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• Monday, June 9, 2008 10:04 AM

  contact a midwives center ... 1 step at a time.

  one step at a time.

  The change will happen after you can have a completely safe gyn exam. Call around, I'd contact a midwives center first, where it's all women helping women. Tell them straight out what you wrote in this letter, even if you have to ball your eyes out while you're on the phone to make this step. Ask them if they, or some other woman, that's a fantastic doctor as well as a fantastic person, can take all the time and understanding you need to get a gyn exam done.

  medical help like this is out there, it's not always easy to find. The doctors are running ragged, clinics can be insensitive 'cuz there's so many patients. so take the time calling around, and meeting medical professionals in their offices only, until there's someone you can trust.

  it's worth it, just keep calling until you can find a doc that will give you a pap smear, understanding that it will be both traumatic and theraputic for you to do it.

  I'd imagine that your problem is more common than you think, so a sensitive doctor will be able to help you.

  I had a doctor, when I started crying in the exam room, just talked to me for a little while and let me schedule another time to come and that we didn't have to do an exam that day. This doctor was a man, he was my best ob-gyn up to that time. he was great, very understanding.

  the other stuff will come later, don't pressure yourself. just start w/ a pap smear by getting someone you're COMPLETELY comfortable with to do it.

  good luck, & don't worry - you'll get there.

  —sacajawea Read sacajawea's other letters
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