I received Dulcolax suppositories from time to time growing up, to treat my occasional constipation. Each time usually started out with me sitting on the toilet for a very long time, unable to go. At this point one of three things would happen: My mother would either come check on me and ask if I was constipated, I'd call for her while still on the toilet and tell her that I couldn't go/was constipated, or I'd leave the bathroom and track her down to tell her.
Once she had this knowledge, she would usually take care of it right then, though sometimes (depending on how busy she was), she would tell me that she'd take care of it later.
If I was in the bathroom already, she would usually have me close the toilet lid and just bend over it. I'd wait patiently while she pulled the Dulcolax box from the bathroom closet as well as the petroleum jelly. If I had tracked her down to tell her about my problem, I was sent to her room and made to bend over the edge of her bed. I shared a bedroom for many years and taking care of this in her room or the bathroom ensured some privacy, though I do recall a few rare occasions when siblings would come into her room with some crisis while I was bent over awaiting a suppository. That would get a little chaotic, as you can imagine. 😄
When I was younger I remember she always cut the suppository in half while it was still in the foil wrapper (if there wasn't already a half one available in the box from last time). At some point, probably after age 10 or 11, I remember getting whole ones. She unwrapped it, dipped it in the petroleum jelly, then she would insert it in my bottom. I was told to pull up my clothes and go play, watch TV, or something. I definitely had to leave the bathroom.
I'd go try to occupy myself with some kind of activity, but I was cognizant of things happening "back there" and never strayed too far from the bathroom or house. After a while the suppository would really assert itself, and me being somewhat used to holding, would fight it as long as I could. Coincidentally I didn't figure out that this simply made the suppository more effective until I was pretty much beyond my teenage years.
Finally when the discomfort got to be too much, I usually told mom that I needed to go. She almost always approved and many times she would come to me before then to tell me that I could now go any time I wanted, citing that enough time had passed for the suppository to have melted completely.
I made my way to the bathroom though I tried to be dignified about it because I of course didn't want her to think I was desperate, even though sometimes I most certainly was!
In the bathroom I sat on the toilet and I remember holding on a few moments more until another good solid "wave" built up. I think maybe I was afraid going to the bathroom would hurt or somehow it would get stuck if I tried to go without the effect of the suppository. At that point I'd relax and even push a little help it along. Mind you, the Dulcolax literally makes you push/strain/bear-down... and as a boy the effect was really strong.
It was such a relief to actually feel I was going to the bathroom--that the suppository was working. They say that we are programmed and wired up to feel rewarded by using the bathroom, and I definitely recall feeling some kind of euphoria.
Even after most of the constipated stool had come out, the Dulcolax would continue making me push/strain, sometimes with nothing else coming out. Once I was sure I was done, I'd wipe up, flush, wash my hands, and emerge feeling much better and energetic. Mom would often greet me with praise and ask the usual "Don't you feel better now?" question. The effect of the Dulcolax on my bowels would wear off after a while, but until then I'd feel that buzz, though diminished from what it was when I was in the bathroom.