time i need to have those foreign object inserted to Ms. V.... i always imagine yg my gynae ni dah naik menyampah and meluat having to perform the procedure to his patients.... heheee
anyway, that reminds me i need to have my check up too....
madame blossom -- tense for the tips... how laa to relax... sigh. but will try, will try.. :-)
anis -- can I be you for a day?? boleh tak?? hehe... yeah, you're the first that I know yang tak berdebar2!! good for you, gurl!!
Post a Comment