Accidentally flashed the secretary

[phd1992]

Well, this one is embarrassing - and funny, too!

I had an appointment at my urologist for a prostate biopsy (everything turned out OK, BTW). The nurse brought me to the room, handed me a gown and told me to take everything off below the waist. I did so and as I was arranging my clothes on the chair, there was a knock on the door. A woman cracked the door just enough to speak inside and asked my name. I told her and she asked if she could come in and I said yes (I had the gown on). She was one of the office staff. She apologized for bothering me and told me she needed some more info and that she would likely be off to lunch before the procedure was done. I told her it wasn’t a problem (and I really didn’t mind).

Now, I have been prone to sneezing fits for as long as I can remember. I get a tickle in the upper part of my nose and I have at most two seconds before I have a rapid fire burst of sneezing - sometimes as many as ten sneezes! At the end, I have what I call a false sneeze: I have the Ah! but not the Choo! I’ll do that a couple times, have the actual sneeze, blow my nose and go on about my life.
So yeah, just as she starts asking me, I feel a sneezing fit coming on. I looked around and the nearest tissue was across the room. I would either have to hurdle the exam table or knock the poor woman over to get a tissue before I start sneezing. Sneezing into my bare elbow would have done no good, and I didn’t want to just sneeze into the room. So, I did the only thing my old fart brain could think of and drew the gown up to sneeze into it. I finished sneezing and she had such a look of shock! I figured it was the surprise sneezing - most people think I'm about to explode! I went over to get a tissue, blew my nose a couple times, apologized for the interruption and sneezing fit. I turned to look at her to continue the conversation and now she looks more embarrassed than anything. She asked me a few more questions, said thanks and left the room.

The nurse came back a few minutes later and noticed the wet spot on the front of the gown. I looked down and that’s when I realized what must have happened: I had totally exposed myself when I used the gown to sneeze into! She asked me what was going on and I told her I had a sneezing fit (I didn’t say anything about the woman witnessing it) and I couldn’t find a tissue in time. She gave me a kind of a “sure, Jan” look and took out another gown and told me to change.

I have no idea if the secretary told anyone in the office about what happened. I’m sure she told all her friends, though!

[Skylar21]

Hospital gowns are just an embarrassment waiting to happen!

[jllash]

The nurse came back a few minutes later and noticed the wet spot on the front of the gown. I looked down and that’s when I realized what must have happened: I had totally exposed myself when I used the gown to sneeze into! She asked me what was going on and I told her I had a sneezing fit (I didn’t say anything about the woman witnessing it) and I couldn’t find a tissue in time. She gave me a kind of a “sure, Jan” look and took out another gown and told me to change.

Just trying to explain that would have been embarrassing on its own but that you unintentionally lifted it in front of the secretary must been really embarrassing in hindsight. I wonder if you can request your medical records and see if they wrote anything in it.

[phd1992]

The nurse came back a few minutes later and noticed the wet spot on the front of the gown. I looked down and that’s when I realized what must have happened: I had totally exposed myself when I used the gown to sneeze into! She asked me what was going on and I told her I had a sneezing fit (I didn’t say anything about the woman witnessing it) and I couldn’t find a tissue in time. She gave me a kind of a “sure, Jan” look and took out another gown and told me to change.

Just trying to explain that would have been embarrassing on its own but that you unintentionally lifted it in front of the secretary must been really embarrassing in hindsight. I wonder if you can request your medical records and see if they wrote anything in it.

True! If I explained then I would have had to tell her the secretary was there and that I ended up flashing her! I can go online and see all the records and there's nothing about it. I wouldn't expect there would be even if the doctor or nurse found out about it.