What if you don't have a family doctor after 2 years being in Canada ?

Not sure it smear sorry PAP tests come in DIY kits.

Just thinking something along those lines


I have to have mams yearly as i said, very lumpy, mother etc breast cancer, pore DD has already had a lump removed size of a golf ball when she was 15 she was mortified at being examined by a man and his assistant, poor little thing so she has them regularly as well, thank goodness it wasn't anything

The lamps show up dark lumps and shadows, will reserve judgment until i have seen one in action so to speak

Course you can, I live in southern Alberta, and I am with the Bigelow Fowler clinic, as far as they are concerned we are supposed to get ourselves a yearly medical at least, including a breast exam and a pap. This is my first time in 31 years to have a female doc, and she rocks I have to say.

With regards to boobs, really good self exams each month are encouraged here, and there is are also workshops and stuff run to show how to breast exam. I would say though for anyone wanting to check their technique, to do so by searching on you tube, and they should find some proper videos explaining how.

After having a benign (thank God) lump removed, ending up in ER a few times now I really can't falt ANY of the treatment that I have been lucky enough to receive. For example, the consultant calls me and discusses the boob stuff with me, when I had another lump grow within 10 weeks in the exact same spot, I was brought in to see him within a week, and then passed on for further tests immeadiately.

The health care here has been excellent for us......

Ms M x

Hi,

Thanks for that very informative reply. It's so different from the UK!! Sounds much better. I will have to find out what they are like in Ontario.

Glad to hear you got some good treatment over there, hopefully you won't need it again

I got my referral for my pap smear from a Dr at the walk-in clinic.

For breast screening, just phone the hospital. See this website (there are also mobile units): http://www.breastscreening.ns.ca/

For NB: http://www.gnb.ca/0051/cancer/preven...creening-e.asp

No PAP's for me I had pram taken away years ago, but they left the playpen

But I do need a mamogram this year any clue as to who I would go to for that?

What a thing to be worrying about when I cant even sell my house!! see I am getting hysterical now and not concentrating on the important things like geting my self there in the first place

The mamogram shouldn't hurt....it's a strange sensation, as they do squash your boob.
I was told that the best time to have one is in the middle of your cycle, so your boobs are not sore anyway....otherwise it can be uncomfortable.

My doctor picked up on two fibroids one in each....both very normal and nothing to worry about. The scary thing is that I didn't know they were there.
I was so glad I had the medical....it could have been far more serious.

I will now go yearly

Linda

Thanks for that, i will hand in my form.

On the subject of Mammograms, my walk in clinic Doc was horrified that I hadn't ever had a mammogram with my family history, he said as soon as my Mum had been diagnosed 20 years ago I should have been having yearly mammograms. My 1st one booked for April fools day

I would say to anyone with sore or tender boobs throughout the month, to take some for of painkiller, Ibruprofen works for me, it just dulls the central nervous system enough, for them to get a good pic. If you have dense boobs, which are often sore, then it's likely that you will find the mam a little uncomfortable, I found that by taking the brufen about 45 mins before my app (with a reminder from the Burton Bunch Gay) that I was fine to go, and able to let them go a little further than usual to get a good picture.

Good luck piff poff, and well done you for feeling the fear and doing it anyway, 1st of April lol

Ms M x

oooh am reading this with my toes curling -although I ust say when I had my new coil fitted just before we left - it was all done with disposable speculum etc and I didnt feel a thing!! although as per Linda _ I talked the hind legs off the Dr and the nurse!!

Am not looking forward to Mams as I have added to my boobs - so that'll hurt a bit to squish!

Did you get new boobs lady? I'm interested in that from a medical point of view lol! Tell me, how are they?

Yeah - I got em 5yrs ago - but not Jordan proportions- just what I should have been given when they were handed out during adolescence!!

but took a long time for me to do it - my ma had B cancer - so really looked into it 1st!

But I LOVE THEM!! (still!)

I came back to Sweden sept 2 last year. Opened mail next day and found I was scheduled for a mam on sept 8. Nice! I was also scheduled for a depo-provera shot same day so had pap done too.

A week later I get letter from mamm-unit. They need more frames, a scan and possibly tissue sample. so back in. Turns out I have cysts in both. The large ones had already started shrinking.

Had flu jab done as well.

Then had flu symptoms. Persistent ones. Wouldn't break out just hover.

New years eve find nodule by nipple. Call mamm unit who tells me I have to go via GP. Call GP and get scheduled for check, then referral to mamm unit. Before that turned up the nodule had grown to a 2" x 1.5" mass and was in so much pain I was seriously considering going to the tackroom and get a syringe and drain it. I was begging for heavy duty pain killers that would knock me out. Next day I had enough and went to the ER. I had already found out that I had an "udder inflammation".

the conversation with the doctors went along these lines:

"Hello doc. I have udderinflammation in my right boob."

"You have what?"

"Udderinflammation - mastitis"

"How do you know that?"

"Well, there is a 2" by 1.5" size lump, its red, hot, swollen, painful, and I've had flu like symptoms for 2-3 months. The swelling started off very small, cyst-like lump on new years eve. Pain started kicking in about a week and a half ago"

"Yeah but.." the doc started.

"I've had horses with mastitis. I recognize the symptoms."

"Oh, how do you treat that?" he asked.

"25-30ml of penovet intramuscular injection for 5-10 days, depending on size of animal and severity of infection and milk out the puss twice daily. Mind you, that hurts so bad I might cow-kick."

Doc determined then and there, and very correctly, that I am a complete nutcase. At the same time he thanked me as he wasn't that familliar with mastitis so wasn't sure what antibiotic to treat it with. Left the room to consult another doctor. Came back and said the surgeon wanted to have a look at me. First needed a blood sample. Ok, nurse came in. I told her I better stick to the antibiotics so I don't end up like one of my horses. (Bloodtest showed infection in the system)

"What happened to her?" she asked.

"Well, we missed one day of Penovet injections, she developed spinal meningitis and didn't survive."

"Oh, well that won't happen to you." she said.

"Yeah, but, this is so painful that the past few days I've seriously considered getting a syringe from the tackroom and drain the darn thing.I totally understand why the mares don't want you anywhere near their bits when they have this."

"Glad you didn't. You might have ended up like the horse if you had."

Off to the surgeon (two of them), repeat the story. Was asked to lie down so one could palpate the area.

"I promise not to cow-kick!" I blurted out while cringing from the pain.

"Thank you," he said while the other surgeon, standing by me feet, quickly took one step back and put his hands infront of his private bits.

So, I was sent home with a strong penecillin, 3 times daily, and NSAID.

Lump has shrunk but isn't completely gone, pain is, though. I'm having a mamm tomorrow.