My Endo

[camjen1]

I'm suppose to see an Endo at the end of this month and I'm debating whether or not to see that specific one. I seen this one only once and felt the situation was very odd. I was told I needed to strip naked and I was left with a paper gown. Has anyone else had to fully undress when visiting an Endo for the first time? I'm not one to call out sexual abuse but he insisted on doing a breast exam also. Am I overreacting? Should I go and just refuse to undress again if they say so? I'm not shy to see a DR but I mean come on undressing fully to discuss your diabetes?:hmmmm:

[Cinnabon]

Cam....
Always go w/ ur Gut feeling.
To see an Endo I have never had to do this

[camjen1]

Cam....
Always go w/ ur Gut feeling.
To see an Endo I have never had to do this

I know but you know the difficult part is I have been waiting 2 months to see an Endo (long waiting list) and I can really use the assistance right now. I'm thinking about going and bringing my son so that they can't tell him to sit in the waiting room and they can't expect me to get butt naked with him right there by me.

[Cinnabon]

Good idea, but.. do u have a cell phone? If u do, have it ready and visible.

[Angelique]

I have never ever had to strip naked. The only time I had an uneasy feeling was when I saw this one doctor when I was 14 and insisted my mom wait outside which she did un-willingly. He started off by telling me to take my shoes off and I felt freaky and did it. Then I had to get on the exam table and he started to check my stomach but I was very testy with him b/c I didn't trust him. I tried to get up b/c I felt wrong and he pushed me back and called me a b****. I was able to get to the door anyway and my mom heard me yell for her and she came in. I know this dude was a perv and he was mad b/c I called him on it.:secruity: tmi huh?
I think you should resist and say that it is not necessary for you to strip and just don't do it.

[am1977]

I'm suppose to see an Endo at the end of this month and I'm debating whether or not to see that specific one. I seen this one only once and felt the situation was very odd. I was told I needed to strip naked and I was left with a paper gown. Has anyone else had to fully undress when visiting an Endo for the first time? I'm not one to call out sexual abuse but he insisted on doing a breast exam also. Am I overreacting? Should I go and just refuse to undress again if they say so? I'm not shy to see a DR but I mean come on undressing fully to discuss your diabetes?:hmmmm:


I've never had this happen either... doesn't seem quite right to me either. If it were me, I probably wouldn't go back to him. If you do go, I would refuse to undress, just tell him you don't feel comfortable with that. If he asks why, you can tell him that your past ENdos never have requested that of you and you don't feel it's necessary.

Keep us posted- I hope it's a better appointment... :)

[kid_fears99]

Camjen - I've never had to undress at an endo either - I agree with all the previous posts. In my experience, it seems that male doctors pretty rountinely have a female nurse/assistant in a room when they're seeing a female patient. So if you do go back to this endo, you could always request that a nurse be in the room. I know that may seem like an awkward thing to ask, but if the doctor is harmless in reality, he should understand and have no problem with it. Let us know how it goes, and if anything feels off/wrong while you're there, please don't hesitiate to walk out. Take care

[trailrunner]

I can not think of any possiable reason you would need a breastexam at the endocinologist office! Did he have a chaperone in the room? I would be very leary of this fellow.

[notme]

I have had diabetes for twenty years and seen at least ten different endo's. Never once did I ever have to take off more than my shoes for a foot exam. I would no way go to this guy, or take my son to protect me. If I was told to take off my clothes, I would want to know why. I would tell him that I will leave the breast exam to my PCP or gyno. Forget it Sandi.

[poodlebone]

Sandi,

I never saw an endo after I was diagnosed, until last year. The endo I saw was female and for my first visit she did have me take off my shirt and just unzip my pants. She checked my abdomen and I don't remember what else but definitely no breast exam. Whenever I've seen a male doctor (non-endo) there's always been a female nurse in the room during any type of examination.

I can maybe see a doctor requesting a patient to get nekkid for a first exam but would think it's very weird if he asked again. If you're seeing a primary care doctor in addition to the endo, all he should be worried about is diabetes and any related problems.

[condensr]

Yeah.. sounds sort of fishy.

Interestingly though, one endo I saw did request a change in to the paper gown. It didn't creep me out at all though, he was an old doc and very likely just 'old school.' No strange exams though, just feet, abdomen, and the usual physical stuff like listening to heart, lungs, checking reflexes, and checking of areas I used for injections for scarring etc. (legs and tummy)

The endo I see now did all that stuff too at the first visit, but he only requested I take off shirt. I was wearing shorts that day though. For all subsequent visits, its just a foot exam and BP/Temp.

[KickStart101]

I've had 3 different Endos and with all of them I had to stripe
(except for panties)and had to wear a paper gown. They all gave
me a thorough exam(except for boobs and privates of course). One
of them was a female. They just are thorough in the testing they
need to do. Plus lots of blood work and urine. I felt okay about it.
I mean they want to know as much about you as they can from the
beginning.

[Penny]

I have never had a doctor ask me to strip....his assistant always did that and stayed in the room, the whole time. I have had to undress for an exam, but not everytime, and there was always another woman in the room....I thought it was the law. If you feel you need to see this Endo, insist on having one of his staff in the room, that should eliminate any problem. If he refuses, leave.

[camjen1]

Well I have called the other Endo I see and I was in luck. It pushed me to the 2nd week in June but I guess that is better than having my boobs examined again.:ahhhhh: Oh and for those who are wondering NO, there was no female nurse or aide in the room. :eek:

[Doetsch]

It makes no sense. There is no reason to take off anything when you see an Endo except your shoes. That is the only acceptable reason for removing anything unless you have other conditions that are being checked as well.

[jen_slc]

Ya, that's weird. Never taken off anything more than shoes either and the most examining I've ever had done have been those abdominal checks where you lie down and they tap around, but those were all with clothes on!

[parrotletzoo]

Endocrinology encompasses more then just Diabetes, including reproduction. Many ppl with diabetes have other endocrine issuses going on like Polycystic Ovaries, Adrenal insufficiencies. Thyroid disorders. Some of which effect breast tissue. This maybe why the breast exam. I have had one endo do a rudimentary breast exam but she was female, a nurse was in the room and she requested permission before doing the exam. By law a male dr should have a female nurse in the exam room with female patients during any exam.

I'm glad you got in to the endo you are more comfortable with. It's a patients right to be able to trust thier dr and when necessary fire a dr they dont like and go shoping for a new one, no matter what the reason

[christie]

if it does'nt work out with the new endo feel free to pm me and if you able to come this way there are two endo's in this area,the new i started seems to be very nice.and plus i've seen several endos and never did i have to take anything off except for socks for a foot exam.

[jeggeman31]

. I was told I needed to strip naked

I wish my Endo would tell me to do that :bath: ( I told her about this board I hope she does not read it)


Sorry back to the thread at hand.


I think it is a little strange that he wants you to do that. I have NEVER been asked. Only time I ever take more than my shoes and socks off for a check up visit is for my physical each year.

[sydneya]

Well I have called the other Endo I see and I was in luck. It pushed me to the 2nd week in June but I guess that is better than having my boobs examined again.:ahhhhh: Oh and for those who are wondering NO, there was no female nurse or aide in the room. :eek:

I'm sure that it is illegal for a female to be examined by a doc unassisted. Even in Cub Scouts and teaching children in church now we have to have "two deep leadership". And one of the children cannot go to the bathroom accompanied with just one adult. Abuse has gotten so far out of hand that this is necessary for protection of the child as well as the leader. It's too bad that a few sickoos make it necessary for everyone but it does.

I'm glad you found an appointment with your other endo.

[camjen1]

I have NEVER been asked.

Never asked to do what? To undress or to do a breast exam?:T

[jeggeman31]

Never asked to do what? To undress or to do a breast exam?:T


I guess I stopped mid stream with that :dontknow:


Never been asked to Undress


Or do a breast exam !:reddy:

[Cinnabon]

SOrry Cam, but I still dont agree w. this doc. I believe in specialists dealing with their field of work. Breast exams, Ovary probs, ect... Gyno gets this.
Call me "Wemberly WOrry" lol

[psilocybin]

kind of makes me wonder

[Ailsa]

Gut instinct is the thing to go by. He sounds creepy to me.
If he needed to check your boobs (can't think of a single reason myself) he should have explained why.
I had an obstetrician who wasn't toeing the line once, not in quite that way, but I mentioned it to another specialist, who got a very alarmed look on his face as in "I can see a complaint of unprofessional misconduct looming".
He asked how I would like it handled & that confirmed my suspicions.

[drewgolden]

I'm suppose to see an Endo at the end of this month and I'm debating whether or not to see that specific one. I seen this one only once and felt the situation was very odd. I was told I needed to strip naked and I was left with a paper gown. Has anyone else had to fully undress when visiting an Endo for the first time? I'm not one to call out sexual abuse but he insisted on doing a breast exam also. Am I overreacting? Should I go and just refuse to undress again if they say so? I'm not shy to see a DR but I mean come on undressing fully to discuss your diabetes?:hmmmm:

Yeah, that seems odd.

If they ask me to do something, I always ask why. And if it feels wrong, you are free to refuse. Or ask for a female nurse in the room.

And do go with your gut.

Odds are he'll state something about wanting to be through with all new patients. Which might be a sign of a good physician.

....or he's a perv.

drew

[Goldrun]

My endo and general physician were in the same practice til my gp moved just recently. My endo said he could take over as gp if I'd like (which I won't do, cause I like my gp)....but he's never asked me to do more than take my socks off to do a foot exam.

If this doctor isn't ethical, isn't there a bigger problem here? What if he is doing this to younger or more passive patients who don't know how to assert their rights? If this is a gray area for you....imagine what it may be for some others? I'm not suggesting to jump off the deep end, but if you truly feel this is a doctor using his position to exploit women then there must be some recourse....a complaint to lodge officially?

I'm not one to promote putting someone's career in jeapordy heedlessly...but the thought of a doctor asserting himself in this manner....well, just :mad:

[Goldrun]

I should have added that the idea that the doctor did not have a female assistant in the room only adds to the possibility that his ethics are in question. I was under the impression that is sound practice, and any doctor worried about malpractice would never leave themselves in that vulnerable position.

Heck, I'm female, and most of my female doctors even have a nurse present during exams these days!

[Lynne1]

I've gone to docs in several states. Some states require a female chaperone for a male doc and some don't. My doc in NYC put me in a gown for the exam..but he didn't do a breast exam. My current doc just asks me to take off my shoes and does the rest of the exam with clothes on.

I think you should find another endo. Until you do, stick with this one since he's all you've go. Insist that you don't need a breast exam because you go to the gyno or insist on a chaperone.

A similar story....my uncle was a dentist in Baltimore. He took over the practice from a dentist who seemed very nice. His first female patient came in and started unbuttoning her blouse. He said...you don't need to unbutton your blouse for your visit and she said that the prior dentist always insisted on giving her a breast exam. My uncle then told her that he doesn't do that. Get my drift?

I would probably report him also. I don't know if you feel comfortable doing that, but it might help other women who go to him.

[Dewey]

I gotta say I agree with the others, Sandi. I for one don't feel comfortable with the way this endo has treated you. In my 24 years with Diabetes, I've never once had an endo look at anything more than my feet & stomach (to check for scarring).

I agree with those who said this dude's a perv. :thumpdown

[psilocybin]

I gotta say I agree with the others, Sandi. I for one don't feel comfortable with the way this endo has treated you. In my 24 years with Diabetes, I've never once had an endo look at anything more than my feet & stomach (to check for scarring).

I agree with those who said this dude's a perv. :thumpdown

ya....if i was in your shoes i would totally feel unfortable with him... do yourself a favor and find a new endo....if it was me going in there and something ever happened he would be eating oneof my insulin syringes LOL

[Goldrun]

okay...not that I'm obsessive or anything....but I've been thinking about your post since I read it. I don't know what I would do in your position....but it sounds like you have an endo appointment with a different doctor in June...why not casually tell this doctor what happened to you, and gauge their response? If they think the ethics are in question perhaps they'll direct you in the most appropriate way?

just a thought

[psilocybin]

okay...not that I'm obsessive or anything....but I've been thinking about your post since I read it. I don't know what I would do in your position....but it sounds like you have an endo appointment with a different doctor in June...why not casually tell this doctor what happened to you, and gauge their response? If they think the ethics are in question perhaps they'll direct you in the most appropriate way?

just a thought

good call...it sounds like a sick and disturbing situation from what i have seen so far... i would also tell someone...if you really want bring someone in the room with you when u go see your endo if you dont want to switch just yet

[Lynne1]

I gotta say I agree with the others, Sandi. I for one don't feel comfortable with the way this endo has treated you. In my 24 years with Diabetes, I've never once had an endo look at anything more than my feet & stomach (to check for scarring).

I agree with those who said this dude's a perv. :thumpdown
My current doc also checks my lungs, heart, thyroid and takes my pulse.