I'm getting tired of political arguments, especially since so many of you seem to be conservatives (!) and I'm not. But I'm going to start a thread for women, though men can join in. The subject is pap smears, uterine biopsies (without painkillers), colon checks, mammograms and hysterectomies. I think women should weigh in on the pap smear stuff. I am 59 and have had a whole lot of pap smears and they are always negative. They will always be negative. Why am I having to have pap smears? My doctor is a woman and has a cartoon of a cat that is apparently being electrocuted on the ceiling above the pap smear table that says, "Relax." It's nice to focus on the cat because she has learned a new way to do pap smears that hurt. Joy! And to think for years, male doctors didn't think the cervix has any nerves. I have news for them--it does.

In a vain hope of finally getting a hysterectomy, I have had two uterine biopsies which hurt a whole lot. They do these without painkillers. As I said on another thread, the next time a doctor suggests one of these, I will tell him that I'm going home to get my pliers and when I hurt, he'll hurt a whole lot. I never have gotten a hysterectomy because unfortunately nothing is wrong with me. I think we should be able to have voluntary hysterectomies because we can get ovarian cancer and won't know until it's too late. And with ovarian cancer, too late is pretty fast. I know people will write and say hysterectomies are awful, but I figure it's six weeks off of work and I won't be able to wait on Mother. What is so bad about that?

Then there are the mammograms. My female doc has a cartoon with a guy with his penis in the mammogram machine. The caption is something like, 'If men could have mammograms." It's funny. I think every woman who has had a mammogram appreciates this cartoon. The fact is that men get breast cancer. Why don't they have mammograms? It could save lives. And they could have their boobs squashed to about a centimeter thickness and see how they like it. I know it can be done because I had a friend who had fried egg breasts and she could get a mammogram though it was difficult for her to get her breast in the pinchers. In her case, I think the mammogram involved that side of her chest. They just squashed her ribs in there.

Men comment that they have to have prostate (prostrate for the idiots out there) checks which involve anal penetration. Well, I have to have my colon checked which involves anal penetration. This is a new wrinkle that my doc, Donna, insists on. I had a colonoscopy that was less invasive. Poor men.

I think it's time that women demanded equal time for men with embarrassing bodily examinations. I think doctors should thread something up men's urethra just for annual checkups. The docs can make money and the men can sympathize with women for a change. Of course, this would be done without any painkillers.

Lord, I feel better.:biggrin1:

I had My first colonoscopy (sp?) at 32. 50 is the normal age, but since my Grandmother and 3 of her siblings died at 52 from colon cancer, the Dr's told my Mum to be tested at 42 (the fecal test are really unrealable) she had 3 pre cancer polyps, so the Dr's told all my siblings and myself to be tested at 32. Thank God because I also had 2 pre cancer polyps removed (so did my sister) . The Dr said if I had waited until 50 it would have been too late.

I can't wait for a hystertomy (sp?), My Dr's will probable give me one, but the do not usally take your cervix and they only take the ovaries if they really have to. Taking the cervix can sometimes lead to painfull intercourse. The ovaries control hormon production, so if they take them it's instant menopause, no waiting. If they just take the uterious, no periods, no b.c. , no cramps ....please sign me up!

P.S.

We call it "coozie".

My friend and her daughter call it a bo bo. I guess the daughter is very sensitive, so they buy her summers eve to clean with, and they call it bo bo soap.

Kristi

My daughter and I just call the whole area her pee pee.