Doctor's surgery, in his office, a few months before my letter inviting me to my pap smear (and a few months before the shocker of a result). I decided to have a bit of a chit-chat with him about The Pill (contraceptive pill that is if you want me to be pedantic about things).
Me: "Doctor, I have been on the pill now for about 7 years and I have been wondering about the health affects it might have in the long term. Maybe I should explore an alternative means of contraception?"
Doctor: "I don't deal with womanly sorts of issues. You will need to make an appointment to see the female doctor if you want to chat about that!"
Me: *jaw on floor* "Okay...well urrmm...thank you for your time." *still picking up jaw off of floor while exiting his office*
Later that week I thought to myself okay then, I will make an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner. She's female, maybe like the ol'Doc advised I should see a lady for my "womanly issues". I go to the appointment:
Me: "I have been on the pill now for about 7 years and I have been wondering about the health affects it might have in the long term. Maybe I should explore an alternative means of contraception? Which would have more pros than cons-the injection or the pill?"
Nurse: "How long is a piece of string?"
Me: "I'm sorry, come again?"
Nurse: "How long is a piece of string? They all have their pros and cons dear. Here are some leaflets that will give you more information. Go home and do some homework and when you decide what you want to do, come see me and I will set you up for something else."
Me: *jaw not only on floor but sunk to core layer of earth* "Urrmm...okay..gee...thank you."
What just happened didn't really hit me till I left her office. Just like how it'd not fully sunk in after leaving the doctor's. I wanted to break something! "How long is a piece of string?" that wasn't even used in the right context! "How long is a piece of string?" how she used that was saying "I don't know at all!". Furthermore, I had done my sodding 'homework' before going in and I wanted to have a chat with someone human, in the medical proffession rather than mulling thoughts over on my own and winding up back at the well known Square One.
My conclusion: I took myself off the pill. This was 4 months before the pap smear. When I came off it, I did not expect what I got! More about that later though. The bottom line is it's awful the way I was treated and I was shoved out the door with a very don't-waste-my-time attitude. Granted, not all surgeries are like this one (so I am told) but for the people, like me, that get treated this way it leaves you with very little faith in those that are meant to be there to benefit your health and help you make choices.
When I got my pap results a letter came from my Doctor. Was ever so kind of him to letter head it with his name, sign it with his signature but in the content direct me to the Nurse to discuss my results. Oh me and my 'womanly issues' hey! Did I go? Did I heck! Go talk to someone that will ask me "how long is a piece of string?" Only response I have to that (while smiling sweetly of course) would be "how long is needed for me to string you up?"
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