Off to See the OB

So yesterday morning I got to go see my OBGYN for my yearly checkup. It made me think that there were very few things that I wouldn't rather be doing. Okay, I would rather go have my "womanly" exam any day than go to the dentist. Seriously. While I like my dentist as a person, I could happily never ever go again. I find the mouth just as invasive if not more so than the exam from my OB, and the dentist (even if it's a teeth cleaning), hurts, a lot-therefore despite having worked in a dental office for six years of my life, it actually ranks above the OB on places I really hate to be. I genuinely like my doctor anyhow. She, my OB, has seen me through two pregnancies, is the one who delivered Isaiah (Matthew had another wonderful doctor in the same clinic), and we have developed a rapport over the years. You kind of have to, right? I mean this is the person that sees you naked at least once a year, examines your breasts, and has a conversation with you while inserting the always cold "metal duck" apparatus. That's what Barrett calls it. He came to one visit with me last year when there were a few concerns (luckily turned out okay), and had my doctor cracking up, looking at the speculum and saying, "yeah, I guess that name works!"

We had a nice chat, about my health, the fact that yeah, I've gained some weight (though she wasn't that concerned and my blood pressure was still perfect), and about me now being pre-nursing. She asked what specialties I had considered, and I told her I wasn't quite sure yet but that emergency medicine and women's health both seem interesting to me. She divulged to me that she had wanted to be a surgeon until she experienced that rotation in med school and thought everyone was really mean. Being in women's health was her last choice, she thought, again until she did it and really enjoyed it. It was nice talking to her and hearing her advice on not being too set in anything until you experience a taste of it. She also enlightened me that she has nurses and nurse practitioners that she works alongside at the clinic. That seems like a really great job.

It dawned on me yesterday that men complain about prostate checks, which they don't even have to start doing until what, 40? But women have likely been seeing a gynecologist since sometime after their first period. We get prodded, scraped and the hallmark of the visit of course is just positioning yourself in the padded stirrups (ladies are you nodding your heads?). If a woman has gone through childbirth, all vestiges of our modesty has long disappeared anyway. So the next time I hear a guy complain how awkward it is to go get checked out, well then I may have to explain the pelvic exam in great detail to them. :) The fact of the matter is that these things are essential to good health, so my advice is to grin and bear it (or bare it!) and find a doctor you like.