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: https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/rubber-band-ligation-hemorrhoids
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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: https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/rubber-band-ligation-hemorrhoids
I hope this helps you.
May 3, 2010 - 6:35amThis Comment
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