A wasted journey and squeee

[karen2205]

Um, slightly TMI so

Having checked with the receptionist that I did need a smear even though I'm not and have never been sexually active, booking an appointment for this morning and turning up for it, the nurse told me that no, I don't need one until I'm sexually active/about 35. So yes, one wasted journey.



And look at this - I've got Support Help in gunk, which means I can approve other people's answers and do all sorts of other little bits and pieces that I couldn't do before:-) *giggles*

Comments

[bitterlight.livejournal.com]

Congrats. :) The learning doesn't stop at SH, though, so good luck with the stuff to come. If you should need/want help, you can still feel free to poke me or the admins or whoever. (I remember about the day after I got SH, a bunch of random shit blew up in my face, at which point I sure wished I'd had a mentor once. But if the entire Support team doesn't decide to pounce on you in IRC, you're probably good.)

That's weird about the PAP smear thing, because in the States they advise us to get one at sexual activity or at 18, whichever is first. I think that the US is a little more into preventative medicine than Europe--at least, I know someone from the Netherlands who has said similar stuff about the medical system not bothering so much with preventative stuff.

[cadenzamuse.livejournal.com]

I refuse to give up my mentor until, say, two weeks past supporthelp or so. And if she won't keep me, I am going to make you, bitterlight, my honorary supporthelp mentor and come cry on your shoulder at being petrified at all the new drop-down fields and how I know I'm a bad priv and stuff. :P

Congratulations, Karen! Yay you! You will make a great priv...I saw, remember?

[karen2205]

Thank you, sweetheart, have some *hugs*. I'm becoming a slightly-less-scared-priv now that I've spent a little while approving what I can - it's just going to take time to adjust to though.

[karen2205]

*clings on tightly* I'm still scared - actually it's getting easier now that I've been sitting approving for an hour or so (yeah, I've not approved much....I've done a lot of thinking 'umm 90% sure on that' and left it). I just need some time & practice to get used to it.

I think we're into preventative medicine at some level eg. there's a national screening programme for cervical cancer/HPV, but we've less money spent on health care per head and (in some ways thankfully) we're far less litigious - it's highly unlikely a patient would be able to sue her doctor for not identifying the early changes that can lead to cervical cancer, unless he'd failed to ensure she was invited along to the screening.

For me the worst part is that I'd reached an almost pleasant state of being prepared for the test to be unpleasant but curious about what it's actually like and I'm now left with that curiorisity unsatisfied, but it'll be OK.

I'm not too worried though - AFAIK no virgin has ever been diagnosed with cervical cancer and I believe what I was told about me being too young for there to be any of the other kinds of pre cancerous changes. I will make sure I have one done in five-ten years or so, even if I'm not sexually active, just to be sure though. Cancer's not a nice way to go.

[bitterlight.livejournal.com]

Not all cervical cancer is caused by HPV, I don't think, but I believe a lot of it is. I remember reading that nuns and other virgins had much lower rates than the general population.