Very painful pap smear and still feel discomfort (biopsy, blood, procedure)
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If it's been a long time since you had sex, things could have tightened up down there - and if she was using a normal sized speculum, that could have been the cause of the pain.
The ultrasound sounds like she may think you have some fibroids or ovarian cysts.
You need to relax and calm down, and then call the doctor and ask to have a discussion about what was wrong and what exactly she's looking for with that ultrasound.
I'm sure it was a terrible experience, but you're freaking out and being really dramatic. I suspect the other stuff going on in your life that you have posted about is causing you a lot of anxiety and this has just amped that up by several levels. I frequently hyper-focus on things that weren't actually major problems in times of high anxiety because the other stuff I"m dealing with is simply too much for me. It's an avoidance thing, and it's something that I try to .... well, avoid doing. You have a laundry list of daunting challenges you are currently dealing with, and those are what you should be focusing on. This gynecological exam is only something to worry about if the test results come back funky.
Gynecological stuff is TERRIFYING to most women. Everyone has heard horror stories. But they're actually the exception rather than the rule - it's best to approach the calmly and realistically. Swearing you're never going to get another pap smear because of this one experience is a huge over-reaction, and following through with it could just cause you some massive health problems, including infertility.
I'm sorry your doctor was a bit of a clod, but you can't let someone's bad beside manner negatively affect your health. Call the office, and ask for an explanation in plain english of what is going on.
I agree with what you are saying, but it was a Nurse Practitioner, not a doctor.
I had a pap smear today and it was the most painful and excruciating medical exam I've ever had in my life.
I hadn't had one in many years, I'm 30 years old, and haven't had intercourse in six years. The last pap smear I had, although probably more than 8 years ago, I do not remember it being the least bit painful. Felt some pressure, sure, but not pain. Not pain. The penetration itself didn't hurt, it was something the NP inserted after that to keep whatever she put inside first open. That's what hurt. The last part where the scraping of the cervix happens wasn't painful, but one of those tools definitely did something wrong because I have a pretty strong tolerance for discomfort, and this had me crying tears. I'm still crying just thinking about it because when I asked why it was hurting, she wouldn't give me an explanation, so I'm afraid she may have hurt me in some way.
My period just ended a few days ago, and I was completely fine and asymptomatic for anything. I've never been pregnant and never had children. Now I'm still feeling discomfort inside my vagina and it hurts, and I hope that no damage was done because I want to have a healthy pregnancy and children some day. I don't like that I chose to have this pap smear, and now learning that they are obsolete because such an infinitesimal percentage of women ever even are at risk for cervical cancer and that nearly all incidences of HPV clear up on their own. The risks by this procedure seem to outweigh any benefit. I'm never getting this done ever again, feel betrayed by the medical profession, and do not feel comfortable risking getting an infection or god forbid infertility as a result of damage done during a pap smear.
Then the NP referred me to make an appointment with radiology for some other kind of pelvic exam where they're going to blast my perfectly healthy womb with cancer causing radiation. I am not comfortable with all of this.
Has anyone else experienced unusual pain or other problems during and after a pap smear?
OP, I am very sorry this happened to you. Pap smears are no fun in the first place, and a painful one makes it much worse. However, please don't avoid getting a Pap smear in the future because of this one bad experience. Cervical cancer is real, and it happens to many women each year. My own mother died of cervical cancer after not getting a Pap smear for six years. By the time she was symptomatic and went to the gynecologist, the cancer was stage IV and had spread to her uterus. She died just three months later at age 40. The fact that the NP has referred you for a radiation treatment suggests that she has discovered some abnormal cells or something of that nature.
I had a very painful experience with a gynecologist myself. After getting an abnormal Pap result at age 17, she determined I needed cryosurgery to freeze the abnormal cells on my cervix. I had this procedure done with no anesthesia. It was the most painful experience of my life. I left the exam table screaming in pain. Since then, I prefer a male gynecologist. They just seem gentler when performing exams, in my experience. I look for the ones on my insurance that have good patient reviews, and so far, I have been much more satisfied.
OP, I am very sorry this happened to you. Pap smears are no fun in the first place, and a painful one makes it much worse. However, please don't avoid getting a Pap smear in the future because of this one bad experience. Cervical cancer is real, and it happens to many women each year. My own mother died of cervical cancer after not getting a Pap smear for six years. By the time she was symptomatic and went to the gynecologist, the cancer was stage IV and had spread to her uterus. She died just three months later at age 40. The fact that the NP has referred you for a radiation treatment suggests that she has discovered some abnormal cells or something of that nature.
I had a very painful experience with a gynecologist myself. After getting an abnormal Pap result at age 17, she determined I needed cryosurgery to freeze the abnormal cells on my cervix. I had this procedure done with no anesthesia. It was the most painful experience of my life. I left the exam table screaming in pain. Since then, I prefer a male gynecologist. They just seem gentler when performing exams, in my experience. I look for the ones on my insurance that have good patient reviews, and so far, I have been much more satisfied.
OP has been referred for an ultrasound, not a "radiation treatment."
The person who did the exam was a Nurse Practitioner, not a gynecologist.
You may prefer a male, but I suspect that you have experience with only a handful of gynecologists. I have been examined by both male and female gynecologists and had good experiences with both. I have also had cryotherapy without anesthesia, which is almost never used for that procedure. It was no worse than menstrual cramps.
I've had a couple of very painful pap smears, many years ago at a low-cost clinic when I was young and with no insurance. They were by young nurse practitioners and I suspect they were just out of school and not very skilled yet. I don't mean to be critical of NPs - I get my annual women's exams (including paps) by an NP at my ob/gyn's office, and the NP is excellent, I love her.
I agree that it's potentially unwise to never have another screening, based on one bad experience. Talk to your provider about risks versus benefits for you. If you feel there is truly little or no benefit to them for you, and you are not worried about risk factors, then by all means, skip it in the future, or have them less frequently. But you might also want to consider having someone else do your pap smear next time. A pap by a skilled provider should be painless or very close to it.
Lots of good information above about ultrasounds. Ultrasounds are very simple, painless imaging tests that can tell your provider what's going on inside. There is no radiation used. The tech will just put some jelly on your belly, and gently roll a wand-type thing across your belly, capturing images of what's inside. If you're having abdominal pain, this can help your provider figure out what is going on. Perhaps they are worried it could be something serious. Having said that, if is your choice. I've skipped recommended tests before... again, you have to consider risk versus benefit.
You say you would like children someday - ultrasounds are commonly done at least a couple of times during pregnancy, as are internal exams. If you are hopeful to have children someday, consider finding a new ob/gyn provider that you feel comfortable and safe with.
I had a pap smear today and it was the most painful and excruciating medical exam I've ever had in my life.
Then the NP referred me to make an appointment with radiology for some other kind of pelvic exam where they're going to blast my perfectly healthy womb with cancer causing radiation. I am not comfortable with all of this.
Has anyone else experienced unusual pain or other problems during and after a pap smear?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scooby Snacks
I had a very painful experience with a gynecologist myself. After getting an abnormal Pap result at age 17, she determined I needed cryosurgery to freeze the abnormal cells on my cervix. I had this procedure done with no anesthesia. It was the most painful experience of my life. I left the exam table screaming in pain. Since then, I prefer a male gynecologist. They just seem gentler when performing exams, in my experience. I look for the ones on my insurance that have good patient reviews, and so far, I have been much more satisfied.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010
OP has been referred for an ultrasound, not a "radiation treatment."
OP herself said that was what she was referred for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010
The person who did the exam was a Nurse Practitioner, not a gynecologist.
And? What does that have to do with how OP's Pap smear felt? Both gynecologists and NPs perform Pap smears. I had them with gynecologists.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010
You may prefer a male, but I suspect that you have experience with only a handful of gynecologists. I have been examined by both male and female gynecologists and had good experiences with both.
I'm glad. How many gynecologists does it take for one to know what one's experiences are with them? I am writing about MY experiences, not yours.
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzy_q2010
I have also had cryotherapy without anesthesia, which is almost never used for that procedure. It was no worse than menstrual cramps.
Once again, that was YOUR experience. That was not what I experienced, which was very painful. But thanks for putting words in my mouth.
"The procedure on the referral she gave me reads US EXAM, PELVIC, COMPLETE for a diagnosis of 'Abdominal pain, generalized' and the referral is to radiology. I don't know what exactly that is but sounds like they're going to give me a dose of radiation right at the womb."
US=Ultrasound. No radiation is involved. A nurse practitioner would not be referring a patient for a "radiation treatment." That would be beyond her scope of practice.
Quote:
And? What does that have to do with how OP's Pap smear felt? Both gynecologists and NPs perform Pap smears. I had them with gynecologists.
I'm glad. How many gynecologists does it take for one to know what one's experiences are with them? I am writing about MY experiences, not yours.
You stated she should look for a male gynecologist because you thought they were more gentle. I merely stated that has not been my experience. Female gynecologists can be gentle, too. I disagree that the OP needs to look specifically for a male gynecologist and do not think that anyone should make such a suggestion based solely on limited data.
Quote:
Once again, that was YOUR experience. That was not what I experienced, which was very painful.
I just pointed out that your experience with excruciating pain from cryotherapy is not typical. Anesthesia is normally not used. The cervix is more sensitive to being stretched, as in childbirth, than it is to being frozen or even cut. The freezing itself would quickly numb the area. Dermatologists use a similar technique on skin lesions all the time. My comment was for the benefit of other women reading the thread, who might be frightened of the possibility of being treated with cryotherapy.
"Cryotherapy is done in the doctor's office while you are awake. You may have slight cramping and flushing in the face, however cryosurgery is mostly painless."
The procedure on the referral she gave me reads US EXAM, PELVIC, COMPLETE for a diagnosis of "Abdominal pain, generalized" and the referral is to radiology.
So what OP is having is an ultrasound, which is not going to hurt. It doesn't mean they suspect cancer or anything like that. There's no reason for her to panic or to get any more stressed out than she already is.
I'm sure we could all share stories about painful experiences at the gynecologist's office. But that's not going to help the OP.
Sometimes the speculum exam hurts and sometimes it doesn't. If you have one that hurts a lot, that's a good reason not to have a speculum exam done by the same person again. That's not a good enough reason to neglect your health. You need to find an ob/gyn you are comfortable with, especially if you are planning to have children at some point.
I don't like that I chose to have this pap smear, and now learning that they are obsolete because such an infinitesimal percentage of women ever even are at risk for cervical cancer and that nearly all incidences of HPV clear up on their own. The risks by this procedure seem to outweigh any benefit.
That isn't true. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and 4,000 die from it. A PAP detects the abnormalities in cells scraped from the opening of the cervix to assist in the determination of this diagnosis. While it is now recommended that one does not need an annual PAP and that women can be safely screened once every three years, it is definitely not an obsolete test.
The recommendation is now every 3 years if never had an abnormal pap. Down from every year.
I've personally had some discomfort and bleeding after a few of mine.
I think you are actually very lucky to be getting an ultrasound. It catches so many things and a lot of clinicians are dismissive and don't refer at all.
I'm sorry you felt what you did. I am probably the only patient who jumps around on the gynecologists table during a pap/pelvic exam...but not because of what you described...for me the speculum is what kills. I hope you find out what was causing your pain.
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