Before you jump to conclusions, as things stand now (sadly enough) the only person who is likely to poke me on the 14th is my gynecologist. Trust me, it won’t be fun, but it’s necessary; it’s the first followup after my cervical cancer surgery in November, to make sure that a) they really did get it all; and b) it hasn’t recurred.
It’s a good thing I generally don’t mind getting poked…since I’ll be getting followup exams every 3 months for a good long while. The moral(s) of the story: ladies, get your Pap smears regularly! And b) be careful who you allow to poke you.
I’m trying not to think about it, even though I know the odds are that I’ll probably be fine, because, well, the odds were certainly against me having cervical cancer. Any ideas on how I can take my mind off obsessing about the results, aside from not continuing to post threads like this one?
Go get a Playstation 2 and Grand theft Auto 3. That should take your mind off everything for about a month. In the meantime I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Okay, missy. You did that on purpose! Blast you with your sneaky thread titles!
Good luck to you. I just had my annual exam yesterday. Considering I’ve had abnormal results in the past (which never turned out to be anything unusual) I would never dream of skipping one.
I’m not sure how to distract yourself (other than surfing the Dope madly) because when I was awaiting results of a colposcopy, I was running through the various scenarios, mostly focusing on the one where I die of uterine or cervical cancer. What a blessing it was to find out that everything looked normal!
Best wishes, Eva Luna on your Valentine’s Poke (;)). I get mine done religiously each year.
Easier said than done, try to relax. Read a great book this coming week, maybe get a massage (ahhh…) drink some wine, eat some chocolate. Those things work for me when I need to reduce stress.
Sending Ya Good Thoughts/Positive Vibes/Prayers that all turns out well.
When you go in for the appointment, take the stupid paper gown the attendant gives you and wad it up in a ball and throw it in the corner. Remove, from your tote bag, your silliest negligee – not the sheer one, but definitely that goofy-ass satin thing with the feathers on it, OK? Also remove from the tote bag your striped toe socks that do not even come close to matching the negligee. Put both the negligee and the socks on, then crawl up on the table and signal to the doctor that you’re ready.
The socks will keep your feet nice and toasty and give you something fun to look at while Doc is poking around in Nether Nether Land, and the negligee will make you feel like a GIRL, instead of a slab of Prime Beef being tested for tenderness.
I am a firm believer in making life fun for all parties involved.
(These tips came to me via an old friend, so I can’t claim they’re original, but I haven’t dreaded a pap smear since I learned this.)
**LifeOnWry, ** you almost made me spurt my lovely and highly medicinal red wine all over my monitor!
Actually, it’s not the exam itself I’m dreading, it’s the waiting for the reesults that will drive me batty. Definitely chocolate and red wine are my friends (although not usually simultaneously).
Now if I only had some of the fun kind of poking to look forward to, I might have an easier time relaxing. I’ll have to settle for chocolate, red wine, some good music, a warm, fuzzy cat who purrs like a steamroller, and the occasional lurid fantasy about my guitar teacher…although now I will be picturing the cheesy negligee (I’ll have to imagine one; I don’t own anything nearly that cheesy), maybe with striped wool socks and those ridiculus fur-trimmed satin mules…my gyno will think the stress has made me lose it!
I totally understand the dreaded “wait for results.” Been there, done that, hated it. I wish you all the best.
PS: NO ONE really owns anything that cheesy. Well, maybe for a few minutes, until the stupid SO who purchased it goes home and you can shove it down the disposal. You have to BUY an extra special cheesy nightie for this game.
I think going lingerie shopping with the only intended audience for any potential purchases being my gyno would just make me really depressed…at least she’s thoughtful enough to provide nice fuzzy socks for use with stirrups, though.
I like fuzzy socks.
Oh, and now I’m remembering the old job interview/acting trick of picturng your audience/interviewer sitting there naked, except it’s my very staid and conservative middle-aged gyno in a frilly nightie, garter belt, and a stethoscope. She is going to kill me if I tell her! (Well, actuallly I think she’d just laugh.)
Kind and courageous wishes coming your way. I like the idea of you doing something nice for yourself, like a massage or pedicure,
to keep your mind focused on good things.
BTW, thanks for the reminder, my PAP is due. I am much better about remembering my mammo, since my sister had breast cancer
at age 48.
Our (women’s) bodies rock. Take special care of yourself, OK?