Smeap/Pap test and that speculum

Post Reply New Topic

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.

I just thought I'd update to say that my doctor refered me to the family planning clinic to see if they could help. They were going to refer me to the hospital to have cameras and everything which I told them I couldn't cope with as a few mintues is torture never mind more. As they do this all the time I thought I'd give it a go to sae going to the hospital. Just as it got to the point where it hurt too much sh'ed finished. So if anyone find this hard like I do. Go to someone who does it all the time. Don't take there word for it as my doctors told me they do it all the time but after going to see this doctor at family planning I now know the difference. I'll be going to this same doctor agian in the future as she really understood my problems and how hard it is for me.
Also I've always had the plastic speculum but this time she used a metal one and the metal didn't seem to drag and catch. The metal one was also a lot smaller than the smallest plastic one.

I do not like showing my privates to a stranger no matter man or woman doctor. I had my first ever pap smear last year. I was on medication though since the experience was very terrifying. The doctor prescribed Valium and Percocet to be taken about an hour before procedure. She used a baby speculum and inserted pinky and inserted the speculum left to right. I have a bladder disease so pap smears are no fun. The medications did calm me a lot and I didn't feel any pain. I'm not sexually active at all and never will be.

I think part of the problem is they just expect all adult women to be sexually active, even if they haven't had children. It's quite embarrassing explaining to the nurse that you're not, but I've had awful ordeals with smear tests that left me shaking and physically sick, so when I had the one before last I decided to just explain that I find the test extremely painful and that I'm not active at the moment. The nurse was lovely; she told me she had a tiny speculum that she'd ordered because she has a lot of young Muslim women patients who tend not to be sexually active at all until they're married, which she called her 'virgin speculum'. She did the test very quickly and with only a small amount of discomfort.

The next time I was called for a test I felt fine about it. I reminded the nurse - the same one - to use the smallest speculum, got my kit off and settled down ready. She picked out what looked like quite a large speculum to me, but when I challenged her, she assured me it was small enough. She shoved it in, twisted it round to get the smear, and I actually shouted out loud because it was so painful. She took the sample, yanked the speculum out really quickly, and said 'Now that wasn't too bad, was it?' I was shaking so much I couldn't even get my clothes back on for several minutes.

So I'm back to square one now. It's going to be a long time and take a lot of discussion before I'll have another one, all because the nurse just didn't bother to listen to what I was telling her and/or believe that I needed a very small speculum. At least I know it's possible for me to have a smear with an acceptable level of discomfort, though, and it might even be possible for some of the other women on here if only the right equipment was available. Next time I'm called I'm going to find out if you can buy a really tiny metal speculum...if I took my own along, there'd be no excuse for using the wrong one!

Your doctor should make you feel comfortable. I honestly think that is clue here. I hate that too. I had not had one in over 8 years. I recently went because my regular doctor did some tests for a possible UTI and saw something strange and wanted me to have a PAP. I was freaked. I dreaded the other ones before, thus the reason I had not gone in so long. When I went in, to a brand new doctor I had never met, he said the normal..."ok, here is this, take off your clothes, put this on, blah, blah, blah"...I was so confused, I didn't hear what he said because I was sooooo nervous about the pain. I asked him "can you tell me again, sorry, but this whole thing freaks me out, that's why I haven't had it done in years." He very nicely explained again what I had to do. When he came back, as I was on the table and he was telling me what to do, I again told him, "sorry, but I am so nervous...give me a minute." The doctor, not laughing, not angry, but just in a matter of fact, pleasant way said "it's ok, nobody really likes this...but don't worry, it's like riding a bike...once we get everything in place, you'll feel like you've done this before and it will be no big deal". I tell you, it was the easiest PAP I have ever had done. His words were enough to comfort me, although I wasn't laughing or anything...but just enough to relax and make it much less painful...

So, really, check around too. Maybe there are other doctors that are better, more pleasant, etc. that could make this easier for you. By the way, I loved that after we were done, he didn't sit there and talk to me in the same room, instead he told me to get dressed and met me at his office to discuss the issues, etc. I saw he did that with ALL the patients. I think it made the whole thing go by much quicker in my mind, and thus also helped me in not being so anxious.