By: Debbie

Debbie — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:30:00 +0000

I absolutely agree with the pap smear and the HPV test. Ladies this is very important. Many years ago I was told the results of a biospy over the phone on a Friday afternoon, “you have HPV and I’ll send some info to you in the mail.” Oh no, I’ll see the doctor first thing Monday morning. Over the weekend I sat in the floor of a bookstore and read everything I could find on HPV. Monday morning I entered my doctor’s office with a list of questions in hand. Right away he apologized for the nurse calling me when he felt he should of made the call. I didn’t care about that because my doctor and I had a wonderful relationship and I was completely open and honest with him from the first time we met in the emergency room years ago. HPV is a virus and at that time in 1993 it was also highly miss diagnosed, which I immediately brought to his attention. I said now doc you know I do not have this HPV, his look told me I did. Where did I get it, how did I get it? He looked as puzzled as I must have looked. He knew my lifestyle, he said well maybe one of your lovers had been with a man in the past. Oh well, so this is how you can get it, too. Now that they have a test for this rather then having to do a biopsy, please have a test. HPV can cause 70 different cancers and you have it for life since it is in your blood. Two weeks later I had to have an emergency hysterectomy with the removal of both ovaries, unrelated to the HPV. I asked the doctor then was I cured from the HPV now that I had surgery. No, he said you have it for life. PLease PLease get tested. I understand there is even a vaccine for it now, so any teenagers out there please look into this or anyone else for that matter. Be safe.

Comments on: Women’s Health: Protecting yourself and safeguarding for the future

By: Debbie