One Friday I went to the doctors for my regular contraceptive check-up. As I walked in the room the nurse turned to me and said "So, you're here for a smear test?". "Err no" - it was so far from my intentions for my Friday morning and really not on the agenda. She explained that there may have been an confusion, but everything was set up and ready to go, but she completely understood if I wanted to take some time to think about my options. It was in that moment that I decided to rip off the plaster and do the thing I'd been dreading from the first time I read about it. In that exact moment I wasn't thinking about the smear test, all I could think was "oh my word I've not shaved my legs". In fact, I was so concerned about my hairy legs, that I apologised to my nurse, which she just found hilarious.
After we laughed about my silly thoughts, the nurse explained the whole process to me. Which now to be honest, I can't recall - I definitely had a huge rush of adrenaline, but I remember her explaining the role of a cervix, the process and showed me the little swab that she would be using. She explained to me that I'd need to remove my jeans and underwear, passing me some tissue paper to cover my modesty and make me feel more at ease. I laid on my back with my feet flat on the bed, knees bent - and that was it - as quick as I laid down it was time to get back up again. I actually didn't feel a thing during the swab, which I was really pleasantly surprised by. After the appointment, I did feel a little bit of discomfort and the nurse explained that I may get a little bit of bleeding (passing me a little panty liner). I did have a little bleed when I was using the bathroom, but nothing made its way to the panty liner, so it was incredibly light.
That day I walked out the doctor's surgery feeling like a bloody superstar. Not only had I conquered a fear, that I'd been battling for eight months, but I'd done it at a moment's notice with no time to prepare. I did however feel very silly, why exactly had I ignored the smear test for SO long? It was so quick, painless and really not as awkward as I thought it would be. I waited patiently for my results, which came around quicker than planned and I'm really thankful that I was given the all-clear. Months of weird symptoms and worrying vanished in an instant, all thanks to a 30-second swab.
If your sat reading this, contemplating your first smear test - I've been there, I've read posts like this and I've not believed them. Believe me when I say, it really isn't a big deal and it really will be over in an instant. To this day, I have no idea if the smear test appointment really had been made in error, or if it's a tactic my surgery are using. Nevertheless, I'm incredibly grateful it happened and that I've pulled off the plaster.
