"Full" physicals?
 

what exactly is a "full physical" anyways? what are they going to do to me? lol the last time i went to the dr, he told me to make another appt for a full physical. im scared. i dont recall the last time i had one of these. i've been to the dr many times over the last couple of years... mostly pregnancy related. i've never actually had a dr appt that actually focused on me and not my babies. hehe. im hoping they do things that are going to give me knowledge to help me in my LC journey. BF%s, cholesterol level tests, etc. but i dunno. also, this may be a tmi question, but im pretty sure theyre gonna want to give me a pap smear & im thinking based on the date of my appt, TOM will be here. so, what exactly should i tell the nurse, without sounding like a total moron? like "its that time of the month", "aunt flow is here", etc don't sound right.. nor does "i'm currently in the middle of my menstrual cycle" i dunno. what do i say? :o

I don't know what a full physical is. But I had to add in (TOM) "My grandma's visiting", but seriously I would say it's that time of the month or I have my period.

There is no "standard" full physical. It depend on your doctor as well as on your insurance plan. Blood and urine tests, basic heart, lung, skin exam are always included. If it is your first full physical, usually there is a very long questionary, asking everything that could have effect on your health (diet, exercise, sexual life etc.)
Do not take it too seriously, this is not an interogation:-)))

My "primary care providers" - the doctors providing the full physical always ask if I want pap test or not. (Many women prefer ob-gyns or female doctors for this test.)

"It is that time of the month" or "I have my period" would be my preference, but believe me, those nurses see dozens of women day by day with similar problem. There is no way to look moron, whatever words you use.

Cheers:
Eva

When my doctor says a "full physical" he means bloodwork and a pap smear. If I were you I would schedule your appointment for another day. Pap smears aren't that pleasant, but so important - just think if you get it done now you don't have to worry about it for awhile!

whoever is asking questions will ask you for the first date of your last period - this tells them where you are in your cycle, they'll ask if you might be pregnant, etc. - which can effect what is expected for breast exams, pelvic exams, some other tests, etc. - at that time, if it is within a few days, just mention it is still on-going. it won't be a big deal to reschedule the pelvic exam & PAP.

what you'll probably get in the exam (as opposed to any blood or urine work) would be a head-to-toe physical exam - eyes, ears, nose, throat, neck, heart, lungs, abdomen, extremities (hands, legs), skin, etc.

Reschedule
 

You get a better pap if you're not bleeding. If you have an appointment already, you can probably get a different one within a short time.

Just tell the appointment nurse you'll have your period. They live and die by the cycle in a gyn office.

thanx guys! i meant to post this in general health vs general exercize. duh! thanks for replying and not making me feel stupid for putting it in the wrong place :o