Quote from: minniemouse on April 25, 2009, 07:48:44 PM
And if all else fails, just remind yourself that it will all be over in a matter of minutes.

The exam itself was actually a few seconds although it felt eternal. But yeah, disassociation (and maybe xanax before the exam) woud help.

O.K.  Here's another suggestion:  What if you pretend she's poking around at your prostate?  Just as embarrassing, but maybe not as dysphoria inducing.  Just a thought.

Personally here in the UK Smear tests don't need to be done until you reach 25. Lucky I have 3 years to go.. but am planning on having my hysto in that time. So will have to have one done sometime

Jay

Quote from: Jay on April 26, 2009, 12:29:39 PM
Personally here in the UK Smear tests don't need to be done until you reach 25. Lucky I have 3 years to go.. but am planning on having my hysto in that time. So will have to have one done sometime

Jay

Jay, if you're planning on having your hysto done in the next 3 years, why will you still need to have a smear test? I decided many years ago that I couldn't handle it, and having read up on the risks decided that I'd rather live with the risk than have the test. I DO NOT recommend this to anyone else, although each of us has to make our own mind up as to what's right for them.

I had my hysto last December, having never had a smear test or internal exam of any kind - I didn't even need one in order to have the hysto.

Quote from: Jamie-o on April 26, 2009, 03:15:42 AM
O.K.  Here's another suggestion:  What if you pretend she's poking around at your prostate?  Just as embarrassing, but maybe not as dysphoria inducing.  Just a thought.

I was thinking that I would try to disassociate; that strategy might be what I was practicing for all those years gone by, although I never did it consciously. But I like this better. It sounds like something I've done before for a different problem. It only worked for so long, but I only need this to work for a little while.

It might even help with some of my current anxiety, if I keep telling myself that my doc will be poking at my boy parts.

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I didn't really want to post about this because it's so personal--and also because I was so disgusted with myself about reacting as I did. But I started feeling so strung out about it that I had to do something.

I know transguys who have never been checked out down there, even some guys who have problems that they never get checked out. I worry about them. It's their choice, of course. But I want to make sure I stay relatively healthy. And I don't like being ruled by my fears. I lived that way for far too long when I was in the closet.

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Post Merge: April 26, 2009, 12:07:43 PM

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Quote from: Flameboy on April 26, 2009, 12:56:55 PM
I had my hysto last December, having never had a smear test or internal exam of any kind - I didn't even need one in order to have the hysto.

You might have a hard time arranging that here in the States! Doctors are pretty dogmatic about some things here. But it sounds like you got what you needed.

Quote from: Arch on April 26, 2009, 01:05:56 PM
You might have a hard time arranging that here in the States! Doctors are pretty dogmatic about some things here. But it sounds like you got what you needed.

Well, the consultant I saw was great - he had no problems with the pronouns, and ever worded things well - for example, he asked me a question that began "so, when you were living as female". I told him I'd never had penetrative vaginal sex, and so he said that because of that I would probably not be a good candidate for a trans-vaginal hysto, and therefore he'd do it laparoscopically. Because of that, he said there was no need for an internal exam, which was a great relief to me!

Flameboy: What exactly are the risks? I seem to be pathetically underinformed on what pap smears and gyno checks are actually for...except I suppose checking for STDs.

While we're on the subject of embarrassing exams for FTMs, I have read that we should get mammograms even after chest surgery. Um, unless the surgeon messed up and left too much tissue behind, how is it even possible to do one?! I was so looking forward to NOT having to go through this after top surgery...

Quote from: Arch on April 26, 2009, 03:24:24 PM
While we're on the subject of embarrassing exams for FTMs, I have read that we should get mammograms even after chest surgery. Um, unless the surgeon messed up and left too much tissue behind, how is it even possible to do one?! I was so looking forward to NOT having to go through this after top surgery...

ultrasound/mri

Quote from: Asher on April 26, 2009, 03:14:24 PM
Flameboy: What exactly are the risks? I seem to be pathetically underinformed on what pap smears and gyno checks are actually for...except I suppose checking for STDs.

Pap smears check for abnormal cells on your cervix as an early warning for cervical cancer. If you are having vaginal sex with a man then it is recommended you get regular pap smear tests, as I think you have a higher chance of having abnormal cells on your cervix (I'm not sure why this is - perhaps sperm is cancer causing ).

Arch, hystos get covered all the time.  Not sure where you're getting your misinformation from, but that's exactly what it is.

I think you should definitely think about what is best for you. All I can say is I usually get them annually, I am behind from having been out of the country. One year my test came back with my results being 1 level below/from  cancer, which apparently it normally takes more than a year to get that far. I dealt with it right away, had I not who knows where I would have ended up.  There is a good reason to have them done annually so you can catch things before they get out of hand. I believe I was 27 when it happened. I did and do not have sex with men,as someone mentioned something about that above. So just be careful with decisions you make!
Myles

I recently read in the paper that some doctors are recommending a new blood test to screen for cervical cancer instead of annual Pap-smears.  In a few years those tests may very well be a thing of the past.  Won't that be nice.

Quote from: Mister on April 26, 2009, 04:05:17 PM
Arch, hystos get covered all the time.  Not sure where you're getting your misinformation from, but that's exactly what it is.

Can you be more specific about what you're responding to? I think I know which post, but I'm not sure.

Anyone I know whose insurance does not cover trans-related treatments has had to pay for hysto out of pocket--with one exception, I think. I do know a lot of guys who have problems down there and whose hystos were covered by insurance. I've never had the problems they have. No pain, no excessive bleeding, no cysts, no endometriosis. My organs have always been disgustingly normal and healthy.

And anyway, I don't want hysto at this time. If I do decide to have it, I'll explore my options then.

Jamie-o, I heard about the CSA blood test years ago and kept wondering when it would be available in the United States. As far as I knew, it still hadn't been approved by the FDA. Is it available now? I'll be curious to see what economic effect such a test will have on GYN practices across the nation...

Got an MP3 player?
That, and some headphones may just be your best friend.

Give some thought as to music with lyrics that you can really get lost in, or really complex notes...  Led Zeppelin, Rush, etc.

Quote from: Nicky on April 26, 2009, 03:58:10 PM
Pap smears check for abnormal cells on your cervix as an early warning for cervical cancer. If you are having vaginal sex with a man then it is recommended you get regular pap smear tests, as I think you have a higher chance of having abnormal cells on your cervix (I'm not sure why this is - perhaps sperm is cancer causing ).

Yes, pap smears are to detect early signs of cervical cancer. Caught early enough, it's a successfully treatable condition. Although any female-bodied person can get cervical cancer, one of the major causes of it is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which, like other STDs, you can get from having unprotected vaginal sex with a carrier. You might get genital warts, you might develop cancer.

A vaccine has been developed and is now being used in several countries. Here in Australia it is currently freely available to teenage girls (it will cost later on) so I suggest that anyone who feels uncomfortable about gyno exams gets themselves some local advice about the availability of the new vaccine. If you can get it, get it. Please. I've seen too many people dying of cervical cancer and it scares me to think that people I love might be putting themselves at risk because of their understandable reluctance to be examined.

I have yet to go to a gyno.. but first thing they'll hear from me is "So.. do you always skip dinner and the movie?" Oh yeah.. still not looking forward to cold tools and such.. lol

Quote from: Muddy on April 26, 2009, 08:58:20 PM
Got an MP3 player?
That, and some headphones may just be your best friend.

Give some thought as to music with lyrics that you can really get lost in, or really complex notes...  Led Zeppelin, Rush, etc.

Damn, that's a good idea. Unfortunately, I don't have an MP3, and headphones and ear buds cause me pain. I suppose that could be a good thing; I don't run the risk of blasting my eardrums out. Except with real speakers...

Anyway, maybe I should go into my appointment with a favorite song playing in my head. It might get monotonous, but it will give me some strength. In fact, right now I can think of a great piece of music to take with me...thanks for the tip.

P.S. I am much less stressed about my appointment. I'm sure I'll start to panic a week or a few days in advance, but for now I'm pretty good. Thank the gods for that...I was getting too distracted from all of my OTHER worries.