Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month

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By Nurse Diane

I was due later that week for an appointment with the gynecologist when early one morning I received a call from his office: I had been rescheduled for early that morning at 9:30am. I had just packed everyone off to work and school and it was around 8:45 already. The trip usually took about 35 minutes so I didn't have any time to spare. As most women do, I'm sure, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So I rushed upstairs, threw off my dressing gown, wet the washcloth and gave myself a wash in "that area" in front of the sink, taking extra care to make sure that I was presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment. I was in the waiting room only a few minutes when he called me in. Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure all women do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended I was in Hawaii or some other place a million miles away from here. I was surprised when he said: "My...we have taken a little extra effort this morning, haven't we?" but I didn't respond. The appointment over, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day went as normal, some shopping, cleaning and the evening meal, etc. At 8:30 that evening my 14 year old daughter was getting ready for a school dance, when she called down from the bathroom, "Mom, where's my washcloth?"I called back for her to get another from the cabinet. She called back, "No, I need that one that was here by the sink. It had all my glitter and sparkles in it."

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Going to the gynecologist can be a very embarrassing procedure for some, however it is a very necessary examination used to detect any possibility of cancer.  Gynecologic cancer is any cancer that starts in a woman's reproductive organs.  Five main types of cancer affect a woman's reproductive organs: cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. In 2008, 83,662 women in the United States were diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer, and 27,813 women died from it. . When gynecologic cancers are found early, treatment is most effective.

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There is no way to know for sure if you will get a gynecologic cancer. That's why it is important to pay attention to your body and know what is normal for you, so you can recognize the warning signs or symptoms of gynecologic cancer.

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If you have vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you, talk to a doctor right away. You should also see a doctor if you have any other warning signs that last for two weeks or longer and are not normal for you. Symptoms may be caused by something other than cancer, but the only way to know is to see a doctor.

Some warning signs to look for include:

• Abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge;
• Pelvic pain or pressure;
• Abdominal or back pain;
• Bloating;
• Change in bathroom habits;
• Burning or itching of the vulva; and or
• Changes in color of the vulva or rash sores or warts.

Prevention:

• Some gynecologic cancers are caused by the human pusillanimous (HPV) a very common sexually transmitted infection. Vaccines protect against the HPV types that most often cause cervical, vaginal, and vulva cancers. It is recommended for 11- and 12-year-old girls. (Note: The vaccine can be given to girls beginning at age 9.) It also can be given to females who are 13–26 who did not get any or all of the shots when they were younger. Ideally, girls should get three doses of this vaccine before their first sexual contact.
• Annual PAP smears should also be performed by the age of 30, sometimes even younger if there is a history of gynecological cancers in the family.
• If you have any questions about the screenings or your possibility of risk, check with your doctor.

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September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, and you are encouraged to schedule a checkup with your gynecologist, or let your wife, mother, aunts, girlfriends, any female in your life know that their health is very important and prevention and early detection is necessary for a long healthy life.   For more information about gynecological cancers, visit this site:  http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/gynecologic/index.htm

Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month

A cardiac specialist died and at his funeral the coffin was placed in front of a huge mockup of a heart made up of flowers. When the pastor finished with the sermon and eulogy and after everyone said their good-byes, the heart opened, the coffin rolled inside and the heart closed. Just then one of the mourners burst into laughter.

The guy next to him asked: “Why are you laughing?”

“I was thinking about my own funeral” the man replied.

“What’s so funny about that?”

“I’m a gynecologist.”

A new, young MD doing his residency in OB was quite embarrassed performing female pelvic exams.

To cover his embarrassment he had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly.

The middle aged lady upon whom he was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassed him.

He looked up from his work and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?"

She replied, "No doctor, but the song you were whistling was 'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener."

Gyecologic exams are embarrassing and dreaded by nearly every female on the planet.  However, these exams are necessary and essential for detecting cancer.  The 5 gynecological cancers are cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar.  This month is designated as Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month. It aims to communicate: 1) the importance of finding gynecologic cancers early, when treatment is most effective, and 2) the need for women to pay attention to their bodies and know what is normal for them, so that they can recognize the warning signs of gynecologic cancers.

In the United States in 2007, 80,976 women were told that they had a gynecologic cancer, and 27,739 died from a gynecologic cancer. The CDC provides information and educational materials for women and health care providers to raise awareness about the five main gynecologic cancers.

Guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that women begin Pap test screening at age 21, be screened every 2 years through age 30, and then be screened every 3 years as long as their last three test results have been normal. Women aged 65 to 70 years who have had at least three normal Pap tests and no abnormal Pap tests in the last 10 years may decide, after talking with their doctor, to stop having Pap tests. Women who have had a hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus and cervix) do not need to have a Pap test, unless the surgery was done as a treatment for a precancerous condition or cancer.  Women who have had abnormal results will need to have exams more frequently.  Gynecological exams are no laughing matter, if you haven't had one recently, today is the perfect day to make an appointment to make sure everything is ok.

This story takes place in (where else?) San Francisco. A happy, hip, happening woman living in SF has to endure a visit from her mother, a prim and proper matronly sort from somewhere in the Midwest. The mother is in the throes of menopause, apparently very cranky and physically uncomfortable, what with hot flashes and the like, and the daughter, in an effort to help but probably also to get Mom out of the house for a while, suggests that the mother visit her gynecologist.

Mom is not fond of the idea of visiting a gynecologist in a strange city. But after the daughter assures her that the man is thoughtful, kind, humorous and sweet and implores her to go just to make sure everything is okay, the mother reluctantly assents and makes an appointment.

The morning of the appointment, mother is VERY nervous and in preparation takes a shower AND a bath, deodorant head to toe, FDS vaginal spray, the whole nine yards, and heads to the gynecologist.

So. Moms in the stirrups, the doctor's mucking about down there, and he looks up, fixes her with a funny smile and says, "Looks like we've got ourselves a PARTY GIRL!!"

Mother is shocked, to say the least. "What... what did you say??!!!"

He grins even wider. "I said, 'Looks like we've got ourselves a PARTY GIRL!'" and this is accompanied by a smirk and a wink. Mom is flabbergasted and doesn't utter another word for the balance of the exam, hastily dresses and runs out while avoiding his glance.

Later that evening, the daughter returns home from work, inquires how the appointment went, and the mother says, "You have a very rude doctor! He called me a party girl!"

"A what?"

"A party girl!" Mom is sniffling now. "Why would he call me that?"

"I don't know it's very out of character for him..." the daughter puzzles. 

 "There must be some reason. Think back. Did you say anything, maybe?"

"No!" The mother bristles. "I didn't say anything like that!"

"Come on, think back. What did you do before the appointment?"

"Well," the mother sniffs, "I was VERY conscientious with my hygiene. I took a bath AND a shower, I used your deodorant and FDS — I hope you don't mind — and then I got dressed, and..."

"Mom!" the daughter interrupts. "Mom, I don't have any FDS."

The mother is silent. They both head to the bathroom where the mother points out what she mistook for FDS. It wasn't. It was orange glitter hair spray from the previous Halloween.