By Anonymous - 13/08/2014 15:19 - United States - Wichita Falls

Spicy
Today, my professor told everyone that he thinks all med students should be required to get a catheter and an enema at least once in their lives so they can relate to their patients, saying, "Gentlemen, it might change your lives." FML
I agree, your life sucks 41 275
You deserved it 7 295

Same thing different taste

Top comments

Having experienced both and seeing how completely unsympathetic my doctors were to pain and discomfort I agree with him.

Comments

i agree with him. Lots of injections too

Xatraris 38

Google is a thing these days, #37

Based on the replies to #2... I don't want to google that.

So, does google's existence mean we can't ask a question any more?

54, Yeah, pretty much. Why should anyone waste their time explaining things when you have the answers right at your fingertips?!

Xatraris 38

I'll answer simple ones. The ones that may be a little long or graphic I'd leave to Google.

Haha that's legen.... Wait for it...dairy

schhichick 14

As you wishhhhhh! Oh my sweet Wesley!

schhichick 14

Was it really good Ice cream or cheese? Get it because you said Legend wait for it dairy instead of dary!

gameover18 17

I'll answer you #37 a catheter is when they shove a tube up your penis hole into your bladder to help with draining and an enema is a tube up your butt most often to help clean it up before medical procedure among other stuff.

incoherentrmblr 21

Sounds just as bad as a tester for a rectal thermometer who works at Johnson & Johnson...

in other words it indeed might change your life. it did mine.

working in a nursing home and seeing all and more at times i do wonder and do say i hope it never happens to me but i cant stop life from going the way it chooses.

snarkytruth 37

OMG I've been catheterized at the hospital and I don't even have a penis. I'm going to sue both the doctor for malpractice and the hospital!

Having experienced both and seeing how completely unsympathetic my doctors were to pain and discomfort I agree with him.

pwnman 33

#2 didn't get replies. However, his comment was persuasive.

Yeah, I agree. I think that once you've done it on enough patients, you almost become immune to the pain, because you've seen worse. Not trying to excuse it or anything. One of the most important traits for a doctor is bedside manner.

57, for people who realize the chain of events, your comment is amazing.

I'm pretty sure an enema would be unconfortable for every man who isn't gay... especially if given by a male doctor.

I've only had a catheter because of major surgery that made it so I wouldn't be able to stand for a few days but that shit sucked. Also many doctors are rude and unsympathetic. I don't give a flying **** that you went to school for a long time. It doesn't make you right when evidence proves you wrong. Sorry bout that last part since it's irrelevant but my old primary doctor knew I had a level 1 heart block that was causing me to pass out and hid it from me for months. I would have died had I not gotten 4 other doctors to look at in before one suggested the surgery I got. 3 surgeries later and I'm doing a lot better but have a problem with my nerves now. :/

Im probably not the only one, but what is that?

Enemas are medical exams of the butt and catheters are of the genital area. They feel quite weird

A catheter is a tube inserted through your urethra to gain access to your bladder, while it's in it basically pees for you.

An enema is a fluid that's put in your butt to clean it out, to put it simply.

18 is right about the enemas. Just thought I would add that they are used a lot for constipation as well. You can even give yourself one at home. Catheter's on the other hand are only done by nurses, and are used in a lot of patients for different reasons, but one reason is if they are too sick or ill to get out of bed to pee. The pee goes through the tube and is collected into a bag. I have never had one but catheter's are painful, enema's on the other hand surprisingly aren't.

Xquisite1 28

#8 You really have no idea as to what you are talking about. I bet you think a tampon is a type of vaginal exam also. Idiot.

Oh so close #46. While most urinary catheters are inserted by nurses, they may also be inserted by doctors if, say, you have a swollen prostate gland, and a nurse is unable to advance the catheter past the swollen gland. Then the doctor may insert the catheter. So they are not only inserted by nurses. Enemas however...are usually medications ordered by a doctor. Rarely does said doctor hang around to administer the enema personally. This is a task usually left to the nurse.

No where did 46's comment say that the doctor gives the enemas, just that they can be given by home.

actually enemas can be painful. it all depends on the person and the situation. I do not have a colon and have an internal pouch. enemas kill me.

79, I thought of putting nurses and doctors, but left doctors out as they can obviously do it, however they don't usually. I figured common sense would tell them that a doctor could do it. Although common sense isn't always abound on this website so maybe I should've added doctors too.

MLardinos 14

#8 I really hope that was a joke. Scares me to think someone is that stupid.

Urinary catheters are not only inserted by healthcare professionals, but can also be taught to a patient for self-insertion. There exist people who have to self-cath due to urinary retention multiple times a day.

Yeah, I'm paralyzed from the waist down and have to cath myself multiple times a day because I can't control my bladder. It's not painful for me obviously since I can't feel it, but I can imagine that it would be quite painful if you could. It's a really simple process, at least for males, that's easily learned, but doing it to yourself, provided you had sensation, could help you understand ways to minimize the discomfort involved.

Catheters are not too painful for females if inserted properly, I can imagine it might be uncomfortable for males though. I had the doctor throw back the hospital curtains while my nurse was inserting one. Most embarrassing moment of my life, legs spread and the rest of the rooms clear view of my vajayjay. Thanks for checking we were done before barging in doc. I'm glad I vomited on you later in the day. Should have posted this as an FML post. Doh!

According to google, enemas can also be used for x-Ray imaging, but I will admit I was way wrong on the catheter, sorry.

It isn't dangerous, just painful. That's why he thinks that all med students should feel it. Like how a cop has to get tased and pepper sprayed to have the items.

schhichick 14

You know what else is dangerous? Going against a Sicilian when death is on the line

cops aren't required to be tazed but it is an "option" when they are in the academy. legally they can't force anyone to do it.

nellbell414 13

No cops have to be tased to get the job, you are not allowed to carry one around as a cop unless you have experienced it first, it is also part of your training

I love how this discussion is completely off topic from the FML.

Like how cops have to be required to be pepper sprayed so they know how it feels?

They also get tased while in the academy.

I don't know about elsewhere, but I know here in Canada getting tased and pepper sprayed is a choice, however most in the academy choose to have it done.

Technically only one "volunteer" from the class gets tased or pepper sprayed and the rest "observe".

skyeyez9 24

Probably why cops skip the taser and pepper spray, and go straight for their gun.

That sounds cruel. I'd ask him if he's gone through that.

#7 I don't think OP'S professor would be telling the class to do it if he didn't know what it felt like himself.

#36, maybe he would try to make it seem less painful, though it would be an unpleasant surprise in the end.

A lot of professors have said that, several of my friends from different schools have told me the same story.

I think these professors are onto something. I'm surprised so many have said it but I agree completely. It will teach students more compassion and bedside manner when having to give them to others.

I once watched an extremely condescending female doctor tell my brother that he needed to 'grow up a bit' because despite him having a UTI 'catheters do not hurt as much as you're making out'. Even if she had had one, I don't think she could possibly comprehend how much more painful it is for a man. I would be far more willing to listen to her after someone has forced a tube down her infected, irritated and inflamed urethra.

juturnaamo 29

I don't think there's a difference between male and female urethra. They look like they have the same size opening.

But the male entrance is smaller and longer.

Razi_tail 25

There is a huge difference 68.

askullnamedbilly 33

Also, due to the position of the penis in relation to the bladder, the catheter basically has to be guided around a curve (two, actually, but one can be straightened out by arranging the penis in a horizontal position). I can imagine this could lead to an incredibly painful experience if the catheter is inserted too quickly.