share: A horrible doctor exam for hemorroids!
I am a middle-aged WOMAN and my primary doctor referred me to a colo-rectal doctor for possible hemmoroids. The colorectal doctor was male, highly regarded according to the letters on his wall, and his assistant was a female. Once I got in the exam room and met with the doctor and explained my situation, he said, "well, let's go into a special butt-examining room." I thought what the??!! That was crass.
So the assistant ushers me in to the room next door, and says to take off everything from the waist down, and she gives me a sheet to I guess put around me as I wait for the doctor. The sheet did not even wrap all the way around me. Of course I see a table like an exam table, with an attachment at the end like the quadricep attachment at the gym. I didn't think too much about that.
The assistant left, and I couldn't sit on the plastic chair as the sheet wasn't big enough to wrap both under me and around me, and God knows I didn't want to sit on the plastic chair bare, with no underwear, and if I sat on the sheet, then I would have been uncovered from the waist down in front, so I went through every drawer in the room and found a gown to put down on the chair so I could sit down.
Then the doctor and the assistant come in and stood me up, so of course the sheet falls away as they lead me to the table end, which faced the DOOR, I might add, so if someone opens the door, there is my naked BUTT...and they lower me on my knees and tell me to "go over the 2-foot across round attachment with my hips over it and then lie on my chest on the table, in essence stretching my hips over the attachment while my knees are on a small step at the bottom of the table.
I am a big woman, and I had a knee injury and back injuries from car accidents, so this is not working for me at all. I couldn't believe it-I am naked from the waist down up over this big attachment, and the doctor moves the table up electronically, so here is my BUTT up high in the air-I am so shocked and scared-what the hell is going on I am thinking?! He and the assistant are both behind me-pun intented-I guess her job is to SPREAD my butt cheeks, or maybe it was him, but my cheeks are spread apart and then the doctor says, "I am going to grease it up" and inserts his finger in my bottom. Like I am a pig that needs grease?
Then he inserts something else, a hard object, I have no idea what it was which really scares me and gives me chest pains, as I am horrified at being in this lewd, crude, embarassing and violating position, naked from the waist down, with two people behind me and the door behind them! Later I found out it was a metal anuscope-and can you imagine having a metal tool shoved inside your tight bottom while you are up and over a large round attachment? Talk about uncomfortable-that would have been uncomfortable in any position, but better if you were on your stomach.
I talked about eating fiber or something inane to feel as if I had some control, and I was leaning on my forearms and gripping the edge of table with my hands for my life-then the doctor says, "You have hemmorroids inside, I can take them out with a rubber band, blah blah blah" like I am going to let them do anything!
They helped me up off my knees so thank God it was only 5 minutes or so of ajbect pain and terror-but I got out of there so fast! I am never going back.
I had a really hard time all week as I was so upset and traumatized by the whole unpleasant, undignified experience. Does this happen to other women? It might be fine for big, strong, stoic men, but this is horrible for women.
So crass and crude. I am so angry at this indignation and how pompous and rude the doctor was-and how anyone thinks this is a good idea. Can you imagine your MOTHER in this position? I wondered if anyone else has had this happen. Please let me know - I can't find anything online about this "procedure" or table being used for people. Thank you for letting me vent-this is the only place I would feel safe disclosing this nightmare. Any by the way, I have had years of surgeries and exams, so I am used to being examined, but NEVER like this.
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Add a Comment10 Comments
Hi Anonymous
It sounds like your doctor didn't have very good bedside manner, and tried to inject a little humor which you clearly didn't appreciate. However, this was sort of like a backwards pelvic exam for a Pap, and really there are not a lot of choices in positioning to be able to see inside your rectum to look for hemorrhoids or cancerous polyps or tumors.
Sometimes the tests we must endure to check for cancer and other health problems feel humiliating. It doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman, the rectum is in the same place and to examine it you have to be able to see in there. It is not an easy spot to access.
As far as internal hemorrhoids, you do not have to have them removed, but they can lead to chronic pain and bleeding and sometimes infection. So even though the exam to find them felt embarrassing, you might want to read up on the pros and cons to leaving them in there. You could end up being seen for them again. The doctor was not trying to humiliate you, he wanted to be sure he could see everything. If you go to a different doctor, you might prefer his manner, but the test will probably be identical.
I'm sorry you found it so upsetting. Some of these tests are hard to go through. This is close to what a man goes through to have his prostate checked, and of course none of us love the Pap smear. It would all be easier if we were born with zipper access, wouldn't it?
We do have information on internal hemorrhoids here: http://www.empowher.com/media/reference/rubber-band-ligation-hemorrhoids
I hope this helps you.
May 3, 2010 - 6:35amThis Comment
Thank you for your perspective. I am going to a different Surgeon for a consult on getting the hemmoroids removed. I don't want them left there!
Still, I do not believe that this is an appropriate way to examine a female. Normally you are laying on your left side with your knees drawn up. He had no clue about a person's privacy or dignity. I have been through so many painful and embarrassing and frankly, traumatizing medical exams and procedures, I thought I had been through it all. This was just not appropriate. I want to let everyone know that it is YOUR BODY and you have the right to ASK what will be done and HOW before engaging in any "exams" or tests. I didn't react quickly enough and the doctor didn't explain anything to me, so I was completely caught off guard. As a health advocate for others, I am continually shocked by our inhumane medical system.
Thank you.
May 3, 2010 - 2:12pmYou are absolutely right about being informed. That was what I meant about the bedside manner. You should always be told what to expect and why and your comfort and dignity should be preserved. There is no doubt about that at all.
Sometimes people feel health care professionals are being horrible when we are just doing what we must, like a Pap or rectal exam, though. The discussion should always be there, but sometimes it is hard when a person is offended by something that is a medical necessity. It sounds like that was not the case for you, but it happens a lot. It can be a fine line.
If you don't get any consideration from a health professional, you should always make your feelings known and as you said, find someone new. I wanted to be clear that I agree with you on that 100 percent.
I hope your procedure goes very well, and I appreciate your writing.
May 3, 2010 - 2:33pmIt seems like a big deal if you make it into one, the doctor has to examine you somehow. His language may not be the best, but thats what he needs to do to see your hemmoriods. What else is he supposed to do the equipment is set up that way.
July 12, 2010 - 6:25amHi Anonymous, I too was the victim of such abuse. I did my research and found a highly recommended doctor who did the hemorrhoid banding and I thought I was going into a good place. I had lots of pain and internal and external hemorrhoids plus a fissure. Which is a rip in the skin that also hurt like hell besides the bleeding hemorrhoids. Well he didn't explain much to me either but what I found most disturbing was his manner in which he came in. He said hello but he sounded sleepy, or drugged or drunk or ..aroused.. I am not sure which but I got a very uneasy feeling right away, and I think he saw that on my face and suddenly he acted very professional. That scared me to see the sudden change but it did lead to me asking myself if I had heard things or felt things right in the first place. I had a bad feeling, you know sometimes u have those and sometimes you listen to them and sometimes you dont and most times you wish you had even if you are wrong. I too bent over the table he then pumped down the front so that my butt was up in the air in front of his face and there was NO nurse with us. I thought shed be in soon but she never came in. After he examined me he told me what was going on down there and asked if I wanted to have banding done and I said yes. So he did one and said that hed have to save the others for another visit. Then as he was putting things away and finishing up I felt his hand slightly brush against my vagina. At first i thought it was accidental but later after I went home, it bothered me a lot and I realized that he most likely did it on purpose. After he did this, he slapped my butt and said in a rather amusing tone, "Don't worry, I'm gonna give you a brand new butt!!" I didn't want to go back but I had to because the rubber band needed to be checked. But this time I made sure that my husband was in the exam room with me. I thought Id be safe for sure. He seemed shocked to see him and I was glad to have him there with me. Unfortunately he got to see the undignified position of my butt in front of the male doctor. He did another banding procedure but this time it hurt and there was supposed to be no pain but there was too much talking to say anything. I should have because I went home in pain and thought it'd go away but it only got worse until in the evening I couldn't stand it anymore but I didn't want to go see him again because I was afraid now of what he might do to hurt me further. So I saw the videos again this clinic provided and thought that the my problem was that the banding was too tight and attached to my muscle which sometimes happens but is not supposed to however can be taken care of easily in the office if caught before you leave. He never asked if I was in pain or examined to make sure all was well. I was in so much pain that evening, I was so desperate I asked my husband to do it for me. I showed him the video I found online and then he put sanitary gloves on and lubricant and inserted his finger in and i guided him where it hurt and he wiggled the band and the skin like in the video and suddenly there was no more pain. Thank God he was successful tho Id recommend if this happens you go to an emergency room or another doctor if possible. I never went back to this doctor and now the whole clinic has shut down and he has his own private practice all within a year or less of seeing him.. Hmmmm .. wonder why.. maybe he has suits against him.. Perhaps if I went into the ER Id have to undergo surgery.. and then somethings can go very wrong.. even a lifetime of pain could have awaited me. I don't know but that was my ordeal and I still have hemorrhoids and suffering right now as a matter of fact.
January 25, 2011 - 1:03amThank you for sharing this-that is a first for me to hear about how he slapped your bottom, etc. No wonder he got shut down. I love how you took your husband in the exam room-that was SMART. Good thinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 25, 2011 - 9:27amYes you should always be allowed to bring someone in with you. Especially if the nurses don't go in, which should be a red flag in any female related exam. I usually bring him in with me and I with him unless I have a female doc I like but female docs usually do have nurses come in the exam room and most of the male docs have too in my past. This was a first and I still need to find another one. Perhaps I should look for a female butt doc this time. :) Think Id feel safer, you might too. Good luck.
January 25, 2011 - 1:11pmNo such luck-I went to a femal and it was even worse than the male-except I refused to go over the table. I laid on my side.
Anyway-thank you so much for your comments-that really helped me and I will take someone in from now on.
Thank you!
January 25, 2011 - 1:35pmOh that is good that u refused to go over the table with your painful knees and insisted to lay on your side. The should be standard. Yes I suppose even females can be a problem too. Sorry u are havin such a hard time. Just keep trying to find the best doc and dont give up. Ill try not too. Maybe Ill ask to lay on my side too. Thank you as well.
January 25, 2011 - 1:53pmAlso it most likely will help hemorroidal sufferers to learn all about the foods and medications that make them worse. Aspirin or foods or herbs or even fruits that cause the blood to flow faster or thinner can make bleeding hemorrhoids worse. Coffee beans, caffeine, tomato sauces, citric juices. Be careful not to become constipated. Take Whole Psyllium Husks or something gentle and natural for fiber. Eat enough vegies, etc. Dont take any stimulant laxatives, watch the intake of cayenne pepper or senna leaves! I found out the hard painful way.... no chocolate and the list goes on.. But I have found remarkable improvement when I watch my intake and make sure I have enough fiber. And drinks lots of water.
January 25, 2011 - 2:03pm