breast check and pap smear?

Question

ok i asked this already this morning but didn't get the answers i was looking for. i am reeeeeeeeeeeally stressed and freaking out.....like REALLY. i am about to go and have my first pap smear. i am also going to ask the doctor to do a breast check cos i found a lump. i am 23. please tell me everything i need to know about pap smears and breast checks.....what to do, what to wear, what happens, etc etc. is a breast check even something that is normal to ask a doctor to do? isn't that something i should just be doing myself? i am really self conscious about my body....do you have to strip off completely? do you have to wear a robe? what goes on? anything you can tell me will probably calm me down. aaaaaaaaaaagh, i am so freaked out!!

Answer 1

You can have a look on the wiki site - I'll get the references for you.

Okay - a pap smear involves the doctor doing a speculum examination. They would use a "duck billed" speculum to look inside your vagina and to see your cervix. Hopefully they would warm the speculum up while their chaperone would get you into position - you would need to put your heels together and your knees apart.

The speculum would be placed into your vagina and the duck bill opened slightly with the light shining on it so as to see the cervix. Once the cervix is seen, then two samples are usually taken - one with a special spatula and another with a small brush. These are smeared on a slide for the lab, and the speculum is taken out and that's all there is to it except to get the results in a while.

The breast examination is something that you should do yourself in the first instance (breast self examination) and if you find a lump then you should let your doctor know. Your doctor (or at very least the specialist) would need to do a breast examination to confirm your findings and move on to the next tests: ultrasound or mammography and subsequently fine needle biopsy if the lump was suspicious.

The clinical breast examination (what the doctor does) is performed with you unclothed to the waist. They will want to INSPECT (ie look at) the breast, then PALPATE (ie feel) it.

The Textbook Clinical Breast examination
Inspection - the breast should be observed in each of four positions:
1) standing or sitting square/upright
2) arms above head
3) hands on hips and pressing on hips
4) bending forward
Observe for: change of colour, change of contour (lumps or dimples), nipple levels, nipple retraction, nipple eczema or ulceration, pigmentation of the areola, peau d'orange change to the skin (a change where the skin of the breast becomes dimply like an orange peel), cancer en cuirasse. The various arm movements can accentuate lumps or dimples or show evidence of retraction - if the breast is tethered by the cancer to deeper structures and is less mobile.

The doctor should ask the patient to lie supine (ie on her back), often elevating the potentially affected side with a pillow and then should examine:

the potentially affected breast
the axilla (arm pit) of the same side
the neck (both sides)
the opposite breast
the opposite axilla

The examination of the breast itself should occur in an orderly fashion, palpating with the flat of the hand both shallow and deep. Two progressions often used are a "round the clock" method or a "up-down and sideways" progression.

For the around the clock method the examiner would usually start at 12-o'clock position from the nipple and palpate the tissue in this region feeling shallow and deep and then progress around to a 1-o'clock position etc. and thus all the way around until reaching 11-o'clock and then to palpate the breast tissue under the armpit (the axillary tail of the breast).

For the up and down method (the one I use) the examinaer would usually start at the sternum (breast bone) and progress vertically down the breast tissue palpating shallow and deep and then at the bottom most part of the breast tissue would move across a little bit more laterally and palpate shallow and deep upwards vertically, and then move across and palpate shallow and deep moving downwards vertically etc. and then to finish by palpating the axillary tail of the breast.

I use the up and down method because it gives a much more clinical (and ?professional) impression and to my mind is a more thorough way of examining a breast with less chance of missing a spot.

I hope that helps.

Answer 2

You have nothing to worry about, this is all just part of being a damn woman, lol.

First off and I know this sounds gross, but DO NOT clean your private area as well as you normally do. If you have any kind of infection or any kind of irregular things going on down there, the dr needs to see it. If you wash it away, you're washing away the signs of it. I saw where someone suggested you take a shower the morning of it or the night before. I would do it the night before then maybe wash up the morning of it, or at least be careful when you take a shower. You don't need to worry about what to wear as you'll be stripped down to just your socks. You'll have either a thin, knit gown or a thin, paper one to put on, the opening goes in the front. When the dr comes in, he/she will have you lie down on a table w/your feet going in stir-ups and your knees bent. Either a metal or a plastic tool that they put a jelly-like substance on it will be inserted into you. This might be a little uncomfy depending on whether or not your vagina is already stretched. It might feel like some scraping is going on, as they need a sample of some tissue inside you...this is the pap smear test. Make sure before you get dressed, you wipe away as much of the jelly like stuff as it will be leaking out of you and you don't want to stain your panties.

Your breast check is part of the examination. I've never not had it done by them before but do make sure you tell them what you found, so he/or she can be looking out for what it is you found. Hopefully, it's not something to be concerned about. Sometimes women have little bumps that dont' mean anything at all....I hope that's all it is for you.

Good luck and just remember, relax, take a deep breath and you'll be fine.

Answer 3

First off, take a deep breath and calm down ! :)

At every appointment for a pap smear, you get a breast examination to check for lumps or anything odd. You should also be doing this yourself (your doctor will show you how to do your own exam).

You disrobe completely and put on one of their designer gowns. First the doctor will give you a breast examination then she'll tell you to put your legs into the stirrups. The doctor should be telling you EVERYTHING that they are doing. Just breathe in and out slowly, some parts may be uncomfortable but it is for YOUR health that this is being done.

Since this is your first time, they will put in a small speculum (device that opens you up a little so they can examine you) and do a little scrape in your uterus. That is going to be tested for any problems.

The doctor will also put one of their fingers into your vagina and press down on your belly in areas. THIS PART is soo uncomfortable, but take DEEP slow breaths.

After that 'enjoyable' experience they will give you tissues to wipe 'down there' and you can get clothed again.

No need to be self concious about your body, the doctors have seen all sorts of sizes and shapes and colors.

Answer 4

I recommend taking a shower either the morning of or right before you go to your exam. This way you will be nice and clean, which will be more comfortable for you. You don't have to wear anything specific, but yes, you will have to wear a paper robe with nothing underneath, at least on bottom. They leave you alone in the room to get yourself ready for your exam, and every time I go the doc always knocks before they come back in. I've had a male doctor both times, and they are always professional. Their assistant is normally a woman, which helps the patient feel more at ease. The pap smear is a little uncomfortable, but it's very short and absolutely painless. All the doctor is doing is scraping off a few of your cervix cells to look at for disease. The first time I went to the gyn was in Afghanistan while I was deployed, and I got a breast check without asking, both times. Don't freak out. If you need to, ask a girlfriend to come along, at least as far as the waiting room. I normally look consideringly at the ceiling during my exams. After your first one you will be much more comfortable going...doesn't mean you'll like it, but you won't freak out anymore.

Answer 5

The doctor will come in and ask you questions about how you have been doing and background information. This is a good time to tell him about the lump. You will be asked before the dr comes in to put on a gown.(the paper type you wear in the emergency room). The dr. will exam your breast and its not abnormal to ask your dr to do this. Self breast checks are supposed to be done in between dr visits where then a dr will do his own exam anyway, but he should be informed about what you have found. You will be asked to lay down and feet put into stirrups. Rest of body will be covered with a paper-type blanket and you are still in gown. Using the speculum and a cotton swab looking thing on a stick the dr will get a sample. There may or may not be a slight discomfort when he gets the sample. Dr. will leave room while you get dressed and then re-enter to talk about anything else if needed. That is it. I hope this is the info you wanted.

Answer 6

alright, first thing to do, is to stop worrying, it is no big deal. I haven't had a papsmear yet, but I've had a breast check, pelvic exam, etc. just wear normal clothes, but you will need to strip down to nothing, they will give you a gown to wear, but it will be open in the front so they can do the breast check. They will ask if you check your breast and if you don't, they'll show you how. I know how you feel I am very self-conscious too, but they're doctors, it's no big deal for them.
It'll be alright. I'll be praying for you. God Bless You.

Answer 7

Have a look at this site
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/46/2953_491.htm
Having a pap smear is no big deal! You will probably feel self-conscious but you should be proud that you're taking caring of yourself! Don't worry so much; this is just one of the many 'joys' of womanhood.

Answer 8

I never got any of thoes but i think that i will be getting on soon and i am not looking forward to it :( But just be calm i have faith in u