Really upset by smear test today, please come and help me position my experience as within the realms of normality.

[GallowaysAPrat]

Name changer.

I went for a test today, rather embarrassingly overdue.

It took 3 members of the practice to actually get a swab. Not 3 attempts. 3 people. It took approx 20 minutes, all the time I was in the position, iyswim.

It really hurt. It really hurts now.

Apparently I have a collapsed vaginal wall and a posterior cervix. (I think those were the terms but I'm not sure) Apparently these things are "normal" and not to be worried about.

I'm lying on my bed, hiding from my family, weeping silently.

This is all ok isn't it? Please reassure me.

And I'm really worried about the results. It was ok before, I could bury my head about it all,but now they're due, I feel concerned that because it's a long time since the last one, the results are going to be really bad.

Goodness that sounds tough :(

Be kind to yourself. Have you taken some pain killers - hot water bottle?

I've had a nurse spend an extra few minutes rooting round as she cheerily said my cervix was very shy

I've also had a recall for dodgy cells at level 2 and had them zapped, since then been ok so please don't worry about things, fingers crossed the smear will be ok and if the results come back with anything dodgy, its easily sorted with the lac- lap oh feck I can't rerember!

And I was one of the 'small minority' who got an infection. This was the worst bit, nit because of any pain, but the 'ofensive odour' that gives it away, people commented that my ds must have had a horror poo because of the smell but it was me then to top it off when I went to the hospital at night when dh was home to stay with dcs, i had to be examined likje a smear so it was immediately obvious that i had an infection and stank, and the trainee doctor had to make two atempts before the doctor on call came use the speculum. That was when i got in the car at about half ten at night and sobbed feeling hideous. But it sorted tself out wity the antibioics, amd just telling you this so you can laugh at the stinky woman who had to have two men handle her manky fanjo at leats it won't be that bad for you!

Here you are for feeling a bit rough though and

Thanks.

I've just taken some painkillers and had a bath.

JoyceDivision, thank you, it did raise a smile within my self-pity.

I can really sympathise Galloway. My uterus tilts backwards (I think, but not totally sure, that they called it a retroverted uterus. I will only let the GP in my practice do a smear. When any of the nurses try it I am virtually passing out with pain. My friend who is a GP says its not at all uncommon for the uterus to tilt like this but that a lot of nurses and doctors just don't seem to know how to manipulate it to make the experience less miserable.

joyce that sounds just awful. Reminds me about a tampon that I didn't realise I'd left in. The smell was vile and I thought I'd got some dreadful STI. Eventually went to the GP only for her to pull out what looked like the decaying corpse of a small rodent. I was in my late 40's at the time and felt so stupid. Have never done that before or since.