One in four

I have to warn you, this post might make you go red or green depending on how you deal with reading about women's medical related stuff. So if you are one who gets queasy or uncomfortable when people discuss these things, STOP reading.

About a month plus ago, my mum had to go for a hysterectomy. What that is is a total removal of the uterus, the ducts , ovaries and cervix. Why? Because a routine gynae exam found large fibroids in her uterus which had calcification's. Fibroids are growths usually made up of just fibrous tissue, but hers were large and impinging on her kidney, so they had to go. Mum is 60, and like most women her age, is menopausal, for her to have large fibroids is unusual.Fibroids in the uterus become large because of the hormones, so in pregnant women, they can get bigger. Menopausal women don't have these hormones anymore hence the fibroids shouldn't grow. Also, many women have fibroids, apparently three out of four women.Fibroids though not cancerous, cause trouble by impinging on other structures, like kidneys or growing and causing excessive bleeding and miscarriages.

While with her during the numerous check ups and all, I saw some posters about pap smears and how one in four women is diagnosed with cervical cancer. A simple test, could save your life. If I'm not mistaken, Anita Mui died of this disease and like any other cancer, it's deadly. If caught early and removed, survival rates are good. My mum had her last pap smear 2 years ago.

Sitting with my mum, with all this confronting both of us was a challenge. We both knew that surgery was necessary for her, as the ultrasounds didn't seem good. There was always this looming threat over our heads...what if?

It turns out, mum was lucky, the growth was fibrous and not malignant, everything went well. But it raised a question in my mind...what about me? I had asked a friend before, he'd just finished med school and he said, well, if you are young, you don't need to get one, especially if you're still a virgin, etc. But I read up on this and found that a pap smear should be done once a woman passes the age of 18, whether sexually active or not. And it should be done yearly. You wont know if there are any abnormalities unless you see a gynae. So, that's what I did today.

I went here. I was scared...like most my patients are of me the first time they see me. Apprehensive and nervous, I was very glad that BH came along with me, he'd read up on this too and agreed that a routine pap is the way to go. ( I think he deserves another huge MUAKS).

When we were sitting, waiting, we saw that the other women who were there were all expecting. No young, single women like me, just in for a screening. The doc even told us that its rare for anyone to see a gynae, until they are pregnant. Our society doesn't talk about these things openly. People think that if a young, single woman were to go see a gynae, it's because she got herself into trouble and needed and abortion. But I kept thinking, ONE IN FOUR....what if?

The exam itself was not painful, a bit uncomfortable and a bit embarrassing, until I realised that I'd probably seem more horrific things in peoples mouths than what the gynae was looking at. Plus, he's a professional, he sees this all the time. It took just 5 maybe 10 minutes and I'll only know the results in a week, but the ultrasound looks good. No abnormalities, healthy, normal. I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked out the door. Glad to know that if I ever decide on kids, I would have a good shot. BH kept joking, with all these pregnant ladies around, I might get peer pressure and wanna have kids too...I do, but maybe not just now lah...hehehe.

I do however urge you, if you haven't had one, and you're past 18, maybe you should. The place I went to is a bit pricey, came to 300 over bucks. But there will be places that charge less. Any of my girlfriends, if you wanna go, but are too shy or too scared, I'll go with, just make sure its a Thursday afternoon or Sunday. Having BH ( Muaks, muaks, muaaks) there made it so much easier, the moral support helps if its your first time. Seriously, one in four.