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In the past 25 years, I've had at least eight rectal exams, the last three being with a female urologist, who sadly retired as of December 2025, and all of the exams have been mostly pleasurable.
In 1985, when I was 27 years old, I saw the movie Fletch, starring Chevy Chase. In spite of Chevy’s negative rectal-exam experience portrayed in the movie, I very much looked forward to the day when I would have a digital rectal exam, but, alas, I would have to wait another 15 years, until I started having problems with hemorrhoids. For the record, I do not recommend getting hemorrhoids just so you can have a digital rectal examination. It is much easier and less painful to just tell your doctor that you would like to have your prostate gland checked.
With the hemorrhoid issues, I got several digital rectal exams, but when the doctor roots around the anus checking hemorrhoids and slipping rubber bands on hemorrhoids to squeeze them to death, literally, it’s not so pleasurable, unless you are into severe pain in the butt.
If you are really into severe pain in the butt, I highly recommend getting hemorrhoids, conveniently and readily available on Amazon. Wait, scratch the acquisition of hemorrhoids at Amazon.com. I think the proper and preferred way to develop hemorrhoids is as follows: Eat little to no fiber and lots of junk food and fast food, resulting in convenient and constant constipation. Avoid enemas and suppositories at all costs, although enemas are virtually free once you have the equipment. Strain and push and then strain and push some more to have every bowel movement. After each bowel movement, strain and push and then strain and push some more, just in case there might be another bowel movement. Repeat the exercise in futility once, or, better yet, twice, after each bowel movement, maybe even thrice.
If you really like and really want more pain in the butt, read the next paragraph.
If you play your cards and constipation correctly, you could end up needing a hemorrhoidectomy and in the six-week recovery, you will become intimately and acutely and painfully aware of the true meaning of pain in the butt. After most surgeries, you can reduce or eliminate pain by resting or avoiding the use of that part of your anatomy upon which the surgeon operated. For example, after my rotator-cuff surgery, I could reduce the pain by resting or not using my rotator cuff to reach high above my head for something on the top shelf in the master closet. Similarly, after my carpel-tunnel-release surgeries, I could reduce the pain by resting or not using my wrists to type at the computer or not lifting 40-pounds of grocery bags. The same works well with all my back and neck surgeries and fusions and other surgeries.
Unfortunately, this strategy does not apply so well after the hemorrhoidectomy. Just try no using that part of your anatomy, your anus, and that’s not the planet Uranus, for six weeks or for just one week or even for one day or try three times a day. The surgeon will load you up with an incredibly massive concoction of stool softeners and laxatives that will make you poop loose, watery stools three times a day. The loose, watery stools are there for one important reason: The surgeon does not want you straining and tearing out the stitches and ruining her or his beautiful cosmetic surgery that made your anus look twice as attractive as it did before surgery. However, even with all the stool softeners and laxatives on board, and even you if you can avoid straining, which you can’t, the bowel-movement-exit process is going to kill you—three times a day—thanks to the incredibly massive concoction of stool softeners and laxatives. Every time you poop—three times a day—it feels like you are ripping and tearing yourself a new butthole from your toenails to your tonsils. Did I mention that you repeat the ordeal three times a day?
“Take a warm sitz bath afterwards,” the well-meaning, deranged nurse told you. “It’ll relieve the pain.”
“It’ll relieve the pain, my ass!!” you should have huffed indignantly. Or perhaps, “Up yours!!” would have been more to the point.
But I digress.
After the hemorrhoidectomy, I looked forward to and enjoyed every digital rectal exam. I even stayed up late the night before every exam, studying diligently so I would do well on the exam.
And I’ve noticed something odd every time a doctor does a DRE. The doctor always apologizes for having to stick a finger up my caboose, as if the DRE is something dreadful to be avoided at all costs. Are you kidding doc? I see several instruments and objects in this room that I would love to have you shove up my heinie. After all, I am paying for the appointment, right? Why not take this brief appointment and turn it into a comprehensive or extended appointment? You get more moolah; I get more fun!! You get a five-star review; I get five stars up the wazoo!”
Everybody wins!
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