Follow Up Medical Care And Routine Procedures

[Padfoot]

This is for people who experienced sexual violence I guess. How do you make yourself go for any other medical follow ups and routine procedures?

I will probably never willingly have another pap smear. I'm done with everything relating to the assault and have been tested for every disease and infection that I could possibly have been tested for. I've gone for all the other tests that had to be done after some time had passed. During most of it, I was still numb from it all and not making sense, more going through the motions without thinking or feeling. Now it's like I'm feeling everything all at once. I haven't been back to the GP for a medication review, the therapist is linking me in with a psychiatrist though for that and it's in Private Practice so not in a hospital or GP clinic, which hopefully will be ok.

I do want to get past this eventually, so how do you do it? How do you go back to the GP or hospital for anything? I'm done with children so not going to go through pregnancy again, my "baby" is 10 now so that was decided long ago and not because of this. The very thought of walking into the GP is terrifying!

 

[Flyaway]

Pap smears are difficult- but necessary! I prepare myself before hand, and when I go my female doctor is very compassionate about my situation - she talks me through it. I guess knowing exactly what she is doing - gives me back the feeling of being in control. Afterwards I go and treat myself to something - I think last time, I bought a movie I'd been wanting and just rested for the entire day.

What's your doc like? Do you feel she/he is compassionate?

I think it would be healthy for you to go. For me, any kind of contact that is non sexual - but positive and healing in some way just reaffirms to me that the people who abused me were sick and not the norm... I guess I believed them for a long time- that it was my fault, that they couldn't help themselves.

What are your fears exactly? Sometimes it helps to be very specific about what you're afraid of... Even if it doesn't make much sense.

 

[Padfoot]

I don't have an actual doctor that I see regularly. We're in a new town and only here until December before we move again. It's possibly because the forensics examination was traumatic in itself following being assaulted.