Well since Vadergrrrl brought it up

I suppose I will continue the discussion of why it is so important for us to visit the doctor at least once a year. I had never seen a genealogists before I got knocked up with my first child, I was 26 and in my 2nd long term relationship. Yep you heard me I was 26 before I ever let a doctor look up my goodie. When they did my initial papsmear they discovered that I had some funky looking cells on my cervix. Now they called me at work and told me "your pap came back abnormal." Well ok I have no idea what that meant, I had never been to an obgyn in my life, I had never had a pap in my entire life either. So they schedule me an appointment to take another look up there, but they decide they don't want to do a biopsy just yet because it could be risky to the baby that early in the pregnancy. OK so I have abnormal cells big deal I am thinking. Time goes on and I live with my abnormal cells and I have a pap done ever other month to make sure my cells are not getting any weirder, and then they decide to take some fingernail clippers and biopsy these cells. That is how it felt just like they took the fingernail clippers and started snipping away inside my goodie. They should have told me to bring someone to drive my ass home because it hurt like all get out, but they got their little sample and sent it off to the lab. I had a low grade something or other, which in layman terms some pre cancerous cells, but he got them all off my cervix with those fingernail clippers. I had to go in and have a pap and then 6 months later I had to have another one, until I had 3 good ones in a row. Now I go every year. I would rather find out early and have them clip them away with fingernail clipper than find out when it is to late and I am dying. It didn't really hit me until after the birth of David, but if I had not gotten preganut and I had not gone to the doctor those abnormal cells could have turned into something major. I beg you all to go and have your annual visit with your doctors, it could save your life. I know some of you may have money issue that keep you from going, but call your local health department a lot of them offer free or low cost screening. There are still about 4900 deaths a year just because people don't get screened so go now, and like my friend Vadergrrrl reminded us while your there go ahead and have a breast exam you'll love it! haha

everything you want to know about a pap smear

cervical cancer