I rode along this morning to my son's college entrance physical.
About a month ago, he mentioned the need for the physical and asked if he could go to my internist.
He had spent the last four years going to a male family practice doctor who knew the required physical exam procedure needed for his private school.
I had attended all of his physicals since age 10, the first time his underwear came off. I thought he would want me to stop being in he exam room at 13 or 14. But when I asked he always said he wanted me in there.
He is going to the college that I instruct at, so I have seen the entrance physical form before. It's pretty general and outside of a genital check on male, not too much out of the ordinary.
My son had gone to the pre -interview last week. He had gotten chest x-rays, blood work, and a urine test. When he came home that day the only thing he said to me was, "The physical I am getting next week is a whole lot different from the one on the college form."
His appointment was at 8:00 this morning. This being a new patient exam, he was booked for a double appointment.
Now please understand that my son is not shy. He has been naked in front of both female and male doctors since he was 10. He is an athlete and has showered with teammates and everyday after PE because his school required it. It wasn't even his first rectal exam, so there is no horror story to be told.
He was in the exam room for close to 40 minutes. When he came out he made an appointment for six months and we left.
I rode shotgun on the way home. We stopped for breakfast at a local diner. The minute he got in the door, he headed straight for the bathroom.
When he came out, he laughed and said, "He used an incredible amount of K-Y." "I was still leaking." "I 'm glad he used a lot though because his finger is huge and it wasn't a short stay."
About halfway through breakfast, which he was wolfing down at an incredible speed, he made a comment to me, "I wonder if in other parts of the country, doctors spend so much time of boy's genital and rectums."
I asked him if he felt that he would have had a complete physical without all of the attention paid below the waist?
He answered, "No, it wouldn't seem complete."
This led to a lengthy(nearly two hour) conversation about physicals. He gave me great insight into what it was like for him to be nude during part of his exams, what he was thinking and felt during genital and rectal exams. He allso gave me great insight into the teenage psyche when comes to showering nude at school and at the health club. It was a great honest, open conversation that I think more parents should have with their kids. He ended up asking me about my feelings about medical exams. If you PM me, I will share some of his insights.
I have funny feeling that my eigheen year old son will soon be posting on Zity. It would not surprise me at all.