Had first colonoscopy, was I exposed?
Posted , 9 users are following.
I went in for a colonoscopy, and had to remove all my clothings. They had me put two hospital gowns on, first one open to the back, second one open to front. They put ekg leads on my chest as a preparation so they can connect the wires to the leads after I am sedated. They also placed an IV line on the right arm, pulse reader on my finger, and oxygen breathing tubes through my nostrils.
I was transported to the procedure room where they had the doctor, an intern, 2 female nurses, and the anesthesiologist. BTW, all introduced themselves and very friendly. Total 3 males, and 2 females in the room. I was asked to turn to my left side and one of the nurses exposed only my rear and placed a padded sheet underneath. I was then put under, and then remembered waking up in the recovery room still lying on my left side but with my gowns completely pulled up to my thighs almost to hip level, and sort of a towel sheet just covering my legs and posterior half of my body.
I don't remember anything during the procedure and wondering. Was my genitals fully exposed at any point during the procedure?
Other than, everything went fine. I was comfortable throughout and procedure was painless. Just concerned about the modesty thing.
0 likes, 12 replies
jan34534 neil75907
Posted
you had a colonoscopy so it’s possible that things were exposed For a short time and it’s possible that nothing was exposed. . It doesn’t really matter. The focus was the doctor viewing your: colon using a scope . they don’t pay attention to anything else and they don’t want to see anything else. they cover you up as much as possible .it’s a medical procedure and there’s always a chance of this.
they do these all day long one after another and are only concerned with the health of your colon. I wouldn’t give it a second thought.
TheToad jan34534
Posted
You should soon stop worrying about modesty. As Jan wrote, they are medical people and not interested in your genitals. I've had colonoscopies, digital exams for prostate cancer including one by a female trainee nurse, catheters put in mostly by female nurses, an untrasound on my testicles by a female, enemas, peeing into a bottle while the nurse waited, helped in the shower by nurses, etc. Almost all done by females. You may have religious beliefs which makes it embarrassing or wrong, but try to overcome your concerns. Your health is important. I hope you are happy with the result of your colonoscopy.
neil75907 jan34534
Posted
Thank you. I might be putting too much thought into this. I was thinking when they connected the EKG wires to the leads already stuck to my chest; that they must have pulled the gown up to shoulder level, and I was totally exposed on the table at that point.
neil75907 TheToad
Posted
Thank you. The results turned out negative, thank goodness:)
dimmy neil75907
Posted
what does it matter if you were exposed!..?..the Doctors and Nurses have seen it all before!....it's the results that you should concentrate on .
neil75907 dimmy
Posted
I know, but still wondering if unnecessary exposure occurred. Do nurses also check the patient's bottom during recovery (In the recovery room)?
jan34534 neil75907
Edited
believe me, medical professionals have seen everything on patients. it’s part of their job and to them it’s no different than the mechanics seeing the inside of a car. there is nothing exciting about it and they don’t remember anything about any of their patients private parts, nor do they want to.! . it’s just very routine to them.
christine80760 jan34534
Edited
I don’t care what they’ve seen and on who, unless they ask me specifically they have no business exposing me
ada21370 jan34534
Edited
I wonder if people can not understand that those nurses are complete strangers and I don't care about how many million bodies they have seen, I do not go exposing my body to strangers and no matter the reason it will make many people fell really uncomfortable. After seen so many
people's bodies parts, they might feel it is nothing to transfer you to recovery with your gown up to the hip exposing your body not only to them but to other strangers in recovery area. Everybody in health field should be very concern about patients modesty and provide the extra mile protecting their patients from unnecessary exposure, even though they see it as "normal", for the patient this is definitely NOT NORMAL. I have been told, "patient won't remember, so nothing to worry" and I think that is very unprofessional. They should protect their
body, intimacy or modesty when patient is awake, sedated or even dead.
karen48520 neil75907
Edited
i know this is older but yes you were most likely exposed. Others have said they are professionals and have seen many, dont care etc etc. well that isnt exactly the truth. Look up patient modesty/dignity and see all the horror stories about what those so called professionals do while you are under. its crimimal.
raffie karen48520
Edited
I agree with Karen & Christine.
By needlessly exposing patients all healthcare is doing is make potential new patients walk away rather than get tested.
There are people who don't care about the level of their exposure in front medical people much less medical people of the opposite gender. That's their choice & everyone should respect that.
At the same time are are men & women who for whatever their reason(s) may be don't want intimate exams, tests, or procedures done in the presence of the opposite gender. That's their choice & as such, everyone should respect that.
Every facility in the country that does these type of intimate exams should be required to have on hand a supply of what the industry calls privacy pants to give to the patient to wear during an exam like a colonoscopy.
All it is is a pair if one time use pants or shorts that have a slit in the back to allow the technician to insert the camera into the rectum. When the test is over they can take the camera out & wipe off any excess lubricant thru the open slit whereby protecting the patients privacy.
A little respect for a patient's dignity & privacy in a medical setting can go a long way for the facility & its employees.
There are a couple of companies out there (of which I have NO financial or other interest in) that sell garments to the general public so that you are armed with your own protection if you have a test like this to go through.
Order yourself a garment then leave it in its original plastic container. If you open it then bring it with you, they will tell you its been contaminated & can't be used.
Some doctors have jumped on the bandwagon & are tired of their patients being needlessly exposed before & during surgery so they pushed to get the apparel. The tide is slowly but surely changing.
Regards,
Raffie
VBiker neil75907
Posted
Donning scrubs does not make anyone asexual or automatically altruistic. Healthcare is thus not always purely clinical to the staff. The mere fact that many who work in hospitals go elsewhere for their own care that involves intimate exposure tells you that they don't really see it as purely clinical. If they did, they wouldn't care if their co-workers saw them intimately exposed during medical procedures. But they do care, so I don't buy the purely clinical mantra.
For colonoscopies there is a chance that you will be fully exposed when being positioned and then when it is over and you are being repositioned. That said, if you are in a large urban/suburban area where people are generally anonymous, they'll most likely quickly forget you, assuming there is nothing memorable about you. In small towns/rural areas where anonymity is near impossible, you take your chances.