Feeling icky
Posted , 6 users are following.
Not sure if this is the right board , sorry ...
I recently had an abdominal ultrasound. The Dr first scanned over my right side, then left, then back, then lastly I had to stand whilst he scanned my sides again.
I am not sure what the procedure is for an abdominal ultrasound and perhaps this is normal. Whilst scanning my side when I was standing he had his hand on my bottom. I would have only had a patient gown and underwear if I had not thought to wear some Nike pro shorts. He kept cupping my bottom almost when I had to hold my breath. I'm not sure if this is normal I just feel icky about it now & wonder if anyone else who has had an abdominal ultrasound had this experience too & it's just the way it is done. I mean no harm to the doctor I'd just like to know if it's a normal thing 😔 Thanks in advance .
1 like, 18 replies
hope4cure tay002
Posted
try not to dwell on it. Put it in the past and move on. It not worth another thought. Really your gonna do better letting it go.
tay002 hope4cure
Posted
Thank you, I think so too ..
zoe61125 tay002
Posted
HI,
Sorry I had to respond to this. I've had two ultrasounds of my abdomen this year and on both occasions I was asked to lie on my side whilst they scanned each opposite side. Was there a female chaperone in the room?Did the Sonographer say to you "I'm sorry but I will have to place my hand here I hope that is ok?" If it made you feel uncomfortable go with your gut instinct because it sounds very wrong to me. I'm a nurse and to be honest you are discouraged from even hugging a patient who is in distress, as are teachers (who have received a lot of negative press about this of late), let alone putting your hand on someone's bottom. I don't know if you live in England but if you do I'd contact PALS (Patient Advice Liaison Service) to report this as inappropriate - you cab get their number on the internet for your local area. Otherwise you are allowing this individual to maybe increase his disturbing behaviour.
tay002 zoe61125
Posted
Thank you for your reply! I am studying to become a nurse
There was no one else in the room, infact this was the first appointment I went to on my own without my mum (trying to cut the umbilical cord lol) however I wish she'd come now because I wonder if it would have happened if she were there. I just want to forget about it honestly but if that's not normal practice to even have his hand cupping my buttom I guess it's ok to feel the way I do!! Thank you again, it's good to let it out
lilian05079 tay002
Posted
Hi tay002
No!.the doc should not have had his hand on your bottom.....i'm surprised you were standing having an ultrasound scan anyway..all the scans i ever had i was lying down and there was also a nurse present...was there anyone else in the room with you beside this doctor...i think you should speak to someone in authority about it...it is not usual medical procedure......i can understand why you feel the way you do about it..i would too......
lilian05079 tay002
Posted
Hi tay002
No!.the doc should not have had his hand on your bottom.....i'm surprised you were standing having an ultrasound scan anyway..all the scans i ever had i was lying down and there was also a nurse present...was there anyone else in the room with you beside this doctor...i think you should speak to someone in authority about it...it is not usual medical procedure......i can understand why you feel the way you do about it..i would too......
tay002 lilian05079
Posted
Hi lilian05079
I was lying down for 3/4 of the procedure
So far I think...his hand was not supposed to be anywhere near my bottom? Not even placed on it at all !?
I don't know how to feel about it & will need to prey further and find out if that's how it's done and I am simply over reacting. The dr who did the scan seemed pleasant enough, he tucked a towel into just below my abdomen & it made me feel uncomfortable but I think if he was a "real predator" he would have done more? I'm not certain. It still feels like a lot to digest and I don't want to tell my mom yet even though I'm over 18.
lilian05079 tay002
Posted
Hi tay002
The only place his hand should have been was on the apparatus he was using to scan your abdomen..he obviously had you stand up so he could place his hand inappropriately on your bottom....if you were lying down he could not get to your bottom.....to be on your feet while having a scan is unheard of for a problem with the abdomen..... Incidently, what was he scanning for?..I have never heard of a towel being placed below someones abdomen when scanning only used to wipe the gel, but usualy tissue is used by a nurse to wipe your abdomen...the whole scenario is suspect and it must be worrying you a great deal. Tay, try and summon up the courage to speak with your mum about it..a problem shared a problem halved....I would think if it does come to light she would be upset that you didn't confide in her. If it were my daughter I would want to know because I would not want her to go through it alone....This man is a predator abusing women...and if truth be known you are not the first one. I think once someone reports him there will be others. Tell you mum and go to your GP together. Otherwise this incident will forever be on your mind All of us on the forum are with you 100%.........keep us posted...
tay002 lilian05079
Posted
Hi lilian05079,
Forgive my ignorance, I did check some online websites to have a better understanding of what would happen during the procedure beforehand (I believe its a certified copy belonging to the NHS UK) which says "Sometimes you will be on your back or you may be asked to turn on your side, lie flat on your stomach or even to stand up during the examination." - Which is why I wasnt too concerned when he asked me to stand. Do ultrasound machines have a short cable connected to the device that scans the stomach? I didnt think to look at this afterwards...
I assume a patient gown with just underwear underneath is a rule that every patient follows to make the procedure run more smoothly and have access to the whole abdomen.
I lifted the gown at my side and he said no I had to have it under my bra and yanked it up.
Thankfully I had the little shorts over my knickers otherwise I would have laid their quite exposed and died of embarrasment. I thought he'd let me cover myself first before pulling it up? Especially if a girl/woman is just in her knickers under there! My cheeks were burning when he tucked it into my undwear.
Im still finding it incredibly hard to believe he did something wrong to me, I guess it will take a little bit of time for me to fully comprehend what happened and voice it .
Thank you for speaking with me - it helps more than you know
lilian05079 tay002
Posted
As mentioned by another reply he should have made sure there was a nurse in the room with you and the nurse would have done what needed to be done regarding adjusting your gown etc., that may be so occasionally patients have to stand up but the doctor does not lay hands on a patients bottom....Tay, you have, overtime described other inappropriate things this doctor did to you, is there anything else that he did that was inappropriate?....and what was the scan for? I hope you will be able to discuss this with your mum.....you will feel much better if you do....or are you feeling you are to blame because if you are you are...you are most definitely not to blame...this so called doctor was completely out of order and did not carry out the scan as a medical professional should have.....with total respect and care for his patient......best wishes Tay and do keep us posted about any developments..:-)
lilian05079 tay002
Posted
lyn1951 tay002
Posted
I would also feel that this man touching you like that is not normal, check with your local GP how this ultrasound is supposed to be done. lying down or standing up, even contact another clinic and ask the same question.
Then make a formal complaint.
Not good enough, my GP will not even raise my shirt to examine my breasts for cancer, yearly exam as at risk, always calls his nurse into the room for second person to be present.
tay002 lyn1951
Posted
Thank you for your response.
I think that would be a really good idea just to put my mind at ease. I will ask my GP when I see him.
I don't want to believe he did something he wasn't supposed to, however, I ask myself is this was my GP touching me like this would I have said something? And the answer would have been yes. I trust my GP and thought I could also trust this radiologist .
Thank you again, I shall speak with my GP next week if I'm brave enough !
lyn1951 tay002
Posted
Tay - you are brave enough, its takes a really strong and brave person to be a nurse, I know, my sister is a very senior nurse, and she also teaches nursing to juniors.
I am told she is a bit of a monster, but highly respected for her knowledge which is amazing.
I know i have a wonderful realtionship with my GP I can discuss anything with him, even unlikely things, especailly about my husband who has heart failure, we have some really good discussions, and even he admits he has learn't from me.
He has shared his cardiology books with me so i can understand better what is going on, and recognize when he is getting worse or developing complications, which has happened now 4 times, and 4 times I have got him to the hospital in time to be saved, and once he has apoligized to me and husband for missing something I had told him about but he dismissed, I found a paragraph in the cardio books about heart problems disguising themselves as rotator cuff injury, exactly the same happened to husband, and even cardio Jnr Dr's missed it at hospital, and only my insistance that it was his heart, and getting really angry and upset the consultant overheard and said whats all the noise about, and ended up agreeing with my diagnoses and told the Jnr cardio's they were idiots in our hearing, and called a meeting in his office with husbands file, I would have loved to have been a fly on that wall.
pippa58442 tay002
Posted
tay002 pippa58442
Posted