Feeling glad that your rectal temperature days stopped.

Toward the end of age 4 and after I had a procedure done on my ears, my rectal temperature days were history. It is possible that my temperature was taken rectally about a couple more times to be sure that I was not going to have anymore fever. Then whenever I had like colds or a runny nose, I put my foot down and told my mom that I wanted to learn a new way to take my temperature and that was armpit.

Once I learned armpit, I felt glad that my rectal temperature days were over. I felt glad that I did not have to drop my pants and lay over my mom's lap for her to insert the thermometer into my hiney and lay there for a whole 5 minutes.

I was able to sit down on the sofa and watch TV with the thermometer under my arm and leave my pants up.

Members, did you feel glad that your rectal temperature days were over? Did you feel glad that you did not have to drop your pants and lay over your mom's lap to have your temperature taken? How about at the doctor? Did you feel glad that the nurse did not take your temperature rectally anymore? Please tell me how you felt when your rectal temperature days were over.

I was happy when I transitioned to oral. Made it feel like I was recognized as a grown up. It also seems that I had my temp taken less frequently by then.

While I was relieved to be done with compulsory rectal temp readings, I continued to use and enjoy them on my own and when playing doctor.

I was slowly transitioned to not having my temperature taken in my bottom. I don't remember ever actually transitioning, there was just a point when my mom stopped.

In some ways, my transition was gradual and in other ways it wasn't. Rectal temps at home stopped when I was maybe 4 or 5; I really don't remember. I had one last rectal temp at our neighborhood doctor's when I was seven and that was it. At the time I was glad to be switched to oral once and for all, but after the incredible way that last r/t felt, I often wonder what would have happened if I'd asked for an r/t at our pediatrician's. Since this was the 60s, chances are my request would have been granted, especially if I'd told them I had trouble keeping an oral thermometer under my tongue.

Those days never stopped for me

I guess because I did not know any differently, it did not bother me getting rectal temps as a boy. And i do recall multiple rectal temps when I was recovering from having my tonsils removed at age 7 - every two hours if I recall correctly. Although i started getting oral temps around age 7 at the doctor's office, I don't recall having feelings one way or the other at the time.

It was a gradual process for me. And since I enjoyed the rectal temps I was in no hurry to transition, In fact I would play up nasal congestion later on just to get a rectal temperature, pervy I know, but I am sure I am not the only one on here to have done that.