Theresa is 38 years old, never pregnant and not sexually active. She is overweight, hypertensive, and pre-diabetic, without much evidence from the clinical records of much progress in managing these issues, but she did come in for cervical cancer screening ("Pap smear"), which was abnormal, prompting an office procedure called colposcopy--that's where I come in.
Pap smears screen; colposcopies confirm.
The colposcopy begins with application of acetic acid (aka vinegar), which causes proteins to denature/precipitate, forming small particles that reflect light straight back to its source instead of scattering the light. The examiner thus sees white, which is biopsied (a small--about 1/16th inch--sample is removed for microscopic evaluation). This contains more cells than the brushings of a Pap smear. More cells = more information = more accurate diagnosis.
Theresa's biopsy showed cancer, early enough for successful treatment--she will do well. I was struck by her attitude with the news; as if she totally expected cancer; just one more health problem that fate has decreed for her.
Monday, November 10, 2014
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Glad it was caught early! Maybe her reaction was muted while still in your presence? Maybe she had prepared herself for the news after being asked to come back for the more in-depth testing?
ReplyDeleteOn a semi-unrelated note: I was glad to see this post because I've missed you on facebook and on your 'green communter' blog. Chuck's good friend has talked him into road bicycling as a hobby (and possibly someday commuting option). I'm interested to see if he enjoys it as much as he's hoping to. (ahh, I hope my mom doesn't see how I ended that sentence...)