The one rectal temperature experience that I remember most is when mom took me to the children's clinic where we lived. My regular doctor was on vacation when I came down with a flu like bug. It was your typical flu like symptoms....high fever, sneezing and coughing, chills...etc. I was only 6 years old, and this particular clinic was where my cousin Chris went regularly. I remembered going over to his house two days before, and he was a little upset then. He had the same bout of the crud I was having, and they had just gotten back from a visit to the clinic. We were in the floor playing with legos, and I asked him why he was upset. He told me the nurse at the clinic stuck a thermometer up his butt. I asked him why she had to take his temperature like that, because I had gotten use to having mine taken underarm or orally since I was 4. Chris said the nurse told his mom that clinic policy was to take rectal temperatures for any child below age 7. I asked him if it hurt, and he said.... "sort of, it didn't feel good at all, and it was embarrassing because she pulled my underwear all the way down." He had a toy Star Wars storm trooper on the floor with his Legos. He put it on its back an raised it's legs in the air, then said....."this is how the nurse made me lay down on the table when she stuck the thermometer in."
All this was sinking in as we waited. I was getting anxious and worried, but I didn't tell mom what Chris said to me two days before. I figured she might say no to the nurse anyway if she started to take my temperature up the butt. Suddenly we heard a knock on the exam room door, I jumped a little. My heart was racing as a girl in Cinderella scrubs walked in. She asked mom a few questions, then walked over to the counter to take a pack of something from the drawer. She looked over to my mom, and said "since he's only 6, we'll have to take his temperature rectally, okay." Mom affirmed with "okay, that's fine", and the nurse got a temperature probe from the holder on the wall. She took the pack on the counter, and smeared Vaseline on the tip. Mom was taking my pants down, and I started whimpering. The nurse said "it's best to pull his undies all the way down, then scrunch his legs in toward his chest. I started crying and the nurse said "honey it only takes a few seconds, I promise." Mom brought my knees toward my chest, then I felt the slippery probe slide in really far." It was very uncomfortable, but she took it out after just a few seconds like she promised. She wiped my butthole with a tissue, and mom pulled my pants back up. My temperature was 101.6F.......which means 100.6 if she had taken it by mouth like I hoped she would. A female doctor came in a few minutes later and sent me home with delicious tasting pink Amoxicillin. The only good thing I remember about the clinic.