Mortified. Pls tell me dr will forget what I did

[BrisPerm]

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

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.

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 🤣

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”. 🤣🤣🤣

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.

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.

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.

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

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 😳.

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

Probably gave her a laugh and brightened a dull day

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

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.

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.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

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!

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!

At least you didn’t shit yourself 🤷‍♀️.

Oh my goodness, she'll think nothing of it. Of course you shouldn't cancel your appointment. Yrs ago I had a much more embarrassing incident when I didn't get to a toilet in time. For the rest of that day I thought I'd never leave my house again, but I did, of course. And your incident happened with a dr, totally different from my experience in front of giggling teenaged girls. Just move on. Not a problem.

OP I've worked in healthcare a long time and honestly the GP will not be phased at all. I remember once a newly-paralysed patient, quite young, soiling himself without realising it while we were doing his rehab. He was absolutely mortified and was so upset - however we knew it was normal and absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, reassured him and dealt with it discretely. Another patient was chatting to him a few days later, and was full on laughing and telling him about how he'd shat himself too, it's so annoying isn't it, and it really made me think - their attitudes were both so different. The one laughing it off made the one that was mortified feel 100 times better. But never in my 20 years of healthcare have I ever been phased by a fart, nor have I seen anyone else be. They will see so much worse, honestly!
Did the doctor say anything afterwards? I'm sure they will have just reassured you and laughed it off, surely? Don't overthink it. They absolutely won't have thought anything of it. Please don't give it another thought! And don't cancel your appointment, that would be so silly.

I once told the Dr I was worried about my stitches (after childbirth). She thought I meant my arsehole - I let her put a finger in my bum and examine it before she fed back about it being healed and I said..... But I dont mean there I mean my vagina? What was I thinking?! What the fuck did she think of me?!!!!

Edited to add I'm pretty sure I will think about this moment on my deathbed.

You proved your point OP. You have bowel issues which now includes involuntary farting.
Hopefully she'll take you seriously or you'll have to do it again-louder.

I farted in the obsetricians face whilst she was trying to break my waters (I was high on gas and air). I’ve also experienced being sat on a toilet, farting loudly (after a colonscopy) with one nurse holding me up whilst the other nurse held the sick bowl I was retching into.

Honestly OP, your GP will not have gjven your farts another thought!

Well you could have thrown up on her.

She won’t forget overnight, because it’s salient medical information.

I can guarantee you don’t make the first 100 worst things she’s seen and heard. Those of us in the caring professions, in order, typically care about (honestly almost nothing) but if I had to Room 101 something… poo, phlegm, vomit, blood…………………….serious smells like unwashed for 20 years with trench foot……………..anything else………………………….farts.

Mate, she will have seen, heard, smelled, tasted and ingested all sorts during training. A simple fart is nothing, don’t worry!