My mom and Mr. Rilch’s mom, like every other mom on earth, always harped on the necessity of clean, presentable underwear at all times, “because what if you were in an accident and had to go to the emergency room?” However, the one time (three years ago) I had an ER visit that necessitated taking my pants off, the staff was much more concerned about my vital signs than the frayed lace on my panties. I did hear, through the curtain, another patient apologize for not having anything under his jeans, but it sounded like they just threw a towel over him and got on with stitching his wounds. So am I right in thinking that emergency medical staff doesn’t give a hoot if your underwear is raggedy or not?
Let me tell you from experience. I see everyone who comes into this emergency room (unless by ambulance) and I can tell you that the staff is pleased if you at least have on pants! Now, if your underwear is so filthy that it is causing nurses to retch out in the hall, then there might be a problem. But so far as “skid marks” or stretched out leg holes, these people just stuffed some guys brains back into his head and or treated a kid suffering from both explosive diarrhea and projectile vomiting–they don’t really care what you’re wearing unless it is in their way.
My husband’s grandmother used to yell at him and his brother and tell them the same thing about dirty underwear. (“If you get killed and they have to take you to the hospital, you need to be wearing clean underwear!”) Once he found out that often people void their bladder and/or bowels when they die, he drove his grandmother crazy! (“Why? When I die I’m going to poop and pee in them anyway. No one will know they were dirty before!”) He grew up to be even more charming!
Those who are dancing look insane to those who cannot hear the music.
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As a real life ER nurse I can say that it has to be pretty bad to catch our attenion, if what you have is seriously crusty, seriously sexy, or commonly associated with a different gender, it might get some comment, but dingy is just too mundane,
Larry
On a few occasions I have been revolted by the sight, stench, and/or texture of a patient’s underwear. This is invariably the underwear of homeless people, though, who have little option but to wear the same pair of underwear for years at a time without washing them. Since they’re not too concerned with personal hygiene, they go ahead and pee in their pants and sometimes worse things; over many months the fabric becomes stiff and powdery.
It’s hard to cut them off with scissors due to the buildup of residue. You definitely don’t want to pull them off because a cloud of foul particles will become airborne.
Unless your underwear is this dirty, you needn’t worry about it at all.
Beware of your underware of you have a fetish of some sort. Two of my workmates were rather surprised one night after transporting an male assault victim to the local hospital emergency department. After receiving the patient, the nursing staff insisted on removing the patient’s trousers to gain better access to a large laceration on the patient’s thigh. The patient’s vehement protestations were only quelled with the threat of cutting his trousers off with some shears. All present wre taken about by the sight of a seemingly rough, tough Aussie male sporting frilly knickers…
Knock softly but firmly, 'cause I like soft firm knockers…
Haven’t been through it myself, but SO was taken to emergency after an accident several years ago. They immediately cut his jeans and underwear off with one long scissors run up the side. (They saved these for us in a paper bag, though I’m not sure what we could have done with them.) I’m sure they didn’t even notice his underwear, let alone how ratty or new it was. As others have said above - if you are wearing something really startling, like a chastity belt, it would probably elicit a raised eyebrow or a comment if your emergency was not life-threatening. Otherwise, just not significant.
Mothers were never specific about the potential consequences - do they think you might be refused treatment if your underwear is just too dingy for the emergency room staff to bear?
P.S. Likewise, when I see my regular doctor for an office visit, I firmly believe that she doesn’t care if I shaved my legs that morning or not. Medical people see it all; it takes something exceptional to even be noticed, let alone “cared about”, particularly in regard to things that have nothing to do with your medical condition.
As I was talking with Dr. Boyfriend on the phone I happened upon this thread. Since he is a doctor, I related the OP, and his response was that nobody cares about your underwear, but evidently they do care if you are extraordinarily well-endowed - everybody wants to come and take a peek.
So there are worse things to be embarassed by (or, in this case, proud of).
From what I can remember, Being an EMT for two years now, I can only recall one patient that I made a note of underwear, and, in this case, it was a lack there of…
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