When we’re in our teens, we talk to our girlfriends about boys; in our twenties, we talk about dates and potential husbands; in our thirties, we discuss our marriages; in our forties, the conversation turns to sex, and in our fifties, we talk about our health. We can’t help ourselves.
FOF friend, Sylvia, told me today about a test she recently had, called transvaginal ultrasound. I never heard of it, nor had Sylvia, until a friend recommended she have one when she was perimenopausal and feeling bloated. “My friend told me that pap smears aren’t good enough tools to detect cancers,” Sylvia said, “so I was on it immediately.”
An instrumental resembling a massager is inserted into the uterus.
The test is usually performed to view the muscular walls and lining of the uterus, including its thickness, as well as the ovaries. It is used to detect cancer and less grim problems, such as polyps and fibroids. Sylvia’s test revealed she had a uterine cyst. It was removed two weeks ago and all is fine.
“If we’re bleeding at our age, doctors tell us we’re in perimenopause, but it can mean something else,” Sylvia said. “Why take a chance that the bleeding signifies something more serious?” I agree. I had a complete hysterectomy 20 years ago, so ovarian and uterine cancers are not on my worry list. If I hadn’t had the operation, I’d already have an appointment for the ultrasound.
Like Sylvia, I like to take my own health into my own hands. I don’t entirely trust any doctor, even the ones who have diplomas from fancy schools on their walls and act like God. They are not infallible.
