On a serious note, I had an appointment with a gynecologist today. My previous pap test with the family doctor was very painful and couldn't be completed, so I had to get a referral to the gynecologist. It was still painful - felt like a needle being stuck in me for a few seconds there - but the gynecologist tried to relax me as much as possible during the procedure. For instance, she left the room while I undressed and then put the speculum in warm water first to get it near body temperature. When it did start to hurt, she said, "I can see the cervix. It'll be over very soon, so just breathe slowly and deeply." That was much better than the family doctor's orders to "Relax! Relax!" I can't relax on command, but I can try to control my breathing, and knowing that it would be over soon helped me to ride it out as well. I didn't even cry.
Then the gynecologist told me that since she didn't normally do pap tests, I'd have to go to the family doctor for my next one and she would ask the family doctor to use the smallest speculum possible rather than the baseball bat model she tried to shove up me. Shoot. :| I'd rather go to her again.
Why did it hurt so much?