Rectal Temp as Second check

Our daughter Jen, who has been isolating with us at home since the third week in March, got up this morning and thought she had a fever. I took her temp orally with a digital and it was 98.1. She had an upset stomach and a headache but no fever. Jen was laid off from her position as a law clerk due to the pandemic and recently broke up with her boyfriend. She's been down in the (mental) dumps during the last few days and hasn't felt like herself. Being isolated at home is getting to all of us.

She lay down to take a nap this afternoon and asked me to take her temperature again. It was 98.4 orally. She told me she was still feeling warm. "Can you take it again in my behind?" she asked. I was a bit shocked. Couldn't she do this herself? I couldn't remember the last time I took her rectal temperature. At first I didn't think she was serious, but she turned over onto her stomach and pulled down her shorts and underwear. I couldn't help but notice. "Cute butt." I had to joke a little. Jen was being a little weird, but I could tell she was also a little frightened. We've been mostly cooped up for nearly 2 months, except for our walks and grocery runs.

I went to our medicine drawer and found the Taylor rectal thermometer, which we had since the girls were babies, and cleaned it thoroughly again. A touch of Vaseline on the bulb, a deep breath or two, and about three minutes later I read Jen's temp to her -- just a thin hair over 99.0. "Satisfied? "I asked.

I think we're all on edge when we don't know this will end, and Jen apologized for being a little weird. "You are not coming down with the virus," I assured her. "We all have been very careful and followed the rules." Being loving and supportive to out kids are what Moms are for, no matter their age. Jen pulled up her undies and her shorts and said she was going back to her nap. Last night she brightened up after having dinner with Rob and me. Her boyfriend had called and left a message on her cell, admitting that he was a jerk and wanted to get back together. Jen was dubious but managed to smile. Maybe at least in our home, our small part of the world, life is a little more tolerable today.

Always rectal at our house growing up never a second check.

It was always rectal until 10 years old. Both at home and the doctor.

When I was young I wanted to get out of going to school one day and said I didn’t feel well. My mom would take my temperature orally and I thought when she wasn’t watching that it would help my temp go up if I blew some of my hot breath on it. Of course what ended up happening was my temperature was low and my mom would ask, “Did you leave this under your tongue the whole time?” The only option we had for a second check was the rectal thermometer...

As I stated in a earlier post I once had a simultaneous temperature taking oral and rectal moments prior to a surgery procedure. The oral thermometer was still in my mouth as I had the rectal inserted at same time.

Told it was to have a correlating measurement comparison. Who was I to say this was either at the nurse's fetish need or truly at request of my surgeon. No one was in the pre-surgery room but myself and her. I was already in a semi-sedated state just before being taken to the o.r. Prior to the anal insertion I was told and assisted in being placed on my left side with right knee and leg pulled upward toward my chest. I just went along with it figuring it was feasible.

She even with me in this state asked if I would like my wife to be summoned back to the room to see me before I was taken for surgery and I was mumbling loudly "NO" which elicited a bit of laughter on her part .

Recounting this experience I feel the nurse was acting on her own behalf and no offense or violation had been committed to me in my manner of thinking. My wife even found humor in the event when I later told her of it even stating she wished she had witnessed it with me in that state. Fretter

Growing up from about age 5 to 8 or so rectal was the back up at home if oral indicated a fever. I also have had rectal temps in clinical settings a few times as an adult or older teen when oral was very high but it was rare. As for at home now I only take rectal temperatures on myself or my girlfriend so their is no other option I don’t even own a oral thermometer but I have 5 types of rectal ones haha.

@Elle wrote:

... The only option we had for a second check was the rectal thermometer...

Oh, yes! The idea that she didn’t necessarily want to take it rectally, but *had* to get an accurate reading, is particularly exciting. It happened to me just once, when I was 10 or 11, but I’ll never forget it.

I will most often start out taking my temp orally especially if it's in the middle of the night and I don't want to get out of bed and if it reads no fever or every little fever but I'm feeling more feverish than that I will definitely take it rectally

@Animal_lover