Smeap/Pap test and that speculum

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Hi,

I've been due a smear/pap test for over a 6 months now. I've had 4 in my life and 3 have come back with not enough cells. 1 came back with abnormal cells. Because of this I'm panicking but the last test I had they didn't get enough results. I don't mind the test and am quite willing to get over the embaressment but I can't cope with the speculum. They use the smallest size and I'm relaly sore when they put it in but as soon as the open it I'm screaming them to get it out. Does anyone know of any other way you can have this test without using a speculum as that's why I've not gone back again as I'm so scarred of that thing but now I'm getting myself worked up because of that 1 abnormal result. I'm asked to be put alseep but refused that and they can't do a local so I can't feel it as that affects the results. I'm out of ideas and am hoping someone else can help.

I know exactly how you feel. I've only had it done a few times in my life. Once or twice many years ago, and then several times in the past few years, due to a medical condition. About 7 or 8 years ago my periods, which had been infrequent and light, started to come more often, and gradually over about 18 months to two years got heavier and heavier. I got so I was using those incontinence pads, and then I also started using the adult incontinence underpants. At one point I had my younger brother take me to the emergency room because the bleeding was so heavy. They recommended a DNC, but I didn't know what that was, and didn't have a gynecologist at the time. They gave me a referral. The doctor gave me an ultrasound test, and recommended the DNC, and gave me some info about it, but I was moving out of state in about 2 days to a better living situation, so I had to pass on that at the time. My parents had bought a trailer for me to rent not far from their summer home, so after I met the residency requirements in the new state, I was able to get Medicaid and get a new gynecologist there. He checked the records I brought from the other doctor, and also recommended the DNC. I had it on Halloween of 2005. It did fix the bleeding problem, but a week later--on voting day--the doctor called to tell me that the biopsy had shown I had cancer. In early December I had a complete hysterectomy. I had those PAP smears and speculum exams about twice a year for several years with no sign of cancer. So I have been cancer free for over 6 years now. For the past year or so I have skipped the exam because it is very painful, even with the smallest speculum. I know I am taking a chance, but I have had no indication of any more cancer problems, and I would really prefer to avoid this procedure. I am pretty good about procedures that involve injections or drawing blood, but this really bothers me. I have not heard of an alternative to this, and don't think there is one, but I think I will look into it. Who knows? Maybe there is another way of doing it.

I don't know what to say for your situation. I think, with the abnormal cells, you should go through with it long enough for them to find out what is going on, like I did. If you do need treatment, then just keep going through with the exams until after the 5 year mark. They say if your cancer doesn't recur within 5 years, you are cured. In my case they said it was a bad type of cancer, but that they had caught it early, so the surgery was able to get it all before it had a chance to spread, so the bleeding problem that caused them to discover my cancer was actually a blessing in disguise.

I hope you don't have any serious problems, and I hope we can find a better way to have the exam.

I've had abnormal pap smears and then repeat ones that came back normal. It doesn't usually mean anything is wrong. If they see something they think is concerning they will do a colposcopy. I had two of those done, and also another procedure that I can't think of the name of. The past few pap smears have been normal but the one last fall was abnormal and I recently had a repeat one done. I'm waiting on those results now, and it would be easy to get worried but I'm trying not to.

As for the speculum, there is no way you can have that done without it. The swap needs to not touch the sides of the vagina and without a speculum it will. You also can't see the cervix without the speculum. It can be very uncomfortable, especially if you are a virgin. It's uncomfortable to me and I've had four babies, so I do understand. They won't put you to sleep for it or give any kind of local because it only lasts three minutes tops. You can stand almost anything for that long. One reason it may hurt so bad is that you tense your muscles up in anticipation of it hurting. That's common and if you can consciously relax your muscles down there, it helps. To learn to do that, try doing Kegel exercises. It also helps if they keep the speculum on a heating pad and it's not all that cold when they put it in.

I hate that danged thing. It is like a rape. I'd say I understand your pain. Suck it up and face it because it may be life saving.

I hear getting one of those colenoscopies is just as unpleasant.

I do not want to know.

Katy

I just got one at new gyno's office last week and she was really good about getting in and out in 3 seconds flat!
I would say investigate different gynecologist's on yelp, choose the top rated one and tell her you about your problems with the speculum so she will know to do the test in a speedy fasion.

I personaly would rather die of cancer than have that thing shoved up me ever again.

I only went to a gynocologist in the first place becuase my periods wouldn't stop on their own and because I wanted a hystrectomy. I was also alergic to the maxi pads and my mother would never let me use tampons. I tried using them once but those actualy hurt worse and I was probably alergic to what ever those were made of too. I'm an asexual. I personaly would rather just get cancer than have that thing shoved up in me again. Next to the stupid urinary cathader I had for my hystorectomy, the gynocologist exams were the most painful events in my life. As I said, I'm asexual and no longer have periods anymore, so I don't see any reason to go to a gynocologst ever again. I will never have a colonoscopy either. It sometimes seems as if the way to detect something is worse than the acual problem itself. I would rather die of cancer than endure most of the ways it is detected.

I haven't had one in as long as 15+ years but I don't get one because I have no insurance and find it to be both embarrassing and painful. Also the Planned Parenthood in my city moved and now I'd have to take two buses or a long walk and one bus to get there.

I think I need one because as I get older I've been getting more spotting between periods.

I've only had one pap smear.... a very bad experience. I hadn't been sexually active and my previous dr said it didn't matter how old I was if I wasn't sexually active I didn't need it. Well, this new dr wouldn't take no for an answer and practically raped me. When she put the speculum in she jammed it really hard against my cervix, wriggled it around, took about 5 minutes to do the swab despite my obvious agony. When she finally finished she muttered that she should use a smaller speculum next time. My searing pain "downstairs" continued just for an hour or so but I had shooting pains in my abdomen for about 24 hours afterwards. I'm overdue for another pap smear but don't see how I'm going to be able to submit to another rape with a plastic instrument.

I wish it wasn't this way... just really posting this to put in another vote for how much pap smear tests suck...

I respect what you are saying. I think that about many things.

Maybe you could ask a gyn to see if you run the risk of the virus with out having sex. Men seem to spread it. There is also a vaccine to the virus. Maybe you are not too old for that? They give it to young girls. Unfortunately there are about 120 strains of the virus, and they have even been found in virgins.

I had one about 3 years back it was awful, but the lady registered nurse I see is very kind and does not make me feel awful.

I'm asexual and even if I do get married, he is going to have to agree to 100% celibacy and if he even suggests it, just once, I'm filing for divorce.

Yeah, some of them are really fast.

I had problems with inserting anything into my vagina (including tampons) for years. I never had a pap smear during this time so I couldn't say how that was. Since I was tired of being unable to use tampons/have vaginal sex I decided to get a dilator and see if I could make any progress. It was pretty uncomfortable at first, though mine had a vibrating function that helped me relax. When I finally did visit the gyn I didn't have any problems; these days I'm also able to have sex and use tampons. I think my problem was just an involuntary muscle contraction, making penetration painful/impossible but after practicing with the dilator I don't have that problem anymore. From the research I did before I bought the dilator I got the impression that problems involving involuntary muscle contractions are not uncommon. If you think it would help you might try looking into a dilator. You can also buy speculums for your own use if you think that might help you get used to them.

(Also, I have heard that even women who get the HPV vaccine can still get cervical cancer since that virus is not the only cause of it.)

Thank you everyone for getting back to me. It's made me feel less alone with this.

I've booked to see my doctor tomorrow to see what she says and what she suggests. If I can build myself up to have it, this will be the 4/5th person to do this and hopefully they might have a better knack to doing them . They are usually sympathetic and use loads of gel to try and help. It's also a plastic speculum which is suppose to be easier but I just find them so hard and sharp. I was told the last time they did the test and got another 'not enough cells' result that my cervix and everything is tilted quite a way back so they find it very hard to actually see anything and that's why it's so painful. I suppose it doesn't help me wriggling and telling them to get off me.

Agemaki - I also can't use tampons. I can use 1 and I don't feel it which they say is as it should. I then get really sore and when it come to taking it out I really have to tug as I seem the swell up and then there's no change of using another one. It's like I'm allergic to them. But I'll look into a dilator as at the moment I'm willing to research anything that will help me.

I hate tampons too and just can't use them, and I've had four children vaginally. I think mine is a mental block or something, I don't know. I'm always aware of them and they bother me.

One thing that I want to really encourage is to be sure and emphasise to the doctor how uncomfortable it is for you to have the exam done. I'd also suggest telling them that you may need to ask them to go slower or even stop for a minute in the middle of it if it gets too much for you. Pelvics don't bother me at all, but dental work does and I try to work out a system with whatever dentist I'm seeing so that I can hold up my hand and get him to stop and give me a second when I need it.

Also, I've had female gyn's be less sympathetic to being uncomfortable about pap smears (back when I was younger and uncomfortable with them) and that's probably because they have had them done and it doesn't bother them. Guy doctors really have nothing to compare it to (except the prostate exam) so they may be more sympathetic to you.

Once when I was a teenager I had a nurse chastise me for refusing a pelvic exam and said that they were no big deal and that she had a million of them (or some other unrealistic and highly exaggerated number). At the time I had never had one before.

If I got it done I think I'd want it to be a female doctor. It's embarrassing and uncomfortable or painful no matter who does it but I really don't want a man sticking anything in me. I don't want anyone sticking anything in me but it might be even worse with a man.

Not too long ago I had one from a CRNA, and she had a trainee with her. A young guy in nursing school who was for some reason having to do that in his rotation in public health there. She asked every patient first if he could come in and observe. Most of them said no. I said "Sure, I don't mind" and introduced myself and tried to make him feel more comfortable. After she did my exam and was explaining it to him she hesitated, looked at me and said "He's supposed to be learning to do the actual procedure, would you mind if he tried on you?" I said "Not a problem at all!" and very nervously he was able to repeat the procedure she had just done. He wasn't very gentle and was obviously scared that he was going to hurt me, which he did a little but not really bad. Afterwards I told him that he had done it good, but that he needed to be a bit slower and more gentle, especially opening and closing the speculum. I don't usually mind being a "practice dummy" for people for things like that which can't do any damage to me. I have horrible veins but sometimes will let trainees try to draw blood or start IV's on me. If I'm not in the mood though, I'll insist on a pro and a certain vein and a certain type of needle because I know what will work and what won't work.