By Barb Hearing Sara tell about her sigmoidoscopic exam reminded me of the time when I was 16 and had to have a barium enema. Here is what happened.

When I got to the clinic, they were ready for me. I was met by a young attractive nurse, not much older than myself. She showed me to a dressing room where I changed into a gown. Then she took me to the x-ray room. There was the usual x-ray machine, an elaborate console with viewing screens, and an examining table. Hanging from a pole next to the table was a large, clear plastic bag filled with a milky liquid. There must have been a gallon of it. Coming out of the bag was a clear plastic tube with a clamp on it and a lot of plumbing on the end. The nurse asked me if I had followed the instructions and taken the enemas before coming. I said I had.

She smiled... professionally... (I think). She explained a little bit about the enema I was about to receive. She showed me the nozzle and how it would inflate into a balloon inside me to keep the enema from leaking out. I later learned that it was a inflatable nozzle, but she didn't call it that. She said that we should get started and the x-ray technician would be in later when we were

ready. She had me get up onto the table and lie on my left side (just like mom did it!). Then she opened the back of my gown, put on a glove, lubricated her finger, spread my cheeks apart and inserted her finger up inside me. She said it was to loosen me up so the enema nozzle would go in easier. She withdrew her finger and pushed the nozzle up inside me. It was larger than I expected, and I was glad she had opened me up first with her finger. She explained that she was going to inflate the balloon and it would probably make me feel like I had to have a bowel movement. Boy did it ever! It felt just like she was giving me an enema, only my rectum felt even fuller. Then she pulled the tube back so that the balloon was snug against the inside of my anus. I knew that nothing would come out as long as that big plug was up in my ass! Then she covered me with a drape.

The x-ray technician came in. It was a young guy! He, too, was very professional and went over to the console without hardly giving me a glance. I was positioned so that I could see him and the console. He could see my face and front, but the nurse and the plumbing were behind me out of his sight. He looked at the nurse and asked, "Are we ready to get started?" She nodded.

The screens lit up and I could see the vague outline of a figure. It was me! The nurse clicked open the clamp and the enema started to go into me. I could see a bright spot on the screen that was getting bigger. Then I realized in horror that the guy could actually see the enema going inside me! It was both fascinating and very embarrassing to see the enema inside me. I

could feel a cramp beginning on my left side, but before I could say anything, the technician informed the nurse that he too could see a cramp coming on. The nurse stopped the flow and I could actually see the enema move up inside me and the cramp go away. But so could the guy! The nurse started the flow again. As the enema started to move across my tummy, they

repositioned me on my back. Now I had a really good view of what I looked like inside.

They didn't say a whole lot and didn't talk to me at all. I assumed that they were taking pictures. I was really getting full and it showed on the screen. I was again repositioned on my right side. Now my back was to the console and the technician. I'm sure that when I rolled over he saw my gown come apart exposing my bare butt with the enema hose coming out. The nurse

quickly covered me and pulled the drape over me. I could no longer see the console and the enema was really starting to bother me. They seemed to be in no hurry. With me stoppered up, the enema would stay in me as long as they wanted it to. Boy did I feel full ! Normally at this stage I would be heading off to the toilet. But they rolled me over onto my back and took

more pictures. Then they did something totally unexpected. They tilted the table until it was in a vertical position and took some pictures with me standing up. I could feel the weight of the enema pressing down inside me. I was sure it was going to leak out, but it didn't. But I was beginning to ache all over and had to go to the bathroom REAL BAD! I was even beginning

to feel sick in my stomach. Just when I thought I couldn't take it any more, they put me on my back again and the nurse said they were finished for now.

She deflated the balloon inside me; pulled out the nozzle; pressed a large diaper against my butt in case I started to leak; and pointed me to the open door of the bathroom. But I'm afraid I did leak, because the diaper was soaked when I got to the toilet. I sat down and immediately the toilet bowl was filled with the white milky liquid that came gushing out of me. The

nurse came over and quietly closed the door. I was so relieved to be able to expel the enema that I didn't notice or feel at all embarrassed by the lack of privacy.

After I had completely expelled the enema I felt much better. I gathered myself together and went out into the x-ray room. I expected to be told that I could get dressed and go home, but the nurse said they wanted to take some more pictures. "Oh no!" I thought, "Not another enema!" The nurse reassured me that they only wanted to take some pictures of my empty colon

and do what they called an air contrast x-ray. So I got back up on the table on my left side. The nurse spread my cheeks again and inserted something that I couldn't really see. Now what are they up to. The nurse explained that she was going to inflate my bowel with some air to open it up and take some pictures while my insides were still coated with the barium. The

technician came back in and the picture taking started with me on my back. As the nurse squeezed a bulb, I could feel bubbles of air go up inside me. It felt really weird but it didn't hurt. I had a fullness similar to an enema but without the urgency to expel. As I became more full, I had a bloated, crampy feeling deep inside me. By now my bowels had been worked over so much that I just wanted it to stop. Thankfully, they only took a few pictures and let me go. The nurse suggested that I might want to sit on the toilet again and let the air come out. I did, and emitted the biggest fart of my life. In fact, I spent the rest of the day farting!