Saturday, April 24, 2010

"Privacy"

I was talking to a friend last night about the dildo-cam and the joy of any visit to an RE, or OB/GYN. We had a good laugh about the "privacy" thing. And the irony of it. Meaning?

When you have any of these appointments, they take you to your room, hand you a paper-thin gown that will inevitably end up not covering much of you anyway, and then allow you to change in privacy...why is this?

As soon as they come back in the room, you will have to spread your legs, the world will see your every girly part, and if it's a yearly, your top comes off as well. So why the modesty of being allowed to change with no one in the room? They're going to see it all anyway! Not to mention touch, examine, and otherwise abuse you.

Not only that, but for many of us, those appointments end with us in tears in our half-dressed state, all dignity out the window. So, is the idea to allow you those 2 minutes of dignity before ripping it all away from you? It seems sort of ridiculous. We've lost all modesty. It's gone.

Seriously, let's just be honest, get down to business, and recognize that you, my dear RE or whoever, is going to see all of it. Just let me strip then and there. That will save us all time and the silliness of pretending there is any sort of privacy or modesty or secrets. I'd prefer it that way. It's not like we don't see the monitor and dildo-cam staring us right in the face the second we walk in the room anyway. So bring it on, no tip-toeing. Let's be real about this.

13 comments:

  1. This is so true. For a while, I was keeping track of how many "strangers" had seen my girly parts... I gave up after 15.

    Now I half heartedly cover with the paper blanket thingy as I come out of the changing room, more for their comfort than mine. I figure, regardless of what they see every day, if I walked out buck naked from the waist down (except for my socks of course) and sauntered over to the table, it might freak them out...

    I once said to my husband after an ER, where there were like six people in the room and as they got me situated the nurse said "don't worry, I'll just cover you up here while you get in position" how silly it was, since as soon as they put me out they were all going to be staring up into my junk for the next twenty minutes... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ha, ha, so true--although I have to admit there was once the nurse didn't leave right away after my ultrasound. She seemed to be expecting me to get dressed with her still standing there and for some weird reason it kind of bothered me. Completely irrational. I have no idea why.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LOL. Too true. Here from ICLW. A few months ago, the nurse forgot to pull out a lap cloth for me to drape across my lap after I took off my pants. So, I took my pants off and sat on the table. I kind of pulled my shirt down a little bit so I wasn't just sittin' there all nekkid. When the RE came in to do the u/s, he was FREAKED out that I didn't have on a bottom. All I could think was, you're about to shove a probe up my hooha and you're worried that you might see a little BEFORE you get down there? Huh? They were SO apologetic about forgetting the drape and I really don't care anymore. I honestly have to remind myself NOT to start stripping until they close the door...

    ReplyDelete
  4. So, so, so true. I used to be so uptight about who saw my stuff...I would have done anything to never have a male doctor. Now I'm like, "whatever!" After all these years, and especially after a hysteroscopy, it just doesn't seem to matter anymore. Crazy how much this journey can change us. Good luck with your IVF in a few months!

    ReplyDelete
  5. LOL!! So very true!!!!

    ~Jess
    ICLW

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like your outlook on things. I always commented that you lose all your modesty when you visit an OB or RE regularly. It is truly farcical for them to pretend otherwise.

    Good luck with your upcoming (hopefully soon) IVF treatment.

    ~ICLW

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this post! It is so very true. I had to laugh at the dentist appointment (in March) that was smack in the middle of a busy week of in-vitro ultrasounds and told the hygienist that this was the first appointment all week where I didn't have to take off my pants. Modesty be damned!

    ReplyDelete
  8. LOL...If I took it seriously....I would be aghast and the number of people who had got to see my hoo!

    I am a little taken aback even at other procedures (besides ultrasound)...I was watching my laparoscopy video, and saw the cam come out of my interior pipeus, take a visual of the hoo, and go right into the face of the Anesthesiologist.

    Needless to say, I feel ugh!

    ReplyDelete
  9. So many times I felt the exact same!! I really wonder why there is this sort of shyness (from the RE perspective) of not being there when you undress. He/she doesn't have to stare at you but still, in my case, the curtain is drawn, she waits behind it and I have to say "I'm ready!" like a baby on the toilet....anyway, after my initial surprise at this behaviour (in Italy it doesn't happen) I just play along...

    Happy ICLW, Fran

    #71

    ReplyDelete
  10. haha! the whole thing IS completely ridiculous! for effs sake, my RE is more intimate with the innards of my lady bits than my husband of 7 years! i say we strip and get right down to business. shall we start a movement? :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gosh, it is so true! I was just thinking about it and after so many months of being heavily exposed, got weirded out again when I accompanied DF for a visit at Dr. Testicles this last week. Things we have to go through to build our family. Wish we could keep it private. Oh, I wish!
    Happy ICLW from your follower!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've also often thought about the irony of this. And wondered what the doctors do when they leave us to get undressed. Do they run down to the computer and dry to polish off a few emails? Or just wait outside the door? And how do they know how long to give before knocking? Because how awkward would it be if they knocked and you were still undressing?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Such a good point! I never really thought about it that way and always carefully position the paper "blanket" over my lap to make sure I'm all covered up--but you're right, why bother when they're about to see it all anyway?! Also so true about ending up half-naked and sobbing at the end of many of these appointments...not a good feeling :(

    Also, thanks so much for your kind comment on my blog!

    ReplyDelete

Whip me, beat me, take away my charge card. Or just leave a comment. Whichever works best for you :)