OF PAP SMEARS

So last week on Friday I was in theatre doing Examination of women with cervical cancer under anaesthesia.For those who are in the profession you know that this is not an exciting thing at all. I went in ready to tackle the five women who were waiting for my examination. So along came the first lady, an elderly cucu and she had pretty advanced disease and the tumor just reared its ugly head at me as soon as I put in my tools of trade.....sad! Next was a middle aged lady, she had advanced disease but this time her tumor was ingrown......a rugged, nasty, gross aggressive thing....horrible! Next was a thirty something( I Say this with a pinch of salt seeing as I had a birthday recently....Twentieth!) and I remember praying and asking God to please let this be a better story. But alas, as soon as I put in the speculum, the menacing tumour glared at me and bled with so much gusto like it was leering at me and saying...."I got here first doc! Ha! In your FACE!". The next was a forty something and lets just say-HORRID!

Cervical cancer is caused by a virus simply known as HPV. It is on the increase and we are now seeing very young ladies suffering from it. Once it attacks, it is so vicious and in advanced cases, the ending is sadly.....just that, sad! In our out patient clinic we get to see so many terminal patients who have nowhere else to go and being a referral unit and not a Hospice Centre we actually have nothing much to offer....

The most exciting thing about Cancer of The cervix is that it can be detected early and early detection is tantamount to CURE....AS IN SERIOUSLY......CURED! HEALED! and what does it take.... a simple PAP SMEAR. Ladies, dudes with ladies in your lives, we all have mothers,we all have sisters and aunties, even the sister-in law you don't quite get along with... all it takes is a five minute procedure at the gynecologist clinic and we can eradicate this monster.

So, this week, if you do nothing else at all......please get a PAP smear done.....and at our facility, it just costs  a hundred bob! Come on people, PAP SMEAR PAP!