Oh, the humiliation!

[Bob Wright]

Home Health Care came by today, two of 'em. One occupational the other physical.

Therapist: "Show me how you sit on the toilet"
O.K., did that. I mean, how many ways is there? And then:
"Get up." Then came the big question: "Can you clean yourself or do you have ot have help?"

After that, demonstratin how to take a shower was pretty straight forward.

Home Health Care decided I don't need therapy.

Bob Wright

 

[Dan in MI]

Well this may not be worse, but it felt that way to a twenty something.

At about 23 I had to get a sigmoidascope (mini colonoscopy). Only this version is in office . You get on your knees, bend at the waist, and lay your upper body across the table. The nurse explaining and prepping is a middle aged woman. I'm naked waist down and in position. She leaves, the doc comes in with a new nurse, A knockout 10+ straight outta any man's dream. At that point the doc hit a button and the table puts my head nearly on the floor and my rear end about 3 feet up roughly chest high.

Yeah, that wasn't embarrassing at all.....

 

[WAYNO]

And back long enough I was still considered young, I had a let's just say bung procedure, normally done in a hospital, but this one was done in the Dr.'s office. They put me in the upside down barber chair, and when the nice young nurse came in, I told them I was humiliated, and asked them to put a blanket over my face.

Americans, especially me, have some serious hang-ups about their own body and health care. And I'll bet many procedures are postponed too long because of this.

 

[hittman]

Oh, ask about treatments for bladder cancer.
Chippendale dancers have had fewer women see their junk.

And the joy of being from a small town.
One nurse is the daughter of a friend from high school.
Another remembered me from when I volunteered for "playground duty" as she and my son went to grade school together.

In all fairness …. All were very good to me and great at their jobs. Ya just gotta get past resigning your humility. It's only business to them.

Getting old ain't for sissy's.

 

[WAYNO]

This too.

 

[hittman]

I think at one point I had a catheter 12 Mondays in a row ….. not hard for that to make a fella cranky LOL.

Now when I go for a follow up I'm shucking off my britches while the nurse is still gabbing about the procedure,

 

[AJGUNNER]

Back in my 20's I had kidney stone that needed to be blasted to smaller pieces. I read all the literature and showed up first thing in the morning. Stripped down and was strapped into a sling with all the goodies hanging out the bottom. I asked about the complementary swim suit that was in the brochure. To this the 20 something cutie strapping me in and now hoisting me into the air with everything hanging out all over, says what are you the shy type. I wasn't real shy until one of the gals in the room then says, as you know this is a teaching hospital and we have a crew of new recruits on rotation today. I hope you don't mind them observing. As I am hanging in the air the knock out drugs began to work, and the new recruits start to fill the room. Guessing there was 12 or so, but what I remember most was the first 5 or 6 into the small room were all cuties, and most within 3-6 years of my age. Of course when I came out of the fog the crowd was all gone. I felt like I had been repeatedly beaten with a 2x4 across the lower back. From what I have since learned, a lower back ache probably beat the heck out of trying to pass them the natural way.

 

[Armybrat]

Well this may not be worse, but it felt that way to a twenty something.

At about 23 I had to get a sigmoidascope (mini colonoscopy). Only this version is in office . You get on your knees, bend at the waist, and lay your upper body across the table. The nurse explaining and prepping is a middle aged woman. I'm naked waist down and in position. She leaves, the doc comes in with a new nurse, A knockout 10+ straight outta any man's dream. At that point the doc hit a button and the table puts my head nearly on the floor and my rear end about 3 feet up roughly chest high.

Yeah, that wasn't embarrassing at all.....

 

[Bob Wright]

Well, I see I'm not the only one who feels exposed and vulnerable.

Just as a matter of fact, when I entered the hopsital this time, those "gowns" were optional to me, so until I went for the "proceedure" I stayed,and slept, in a white, long tailed dress shirt, my Hanes underwear and socks, and my Wranglers. Uncouth? Maybe, but I wasn't exposed to anybody.

Bob Wright

 

[Armybrat]

About 10 years ago my primary care doctor referred me to an urology specialist for a more thorough prostate examination.
The urologist turned out to be a very attractive blonde 40something lady who spent a lot of time examining my family jewels fore & aft…..in front of Nurse Ratched. Talk about uncomfortable.

45 years ago I had the "boys" snipped to spare the wife from having to continue taking birth control pills.
The prep for the procedure was embarrassing enough with the 20something young lady nurse starting to shave me "down there", when someone knocked on the door.
Apparently it was a friend of the nurse who stopped by to chat about something non-medical….all during my shaving prep.
For all I know, the visitor wasn't even a clinic employee and may have just been her personal friend passing by.
Talk about the "shrinkage" factor!

 

[WendyZXZ]

I would have asked back what is this toilet thing you speak of? Are you referring to a privvy?

 

[Johnnu2]

I might like a "taking a shower" demonstration.... depending of course...

J.

 

[Ranger]

Getting older is no fun.

 

[JimC1953]

The first time I had to endure a colonoscopy the doctor who was filling in was a client of mine, as were the two nurses who were assisting. First and only clients to see "all of me"

 

[blume357]

I've elected now that I'm old and at 'that age' to just do the poop in a bucket and ship it to California method... read it anyway you like but that is what I did and a few weeks later my doctor and I got a reply that I was okay up there. I do remember back when I was in college and Navy/Marine ROTC having to bend over for the doc. with the 8" fingers.....

As for the OP and his health care visitors's question of "can you clean yourself"... you know the French did get one thing right... bidets. I go through a roll of toilet paper about every 3 or 4 months....

 

[Rum River]

I think at one point I had a catheter 12 Mondays in a row ….. not hard for that to make a fella cranky LOL.

Now when I go for a follow up I'm shucking off my britches while the nurse is still gabbing about the procedure,

Yeah, that whole catheter thing.............
I'm amazed the nurse can even find it - the shrinkage factor places it somewhere up near my shoulder blades.

Plus, I can't understand why those things always come out like a barbed wire boresnake.
In my (unfortunately) vast experience with this necessary evil I've had exactly one where I was able to say: "It's already out??!!"

I wanted to kiss that nurse on the mouth and put her on my Christmas card list.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Some people are never happy.

 

[Fox Mike]

After my wife's latest stroke we had home health care for some time. They ask the same questions as they did with Bob. There was one nurse that came by once a week and helped Linda shower; that was her sole job. Others did exercises and yet others did only the BP, stethoscope things, and asked about her diet. Very professional, all of them.

I think at one point I had a catheter 12 Mondays in a row ….. not hard for that to make a fella cranky LOL.

Now when I go for a follow up I'm shucking off my britches while the nurse is still gabbing about the procedure,

Here is a catheter wearer at last years 'Gathering'. I wasn't too cranky, but I was miserable. Had the 'plumbing' fixed when I got home. Now the waterworks function normally.

 

[Shamus2022]

Simultaneous bladder, prostate, lung and bone cancer. 6 docs and dozens of nurses administering several different types of chemo and i am "cured". Modesty caught the last train for the coast about two years ago.

 

[larry8]

This is funny. Try living in China for a few months. In areas that do not have many foreigners or tourists, the people walk around naked think nothing of it.