After many years, actually decades ,of having a shared medical/gynecological interest, my husband and I finally worked up the courage to film one of my visits and are now ready to share some of that experience with the community.
It all began a few weeks ago with my first real OB-GYN visit in over 15 years. Since having children, we had only been seeing an independent primary care physician (PCP) for our routine medical needs. She also provided my annual exams, including pelvic and breast checks, along with Pap smears every three years. My husband and I always scheduled back-to-back appointments and were in the room together in gowns, which became a unique part of our experience. Dr. Heather, who cared for us, was kind, attentive, and very thorough, but unfortunately we never had the chance to capture any footage during those years.
When she left last year, I tried calling more than 20 in-network PCPs to find someone who would allow the same kind of dual appointments, but none were willing. We eventually settled on a new PCP from a large hospital chain. This doctor only offered separate appointments and provided very basic checkups, blood pressure, eyes, ears, reflexes, heart, lungs, abdomen, and nothing beyond that. I asked about a full well-woman exam, but she referred me to an OB-GYN instead.
So, a month ago, I had my first appointment with a new OB-GYN. My husband came along, and we decided to try filming the visit. Unfortunately, we were disappointed to discover afterward that he hadn’t hit the record button. Luckily, another opportunity came soon after.
I had decided to get an IUD to help manage heavier periods, so we returned to the office for the procedure the following week. This time, my husband double-checked the camera. The setup wasn’t perfect—the angle from his chair didn’t allow for a fully unobstructed view, but we managed to capture some of it.
As for the procedure itself, I had prepared by taking some pain medication an hour beforehand. I wasn’t worried about the speculum, since that’s familiar for me, but I was a little concerned about the instruments used to stabilize and measure the uterus. Thankfully, with the meds, the discomfort was manageable. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give it about a 5, though I know others have very different experiences.
Because of our professional lives, we won’t be sharing faces or voices, but we’re glad to share parts of this journey with the community. Hopefully, you enjoy this glimpse into our experience, and perhaps more will follow in the future. Take a look at my images collections - they will be posted there. Enjoy.