Part III

Gracie looked up just in time to see a man walking into the room. Her jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe her new doctor was a guy! As she turned to give her mother a piece of her mind, the doctor introduced himself. “Hello, my name is Doctor Logan Perkins and I’ll be conducting your exam today. Is everything alright? You seemed a bit surprised as I walked in.” In a small voice, Gracie squeaked; “It’s just… I’ve never had a male doctor before, and the only exams I’ve had were for cheerleading. Not once have I had to take all my clothes off.”

Doctor Perkins smiled warmly. “I completely understand your anxiousness Gracie, especially since this is your first complete exam. I’m sure your mother has enlightened you, but this exam will go in much further detail than your previous ones. I know that can be a scary experience, but I’ll make sure to explain every step to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible.” As Gracie tried to digest what the doctor had told her, the nurse walked into the room carrying the forms she had filled out.

“Thank you Lisa,” Doctor Perkins said. I’ll notify you when I’m getting ready to start the pelvic.” As the nurse exited the room, Doctor Perkins turned back to Gracie and her mother. “Okay Gracie, let’s get started shall we? I’m going to begin by asking you a number of questions, some of which will be rather personal. If she has trouble answering, feel free to help her mom,” Doctor Perkins said, directing the last part of the questions towards Savannah. Gracie nodded slightly, nervously shifting her weight on the exam table.

“According to your records, you turned eighteen this summer?” Gracie again nodded. “She’s going off to college next year, so I felt it was best for her to get a more complete exam before she’s off on her own.” Gracie turned and glared at her mother, but Doctor Perkins continued on. “You should feel good knowing your mother cares so much about your well-being Gracie. As a matter of fact, you should’ve scheduled your first appointment with us years ago to get your development checked.” Although Gracie agreed that she was lucky to have parents that cared so deeply about her, she still did not understand why it involved her sitting half naked at the doctor’s office. Instead of trying to explain that to Doctor Perkins, she simply smiled and nodded.

“Have you ever engaged in sexual intercourse? That includes vaginal, anal, or oral sex.” “Oh…ummm…no….” stammered Gracie, “I’ve never actually had a boyfriend before.” Doctor Perkins chuckled; “No need to be embarrassed. Having sex at your age could leave you more susceptible to certain STDs. I’m sure your mother is relieved that she doesn’t have to worry about that. Just remember, if you decide to have sex while you’re away at college you should be using some form of protection. Unless you’re planning on getting pregnant I recommend using condoms, birth control, or even an IUD. Gracie again nodded, her face burning from embarrassment.

“Are you having any problems with menstruation? Bloating? Cramps? Irregularities?” Gracie turned an even darker shade of red. “Nothing I can think of,” she said quietly. “My cycle seems pretty normal to me.” Doctor Perkins continued. “Do you use tampons or pads?” “Pads have always seemed to work for me.” Doctor Perkins began to ask another question, but Savannah cut in. “Gracie didn’t start her period until after she turned sixteen. I had bought her a box of tampons to use for cheer, but she was unable to fully insert the applicator into her vagina.”

“Thank you Mrs. Williams. This is very useful information. Although it’s very uncommon, some girls do not start menstruation until the age of sixteen. If her cycle has been normal, there isn’t a cause for concern.” Gracie breathed a sigh of relief, but Doctor Perkins wasn’t finished. “If she’d never inserted a tampon before, she could’ve been doing it incorrectly, which would’ve caused some discomfort. However, some girls have a smaller vaginal canal that makes inserting a tampon difficult. When I examine her, I’ll run some tests to rule that out.”

“Oh my gosh.” Gracie thought. “When will these questions end? How much more does he need to know about my vagina?!” As if on cue, Doctor Perkins gave Gracie’s forms one final glance and closed his laptop. “Ok Gracie,” Doctor Perkins said cheerfully. “That takes care of that part. I’m going to start your physical exam now.” “Why is he so excited to get this started? I could be at the mall having fun right now. Instead, I’m about to be poked and prodded to no end.” “Gracie, are you with me?” Doctor Perkins' voice cut into her conscience. She nodded and Doctor Perkins picked up a small pin light. “I’m going to start by examining your eyes and ears. This shouldn’t be any different than exams you’ve had in the past.” After a quick look in both of her eyes, he picked up an otoscope and peered into her ears. “Everything looks good so far Gracie,” Doctor Perkins said, picking up a small tongue depressor. “Please open your mouth. I know this can be a bit uncomfortable, but I need to check your throat.” As Gracie opened her mouth, Doctor Perkins asked her to move her tongue around. “Have you had any cavities or dental issues?” Unable to speak, Gracie shook her head no. Satisfied with what he saw, Doctor Perkins tested Gracie’s gag reflex, to which she immediately choked. “I know that’s never a fun part of the exam, but it’s very important to check if your gag reflex is functioning properly.” “Fun part of my exam? Since when is any part of a physical exam fun?”

Picking up his stethoscope, Doctor Perkins headed back over to the examination table. “I’m going to listen to your heart and lungs next Gracie.” “No big deal,” Gracie thought. This is no different than Doctor Daniels so far.” Doctor Perkins walked behind her and untied her gown, exposing her back. Gracie gasped and began to turn around, but Doctor Perkins’ hand held her in place. “The gown will only get in the way. I need to make sure your lungs show no signs of pneumonia or bronchitis.” Gracie obliged and turned back around. She flinched slightly when the icy metal tool touched her bare back. “Take some deep breaths for me.” Gracie did as she was told, and after what felt like an eternity she felt Doctor Perkins close her gown and stand up.

“Your lungs sounded free and clear,” Doctor Perkins said, pulling a white sheet out from under the examination table. “Next, I’d like you to lay down on the table. I’m going to listen to your lungs again from this position.” Gracie swung her legs up onto the table, again making sure to keep her intimate parts covered. Once she was situated, Doctor Perkins placed the sheet over her lower body. He then pulled her gown up above her stomach, just below her bare breasts. “Relax for me hon,” Doctor Perkins murmured. “Just take those same deep breaths for me.”

After repeating the process of checking her heart and lungs, he then began to palpate her abdomen. “Just going to have a feel around your internal organs Gracie. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.” With that, he began to knead and squeeze her stomach, as if it were cookie dough. As Doctor Perkins worked his way down to the lower portion of her abdomen, his genuine expression turned into a squint. He grabbed his stethoscope and began to auscultate her stomach. “Hmmm…” Doctor Perkins said, clearly perplexed. “All of your internal organs feel fine Gracie. However, after listening to your bowel sounds, it seems that you have quite a bit of stool in your colon. When was the last time you had a bowel movement?”

Gracie scrunched her nose. “Ummm.. maybe three days ago?” “She’s had issues going to the bathroom in the past,” Savannah added. “When she was younger, I would have to give her laxatives to clean her out.” Doctor Perkins patted Gracie’s belly. “Once I finish with my examination, I will give you an enema to help flush you out.” Doctor Perkins continued on; ”This sounds like it may be a recurring issue, so I’m going to run some tests on you while your colon is cleaned out. They may be rather uncomfortable, but are very important in ruling out chronic constipation.”

“Ugh, I thought I was through with the embarrassing questions and now he wants to ask about my butt?! That’s so disgusting!” “This next part of your exam may be new for you,” Doctor Perkins said, again jarring her from her inner voice. “As girls go through puberty, they experience many changes. From breast development to starting menstruation, it can be a very difficult time in your life. The rest of my examination will focus on how you’re developing, or if you’re behind in certain areas.”

Gracie did not like the sound of that. For the past two days, all she had heard was that she needed her development checked. Still as confused as ever, Doctor Perkins’ next words hit her like a ton of bricks. “Once you’re ready, I’m going to lower your gown to your waist and examine your breasts. Although many women don’t begin receiving breast exams until they turn 25, I find it important to see if you’ve developed properly and do not show any signs of cancer.” Gracie started to whimper, but Savannah grabbed her by the shoulder. “Sweetie, remember when I said there would be some new stuff? It’s part of growing up. The doctor needs to check to make sure you’re a healthy girl. I suggest you don’t give him any problems, or there will be consequences when we get home.”

Gracie realized that trying to argue with her mother wasn’t going to work. While holding back tears, she slowly bobbed her head up and down. “That a girl Gracie,” Doctor Perkins said cheerfully. “I’m sure your parents are proud that they raised such a strong daughter.” After washing his hands, Doctor Perkins walked back to Gracie. “I’m going to start with a visual inspection, followed by a quick manual exam to rule out any lumps or cysts. It may be slightly uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt. Do you have any questions for me before I begin?”

“No,” Gracie said, as quiet as a mouse. The next thing she knew, she felt Doctor Perkins’ hands pulling her gown down below her stomach. Her hands immediately shot upward to cover her breasts. Doctor Perkins gave her a stern look. “Please put your hands at your sides and relax for me.” Gracie slowly lowered her hands, exposing her bare chest to the doctor. “I can’t believe I have some guy I met twenty minutes ago staring at my boobs,” she thought. “How much worse can this get?!”

“Visually, everything looks to be in the right place,” Doctor Perkins announced. Before he could continue, Savannah again chimed in; “Doctor Perkins if I may, I wanted to ask you a question about Gracie’s breast development. Since she started wearing a bra, she’s never been able to wear a cup size larger than “A.” I just want to make sure she isn't behind for her age.”

“That’s a great question Mrs. Williams,” Doctor Perkins said. “As you know, breast sizes come in all shapes and sizes. With Gracie’s small frame, it’s not a shock that her breasts resemble that.” Gracie blushed an even darker shade of red. “Don’t feel self conscious kiddo,” Doctor Perkins added. “I wouldn’t hold your breath, but some girls’ breasts continue to grow and mature through their early twenties.”

“I’m going to perform a quick examination of your breasts now Gracie. I need you to place your hands on your hips.” She did as she was told and nervously waited for the exam to start. After what felt like an eternity, she felt Doctor Perkins’ large fingers begin to trace the outline of her right breast. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to disregard his touch, but it turned into a thorough rub, almost as if he was kneading dough. He repeated this process on her left breast, carefully palpating every inch of her. Just when Gracie was about to cry, Doctor Perkins removed his hands from her chest. “Everything felt fine Gracie. No signs of any lumps or cancer.” She started to close her gown, Doctor Perkins put his hand up.

“I need to repeat this process with you laying down,” he said half-heartedly. Gracie began to whine, but quickly laid down to avoid being scolded by her mother. The doctor resumed his exam, only this time he started by rolling each nipple in-between his thumb and index finger. Doctor Perkins then lightly pinched her nipples, which caused Gracie to wince in pain. “Sorry about that sweetie,” Doctor Perkins said sympathetically. “Just testing to see if you have any abnormal breast discharge, which is another symptom of breast cancer.”

Gracie breathed another sigh of relief as she felt Doctor Perkins’ touch subside, but that was short-lived. “Since that was your first breast exam, I’d like to show you how to perform one on yourself. That way you could get a head start on detecting lumps or cysts at home.” She was mortified as she felt him guide her hand onto her left breast. “You’ll want to start by feeling around the outside of your breast and then working your way towards the nipple,” Doctor Perkins said as he picked up Gracie’s other hand. “Many girls like to do this while they’re taking a shower, but do whatever works best for you. Do you have any questions for me?” Gracie shook her head no, as she continued to fight back tears. Satisfied, Doctor Perkins began to walk towards the door. “You can go ahead and close your gown.”

“Thank goodness,” Gracie thought. “My boobs feel like they’ve been run through a trash compactor.” “I know this has been a new experience for you so far Gracie, so I’m going to give you a bit of a break. It will give Nurse Lisa and I time to prepare a kit for your pelvic exam. With that, he opened the door and disappeared down the hallway. Gracie had no clue what a pelvic exam entailed, but if it was anything like the rest of her exam, she knew she wasn’t going to leave this office without any kind of modesty.