joy, my doctor knows the worst thing he can tell me during a pap is "relax"
instead the last few years he'll say focus on your breathing, like you're
meditating."   I don't have as much trouble as others separating my legs,
but those darn stirrup are so uncomfortable. you'd think some enterprising
woman would invent a more comfortable stirrup.   One good thing about being
near Berkeley, is that we have the disabled women's clinic at Alta
bates/herrick hospital. There they have implemented tables that are wider,
that can be lowered for somebody who can't hop up a stool and get on a
normal height table. my doc has got a table like that. it also has bars so
you can't fall off.  over the past years, since I've had supported living
services, is that I find it less stressful to have my helper with me when I
have any procedure done.

Maybe you need to locate a disabled woman's clinic, or ask UCP or Easter
seals for referrals.

Mag

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please ask your Congressperson to vote FOR the MICASSA bill, this
will allow medicaid funds to pay for community supports
instead of isolating the person in a nursing home or institution.
HR 910 is the bill number
Senate version of MiCASSA (S 401).

Oakland Mayor's Commission on People with disabilities
~Tamar Mag Raine~
[log in to unmask]
IM: tamarmag48
Yahoo IM Tamarmag56


> [Original Message]
> From: Joy Welan <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 5/11/2005 7:43:18 PM
> Subject: Re: Reproductive freedom
>
> Linda and everyone else,
>
> Can I ask how you found your OB-GYN?  I don't mean to gross out the guys
on
> the list, but I just went for my first pelvic exam and pap smear this past
> winter, and it was an extremely painful and unpleasant experience.  The
> gynecologist I went to had no idea how to handle the spasticity and lack
of
> range of motion in my legs.  I had a really hard time getting up on the
> table, and I just couldn't get in the right position, since it's really
> painful for me to move my legs away from the midline of my body.  I don't
> think I got a thorough exam, and it's not an experience I'm looking
forward
> to repeating, but I know it's important, especially since cervical and
> ovarian cancer run in my family.  Is there some sort of resource that
helps
> people find doctors who are knowledgeable about dealing with people with
> disabilities?  For most things I can go to a "normal" doctor, but this
just
> didn't work out.  Any tips would be much appreciated.
>
> ~Joy~