two years ago, I went to GP to check on if there is an infection symptom, which was a brave point of me that time. After seeing my GP's consultation, she appointed me a nurse examiner to do my personal first Swab Test.
I felt very grateful that they could assign me an examination without delay; however, little did I know it was going to be the most horrid experience of examination I would ever have.
(writing about that experience of SWAB TEST)
This year, since it will be the very final year (if I am not wrong) in Aberdeen (also UK), regarding how cold the bigger hospitals in Taiwan always makes me feel and how comfortable the waiting room here in local GP always lightens my anxiety, I decided to do my first Smear Test here. I made an appointment three weeks ago, and the night before the appointment, my curious mind surfed through all the information about Smear Test online. Reading theBritish females sharing this intimate feedbacks were encouraging and at least prepared my heart for this could be difficult adventure the next day. There were some people having the painful afterwards effect for a week and some have sore down there for days. Some people saying they have blood coming down, some are little and some are blood flood. Maybe I am a pessimistic or maybe I am a worrier, I further googled "Smear Test, Blood" and the later information I received just changed my mind.
I panicked!! different from the Swab test with which I was concerned about the result (since it was my first internal examination), for the Smear Test I worry more about the duration and the potential bleeding. Maybe it is also due to my first horrid experience of Swab Test and drives me to the terrifying road to anything pertinent to that effect. I called the next morning (2 hours before the appointed Smear Test) and said I want to quit by claiming its just a postpone to give the nurses assurred mind. But deep down at that moment I was literally scared to death about this supposed regular task for life on females' calendar. The receptionist asks me to hold and called the senior nurse to come forward to talk to me. She wants me to know how important it is to have a regular Smear Test. It could help the doctors to foresee the precancerous cells in cervix, detect the abnormal changes in my uterus and cure the human papilloma virus early, if any.
Having babies is my dream, ever falling in love with a jerk/playboy was my stupidity and avoid cancer is my life job; as a result, the only thing I owe myself is to prepare my uterus, to kill the virus (if any) and to avoid cervical cancer! The experienced nurse told me to come back and she would do the examination for me herself. If, after the consult or even during the exam, I still feel terrified, the exam could be easily stopped and just redo it next time. Before hanging up, she constantly, stably remind me how important it is to do to protect my life. I understand totally. I made a next examination appointment three weeks later.
It was today. Throughout the previous appointment sudden withdraw on my part, I had googled more positive information (not putting "blood" in my google keywords anymore). The female forumers or ladies share much useful information regarding the Smear Test.
『Edited By Vivian』
* Schedule the Pap smear for the start of the day so you do not build up anxiety about it as the day goes on. Get the Pap smear done early before you experience any personal or work stress that day as that may make the body tense and less able to relax during the Pap test.
* wear skirt (wide floaty type)
* could have a glass of wine before hand if it helps you relax
* consult the practitioner (female nurse who is going to do smear test for you) before starts
* asking as detailed as possible if it lessens the stress of the unknown before it starts
* ask for a suitable size of specumlum (spectrum) which comes different size
(especially if you are foreigner from asia)
* If the asked position doesn't suit you, you could let the practitioner know if anything suit you better.
* During the procedure, either you can ask for updating information of whats going on down there now or you could find a spot on the ceilling and try to calcualte a complicated mathematic.
* Try not to be too nervous to breath (ex holding breath in) because it only makes it worse.
* Using MP3 if it distracts you in a good way
* Use wet-swape towler or moisturised toilet tissue after the test if the hygene concerns you.
* Asking your partner or a friend to come with you
(doesn't need to be in the examing room but could wait for you in the reception)
Over the past few days there have been a number of reports in the UK, Ireland and US around women and cervical smear tests.
Various studies have indicated women (and young women in particular) either have never had a smear or are not getting regular tests, whilst a survey from the Irish Cancer Society suggested one in five women doesn’t want a smear test by a male doctor.
Further problems arise from a lack of female healthcare staff, problems with accessing centres that offer cervical screening, and women believing that cervical cancer is only a problem for people who have been promiscuous.
Smears are important because, when conducted regularly, they can catch and treat problems early. Experts say that cervical cancer is the only form of cancer that’s up to 90% preventable – but only if we do our bit.
The problem is that women aren’t clearly being told what smears involve, why they are important, and how women can manage smears more effectively. Without campaigns addressing these issues – as well as wider choices in how and where to have smears (not to mention more female staff) – women will continue to put their health at risk by not having smears.
You can do more to help by:
* Identifying what services are available in your area and put pressure on your local health authority or primary care trust to offer more services and more female practitioners.
* Where services exist, encourage them to have wider opening hours (particularly evenings or weekends) to allow for women who are working to have greater access.
* Respond promptly when you’re invited for a smear – and attend the tests you’re asked to attend
* Ask your health care provider and pharmacy to provide more information on smears – leaflets can increase our knowledge, whilst posters can be a helpful reminder that a smear is due.
* Help support charities offering advice, testing or treatment on cervical cancer such as:
How you can make smears easier
Find out what a smear involves and what it is for
The guides from patient.co.uk and women’s health explains this.
Identify what might happen if a problem is identified
The NHS and Cancer Research guides to cervical screening also have useful information on what happens during smears, possible problems, and treatment options.
If possible have your smear from someone with a lot of experience
Many family planning clinics or nurses within your doctor’s surgery give smear tests on a daily basis so will be more practiced at smears (so will make it a more comfortable experience for you). Ask for your smear test to be completed at your family planning clinic or by a specialist nurse.
Make it clear if you’d prefer a female practitioner to complete your smear
Some women for cultural, religious or personal reasons need a female practitioner to complete their smear – if this is the case with you let your surgery or clinic know when you register or when you receive a call for your smear test so they can make arrangements. If only a male practitioner is available then a female staff member should attend as a chaperone – you may decide this is acceptable for you. It is okay for you to bring a female friend to accompany you (if you both feel comfortable with this).
Because the vagina is linked to sex, some women and their partners mistakenly believe that a male doctor carrying out a smear will be aroused by the process or interested in a woman sexually. This isn’t true. If you have no personal, cultural or religious reasons to refuse a male doctor don’t let misunderstandings about smears stop you getting treatment. Whilst we need to campaign for more female practitioners, we also need to encourage women who don’t mind who gives them a smear (so long as they’re professional) to have smears from men to reduce demands on services.
Talk through your smear with a practitioner first
Doctors and nurses are aware that some women do find smears embarrassing or uncomfortable. You may find talking about what is about to happen and asking them to explain this to you can remove some of your worries. This might include being shown the speculum that is used in the smear (it’s the device that’s inserted in your vagina to enable the nurse or doctor to look at and take a swab from your cervix – see the links above to women’s health and patient.co.uk for more on what a speculum is). Some women find seeing what will be used in the smear reassuring – others may prefer not to do this – you can choose.
Have your smear at the right time
You should avoid having your smear during or immediately after your period – if in doubt ask your doctor or nurse for more advice on when to have your smear.
Don’t worry about showing your vagina to your doc
Lots of women are concerned about a healthcare practitioner looking at their vagina. Remember, when the doctor or nurse is doing your smear they’re concentrating on the task in hand, and they’ve seen women’s bodies countless times. You may feel more confident if you are wearing clean underwear, clothing you can remove easily for your smear, and if you have washed your genital area before the smear test.
You don’t have to lie back and think of England…..
…..or wherever you’re having your smear.
Some women find smears are more comfortable if they’ve had a wee first (if you’re worried about personal hygiene you might find using a wet-wipe or moisturised toilet tissue to clean yourself up afterwards could be reassuring)
You might find that putting the palms of your hands under your bum whilst you’re having your smear tilts your pelvis and makes things more comfortable (this may or may not suit your practitioner or the position they want you in for a smear – if in doubt, ask first).
Remember that you don’t have to sit or lie in positions that are painful – just because your doctor or nurse asks you to sit or lie in a set way doesn’t mean you can’t say it isn’t comfortable or suggest another way you would like to rest for your smear.
In some countries or clinics stirrups are preferred for smears but you may prefer to lie on a bed with your knees up and legs apart – mention this preference to the doctor or nurse before the smear. Even if you have to use stirrups you don’t have to lie back with them – if you’re more comfortable sitting up slightly tell the practitioner.
Ask about lubricant
A smear without lubricant is never pleasant. If your doc doesn’t appear to be using lubricant, or if they’ve not used enough for your needs then say so – they won’t be embarrassed and it will make things a whole lot more comfortable for you.
Insert the speculum yourself
This is a slightly novel idea but since the new plans for sexual health is ‘self management’ why not give this a go? Instead of the doctor or nurse sliding the speculum into you then you can do this bit first. That way you can relax more and let the practitioner open the speculum once you’ve got it comfortably in place. It’s a good idea if you often find this part of the smear unpleasant. Not all practitioners are okay with this and you might want to tell them this is what you’d like to do before you’re lying back with your knickers off. I recently gave it a go with my doc (an older man) who told me quite firmly that I wasn’t allowed to touch myself there (before dropping the ky jelly on the floor and calling for a chaperone!). However friends have tried this with other practitioners and found it has worked well for them both. You decide what you feel would work well for you.
Ask for a speculum to suit your size and that’s not too hot or cold
Speculums do come in different sizes so you may want to ask for a smaller one if your smear test usually is uncomfortable. Also your doc can warm up the speculum under the tap so you don’t get the cold effect (hopefully it won’t be too hot either).
Remember to breathe!
Some women find smears embarrassing or uncomfortable so they hold their breath. This can make smears even worse. You might find it helps to take deep breaths as the speculum goes in and is opened, as well as when it’s closed and removed.
Ask the doctor or nurse to talk you through what they can see so you get to know more about your anatomy
Years ago during a smear the nurse told me exactly where my cervix was. That has proved invaluable since then as I can now tell new practitioners what angle to put the speculum in at and where to look. Cervixes come in different locations and point in different directions – so knowing where yours is can avoid lots of fumbling about or discomfort if the speculum is put in a place that knocks you by mistake. It takes a bit of courage to tell the practitioner about your body – but they will thank you for it.
Don’t stay silent
Speak out if something feels painful, uncomfortable or just ‘not right’ – it could be really important and your doc or nurse needs to know.
Smear tests aren’t the best things in the world, but they’re quick to do and only happen every few years. And once they’re done you know that any health problems you may have can be quickly identified and treated if necessary.
There you go, its not scary as we may think. I summarised all the help-guide and information into the abovementioned and even days before the Smear Test I further summarised them into a pink medium post-it note:
(Photo before the examination)
近校園的GP(3) 可樂Vodka解除緊張.JPG
My appointment was 10:45. Which is the earliest one I could get that day. Before we off to the GP, I had a tiny can of coke cola mixed one third to half of cooking vodka. On the way walking to the GP and waiting to be called into the examination room, I was drinking the vodka coke. Even its mid morning, the whole waiting room was surprisingly occupied (not many but not few). At least 5 black people, a sweet old couple and etc. We seated at the corner of the reception waiting room and the sweet old couple moved nearby us later. In the end, I just realise the old lady was coming for the Smear Test as well, since as soon as I come off, she was called in immediately. The nurse who did my test called JO, I am not so sure if she was the one talking to me on the phone who promised she would perform this exam herself. However, I am very pleased it was JO who did it with me. First of all, at the brief consultation, I told her I am very inexperienced in that S pary, and the previous Swab Test was too painful to settle my mind for this Smear Test. Following the guidance online, I required for the smallest spectrum and loads of lubricant. As for the Spectrum, the nurse showed me she has prepared the smallest one already and as for the Lubricant (she used a brand has big title of alphabets KY on the tube) she said she can't apply too much otherwise it would affect the result. The Spectrum she prepared for me is relatively tiny to the one from Swab test. It is only the size of 4 fingers sticking together and as for the Swab test it was bigger than the size of three paws piling. I was asked to take off my undie and lie upon the hospital bed with only a sheet of paper cotton underneath me and on top of my knee. I wore the denim big drappy princess skirt as a result I didn't have to take off more than an undie. The inspection room is different from the one I had my Swab Test. This room is so bright and light even though it is also smaller. The examination bed was next to the window, therefore, it was wee bit of embarrassed for me since it shows even more clearly of everything.
近校園的GP(4) 就是這張床,沒有台灣的抓腳椅.JPG
(photo shows my mp4 of Lily Allen which wasn't useful that time)
Nurse JO, firstly, applied a substance amount of KY jel with her hand onto me and then she inserted the spectrum. It wasn't as painful as my last examination of Swab Test, up till now. Then I heard the sound of click click click! It was so similar to the sound you make while using the lighter. I thought "Wait a minute, why she has to use lighter, is she going to burn me???????" Up until now, I didn't feel any discomfort yet, and then, she turned and picked up a brush from the examination table (it looks like a stick with a 2cm assymetrical flat brush on top of it). I can't feel that she was scratching but felt a thin stick was pointing at the top (or side) of me. It was bit sore and my left hand was quickly searching for my mp4 and wanting to play Lily Allen's album since it was originally my plan and left side of earphone had already been placed before all. However, the first sore pointing tensed me and paused my action of reaching for mp4. Then, during the second pointing and the third pointing I was trying to distract myself to the complicated math question, however, failed. Surprisingly, nurse JO said, OK, its done! I was so surprise with double exclamation marks in sound. She is really experienced and professional. She made it so easy. Thank goodness that it was her doing it with me.
The good news is, so different from my Swab Test experience, this Smear Test does only take me up to 10 minutes (more or less, including the consultation). And there is no blooding at all. The whole examination I didn't feel too abnormal than d.i.m. The result will be delivered to my address of Alice Wonderland Garden in 2 weeks time. And the nurse JO said the next time I have to do Smear Test would be 2 years later. Hoooray!!! I succeeded in doing my first Smear Test, even though it wasn't as the slogan in Taiwan "6 Minutes to protect your life", but it also is not that long. Its easy, girls, you should all go ahead to make your appointment to exam to fight off the virus, abnormal position of uterus and precancerous cells.
Best wishes, V
文章定位：
