vaginapagina | Girly doctor visit! (Reply)

I just wanted to share my gyno visit experience, for future reference or whatever you please.

So, I had to go to the gyno for a pap because I started the Nuvaring. I was expecting it to be demoralizing and super embarassing, but honestly, it wasn't bad at all. Part of it is that I reeeeaally love my doctor. She's totally fabulous, and explained everything and told me i was completely in control of the whole procedure.

So basically, I showed up, signed in, and waited for waaaay too long. They called me in, and the nurse asked me about a gazillion questions - family history of certain cancers, whether i was sexually active or not, date of my last period, surgeries, medications, etc etc. When she left, she told me "it all has to come off" [lightheartedly -- i know her, sort of.] and to cover up with "that towel"... which was actually just a superduper sized napkin. Literally. I think they should give a blanket or a towel instead. Dang. I said "Gosh, what happened to gowns?" "They went out with the 90's!" Haha.

Of course I strip and cover up, sit down on the chair, and wait. It probably wasn't even a whole minute before my gyno knocks on the door. She came in and she explained everything she was going to do. She said she was going to give me a breast exam [also show me how], feel my ovaries for lumps, then she said she'll put a finger in my vagina to show me where she is before inserting the speculum. Then she would open the speculum slowly, take a quick swab of my cervix, then remove the speculum. Then she'd insert two fingers to feel inside my vagina for any abnormalities. I told her before she started that I was super-curious about my hymen - whether its there or not, etc., so I wanted her to tell me about it. Right before she started the exam, she called the nurse back in [for a precaution against harassment charges, presumably?].

She basically did all of that exactly as she said. She gave me a breast exam [sans-napkin, as I expected], then pushed and poked around on my abdomen [which sort of hurt! she poked hard!]. After this, she put the stirrups up, and I scooted forward and put my feet in them. She turned a light directly on my vulva [that was warm and felt nice] and put her gloves on. She put a finger at the bottom of my vagina and slowly began to insert the speculum - she had to stop because she kept running into the Nuvaring, so she took it out. She then inserted the speculum, which was ... a little uncomfortable. I tensed up when she did it, and the nurse said to take a few deep breaths. I asked her to stop and give me a moment, and she did. When I gave her the go ahead, she opened it up, and this ridiculously funny "SCHQUICK!" noise happened... haaa. And honestly, that did hurt, but it wasn't unbearable at all. She took a swab of my cervix [which she SAID I would not feel, but I definitely did.]. The actual swabbing didn't hurt at all, just felt like she was rubbing something against my cervix [which presumeably she was...]. After that, she removed the speculum and it was all done with [the pokey parts of the exam that is] within five minutes. She told me that my hymen is gone, also. She put my nuvaring back in, told me she was going to go write me a year's worth of prescription for it, and to get dressed. They left and I put myself back together, picked up my prescription, and left! :)
All in all, I would describe the experience as mildly uncomfortable, but made easy by my super-confident nature and my AWESOME gyno. :)