July 12, 2007

Hospital-Grade Toilet Paper Issues

One of the things I've recently learned involves the high quality toilet paper that hospitals and offices use. You know, that see-through thin, single-ply stuff that falls apart when wet? Let me explain. A couple months ago, I was admitting a patient for ruptured membranes. She was obviously ruptured and had just come out of the bathroom from changing into her stylish gown. I finish the admission, and when I go to check her cervix, there is toilet paper stuck to her labia. A few weeks later, I'm taking care of someone in for possible labor, and again I have to check her cervix. Again, I find toilet paper. And not just a little, but several shards on the labia and one pretty good size wad right in the middle of her vagina. Without thinking, I remove the wad and proceed with my exam. Then I realize that she had to have felt me do that and was probably embarrassed. In my defense, it had to be removed otherwise it would have traveled with my fingers to her cerivx. And I would never do anything purposely to embarrass any of my patients. These haven't been the only women with TP stuck to their genitals, and they were very clean women. Now that gets me thinking...how many times have I gone to the ob-gyn and had TP stuck to me? Everytime you go, don't you always either pee or give a urine sample? So ever since then, I have to make sure that I don't have any toilet paper stuck to me, which I realize will be a bit difficult when I start really getting big. So I have this conversation with my sister and it progresses into an experience she had at the gyn. (she's in med school and we pretty much have no boundaries when it comes to things we'll talk about) The MD was able to feel stool in her rectum when he did the manual exam and said to her "Feels like you need to go to the bathroom." Who would ever say that to someone who has their butt hanging off the bed with their feet in stirrups? Of course then I wonder if at some time, I went to the doc, with TP stuck to my labia and stool in my rectum. Maybe that's why my ob-gyn chuckled a bit the last time I called her in for a 3am delivery...
On to another subject, pregnancy is going fine. I'm still enjoying 3 trips to the toilet in the middle of the night, and Tums and I are again bonded. Nausea gone, heartburn in. It's not all that bad as 1 Tums will do the trick. There are also 4 of us at work who are due within 4 weeks of each other, 2 of us on nights. She is one week behind me. It's her first baby, and she is dying to start to show and wear maternity clothes. It's my 3rd baby, have outgrown most of my regular clothes and I know that while it's nice to finally look pregnant and not just fat, that you'll grow very tired of maternity fashion by the end. But, there is at least someone to commiserate with.

6 comments:

Jen, Rich & Joey said...

Yeah, I'd like to enjoy this pregnancy a little, but just when I think I am... Something happens. I won't make a serious decision under the influence of preg. hormones/emotions but this just may be my last pregnancy. With all the difficulties & scares I don't know if I can do this again. And not just to me, but to my husband again. He made the comment the other day, not trying to be mean but he said, "I miss my girl." It made me cry of course, because I miss him and us too. The small things that we use to do, like walking hand-in-hand shopping, going to a restraunt, dancing, playing putt-putt, our Friday-date-night, casual love-making. Its hard, but its all for the sake of having our baby. I guess its like they say, "No pain, no gain."

On the other hand, I got a good laugh about the TP'd labias. It sure makes me wonder if I too have had that happen at some point. Though it wouldn't surprise me if I did. lol Maybe I should carry a pocket mirror to check myself after my urine sample wipe just be sure no paper got left behind. I'm always really extra concious about "that area" before I have an appointment. Spending a little extra time "there" just seems the courtious thing to do.

I'm also glad to hear that your pregnancy is progressing well and your showing now. Sorry bout the spotting incident. But I have to ask, Did you check your own cervix? If so, that has got to be a perk to working L&D, that you don't have to go in not knowing if your dialating or not.
Oh and about the stool in the rectum comment, I've been told that before. I was so incredibly embarrassed. During my previous pregnancy, my (male) OB did a manual exam & told me he could feel I through the back wall of my vagina that I had stool in my rectum. I was thinkin, "Gee, thanks doc I think woulda figured that out on my own at some point in the day. But really, thanks."

Anonymous said...

A more festive kind of pubic decoration... the mother-in-law of one of my friends stopped by my friend's house for lunch, then was going to the gyn for her annual exam. Apparently, when she was in my friend's bathroom, she used some of the 'freshener' she found under the sink, and off she went. Time came for the exam, and the gyn raised one eyebrow and said, "Oh my..." but proceeded with the exam. Only when she was cleaning up afterwards did she figure out that she had sprayed body glitter all over her nether regions...

Kristina said...

LOL! Never thought about the TP issue but I am sure it happens all the time. Actually I think you are handling it appropriately by not saying anything and just cleaning it up. Less embarrassing that way. It would be worse if you said, "hmmm....I see you have some toilet paper stuck to your labia...." What could one possibly say to that?

Finally the stool in the rectum. My OB (male) was examining me for endo, and doing a vaginal exam. "Does this hurt...does this hurt...oh, that's just your poop." Actually it just made me laugh. But I think it depends on the personality of the doc and the relationship the two of you have.

Kristina said...

Whoops...the above was actually me...that's my old blog....

JaniceMadden said...

Hi! I think I m guilty in terms of tissue paper. Funny though, I thought your blog is about tissue papers flushed in toilets that makes the hospital call for a plumber. Minnesota, where I live, most of the women whom I know uses tissue paper after urinating. There are some studies discouraging the use of tissues due to tissue strips left in one's genitals after using, I still keep on doing it. However, your blog alarms and educates me at the same time. I m planning to visit my OB soon and ask her about this. On the other hand, aside from the TP'd labias, I'd like to enjoy my pregnancy as well as you do. God bless

Daisypeter said...

Thanks for sharing the excellent information. It was really helpful.
With Regards

Cleaning Products Manufacturers in Oman