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AIBU?

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Original poster

Mortified. Pls tell me dr will forget what I did

341 replies

BrisPerm · 25/09/2025 21:02

I had to go to GP earlier with ongoing bowel issues. She asked me to lay down so she could listen to my abdomen. I laid down, she pressed the stethoscope onto my stomach and I ended up involuntarily farting loudly. She actually jumped back at the sound. Absolutely mortified, I start to apologise and my stomach starts making loud squeaky noises and I end up farting again mid sentence. She remained professional throughout but I’m so embarrassed. I have to go back tomorrow and I’m dreading a) seeing her again and b) it happening again.

DH says will have forgotten all about it. Is he right or just being nice? I feel like cancelling the appointment

OP posts:
Wreckinball · 25/09/2025 21:40

well done OP, GP will be happy:

  1. you proved you weren’t wasting her time or malingering with no problem
  2. you didn’t follow through!
countbackfromten · 25/09/2025 21:38

Doctor here (15 and a bit years in). That won’t have even registered in the things that happened in her day. I promise. We have literally seen and heard it all. Please go to your appointment and hope things get better for you soon!

Offloadontome · 25/09/2025 21:36

KidsDr · 25/09/2025 21:32

Believe me it's much worse when you, the doctor, fart loudly during the consultation 😳

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Springadorable · 25/09/2025 21:35

I once sprayed the GP full on the face with breast milk during a breast exam for a lump I had. At least you only produced an aural rather than physical bathing.

Pricelessadvice · 25/09/2025 21:34

And this is why I couldn’t be a doctor. I find farts far too amusing!

NoSoapJustUseShowerGel · 25/09/2025 21:34

My friend works in a&e, if you’d heard half of the stories (often involving things in places they shouldn’t be) I’ve been told then you’d know that a fart is nothing to be embarrassed about in front of a doctor.

rwalker · 25/09/2025 21:33

Probably gave her a laugh and brightened a dull day

KidsDr · 25/09/2025 21:32

Believe me it's much worse when you, the doctor, fart loudly during the consultation 😳

ColinOfficeTrolley · 25/09/2025 21:30

Better out than in OP!!

Worry not. She will have seen, heard and smelled worse that your omission.

I remember having a smear and the doctor asked if I wanted testing for Chlamydia. I replied with 'well you might as well while you're down there'

As soon as I said it I felt embarrassed 😳.

Foundationns · 25/09/2025 21:30

She'll think nothing of it except that you really really do have a bowel problem that needs sorting out. Hope you recover soon.

WeeGeeBored · 25/09/2025 21:29

At least you were in a doctor’s surgery. This week I farted in a room where there was only one other work colleague and me. I tried to style it out but I was mortified.

Letmehaveabloodyusernameplease · 25/09/2025 21:28

This happened to my husband when he went to the physiotherapist, she lifted his leg and he farted 😭 I had to phone and cancel all of his future appointments as he couldn't do it himself 😂
Please don't worry, OP, you won't be the first and certainly won't be the last.

MaskAndMartini · 25/09/2025 21:22

I don’t know if this makes you feel better, but I had a colleague who was a gynaecologist. He told us about his patients with immaculately clean genitalia but with unwashed, smelly bum holes.

It didn’t bother him though, because he’s a doctor and used to these types of things. He just found it interesting.

Don’t worry OP - I’m sure she’s used to things like that happening.

Youdontseehow · 25/09/2025 21:22

I remember as a student nurse on a ward round many years ago. the patient had undergone bowel surgery a few days earlier. Consultant wanting to check if his bowel was returning back to normal asked him “are you passing flatus?”. The patient says “eh?” So the consultant repeats the question.

The patient just looks perplexed so the senior registrar leans over and says to the patient “have you farted?”.

Patient replies with some indignation “no I’ve not - it must have been one of you lot”. 🤣🤣🤣

CameForAVacationStayedForTheRevolution · 25/09/2025 21:20

If it makes you feel better I remember a story on here of a lady who was getting stitched up after having a baby, so dr with his legs up close and personal and she farted in his face, a long loud one…..so it could be worse 🤣

LemondrizzleShark · 25/09/2025 21:19

So at absolute worse you might end an amusing anecdote with no identifying details mentioned

Honestly it really isn’t funny or unusual enough to turn into an anecdote! Patients fart, often at inopportune moments like mid-smear or when you press on their stomach.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 25/09/2025 21:17

You could have said something along the lines of Bob Fleming from The Fast Show...

(I'll let you look that up on YouTube if you need to know.)

aperollingintotheweekend · 25/09/2025 21:16

🤣🤣

TheVeryHungryTortoise · 25/09/2025 21:15

I'm a doctor OP. This honestly would not phase me very much in the grand scheme of things. At the very most I might have a little laugh about it (in private.) But not in a laughing at the patient way, more that it was just a funny and awkward situation.

Please don't cancel your appointment! A bit of farting is totally normal. We often have much worse encounters with the human body.

Deerfolk · 25/09/2025 21:15

She hasn’t forgotten and has already told me.

ScrollingLeaves · 25/09/2025 21:15

This was related to the very issue you were seeing her for. Please do not worry, she will understand.

Birdh0use · 25/09/2025 21:14

They will probably remember the trumps, but won't remember who it was!

LemondrizzleShark · 25/09/2025 21:13

Holdonforsummer · 25/09/2025 21:05

At least you have demonstrated the issue.

Yep honestly! You’ve gone to her with bowel problems, and lo and behold when she examines you, you have bowel problems. It isn’t any more complicated than that from her point of view, she certainly won’t be dwelling on it.

Original poster
BrisPerm · 25/09/2025 21:12

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 25/09/2025 21:10

Providing she didn't shout
'Jesus Christ! You nearly gave me a cardiac arrest!
It will be forgotten about, although it might be worth looking at your NHS record to see if there is smiley face or something.

She did jump a mile

no mention of it on my record - and no smiley face

OP posts:
ObtuseMoose · 25/09/2025 21:10

It's highly unlikely she'll forget it overnight!