# So, I had my first prostate exam today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 17, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212 "2005-01-17T17:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212/41 "2005-01-19T09:05:21Z")
No, it can be nasty and fast. You want to catch it early if you get it. As for the colonoscopy, I had one last year. Had to drink 1.5 ounces of a laxative in 4 ounces of water the night before, then a couple of ounces of another laxative about 3 hours before the procedure. For the procedure, I was wheeled into the room, rolled onto my side, they stuck in the IV, the next thing I knew I was back in the room, it was all over with. Haven’t had the prostate experience yet. Not really looking forward to it. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212/42 "2005-01-20T01:34:46Z")
Jeez, guys. It’s just a finger. And it’s _lubed_! Far worse things have happened to people. (Yep, still 22 more years :P) ---
**Author:** ![EhhMon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@EhhMon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EhhMon)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212/43 "2005-01-20T13:32:38Z")
I keep cancelling my appointments…I’m all gung-ho for doing it and have set up appointments to get it done. but as the date approaches…i chicken out and don’t go. what makes it harder is the fact that my doctor is a woman and she’s beautiful as heck. i’d feel much better doing the examination if my doctor were ugly. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212/44 "2005-01-20T14:05:34Z")
> [@EhhMon](#): > > what makes it harder is the fact that my doctor is a woman and she’s beautiful as heck. i’d feel much better doing the examination if my doctor were ugly. Unless you’ve got a serious doctor fetish, there isn’t anything remotely erotic about the experience and I doubt that you’ll have to worry about becoming too aroused. I enjoy having a finger in my ass as much as the next guy, and my doctor is a very attractive woman, but the setting does nothing for me. If there was some wine involved, some mood lighting, a little comfortable bed…then we’d be talking long term relationship. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212/45 "2005-01-20T19:22:27Z")
**Inigo** , I think there are different kinds of cancer that can attack the prostate. Some are pretty agressive and others thankfully are like what you mentioned. I found out yesterday that’s what my dad has, a benign form that will kill him at 120 years of age if something else aready hasn’t. I guess this means I have to go get checked now. Tell me again just why in the hell it’s gotta be checked with someone’s finger and not by X-ray, CAT-scan, MRI, etc??? ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212/46 "2005-01-20T19:44:44Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > They’re not that bad. Just don’t get one from a gay proctologist with no hands. God no, he’d have to use his left foot. Mr. Lisa tends to choose female primary care physicians. I thought he was just being a sensitive New-Age guy, until he explained that this was because female doctors generally had smaller fingers. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212/47 "2005-01-21T00:28:30Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > First of all, I feel no sympathy at all for the persons of the male persuasion and their whining about discomfort and loss of personal dignity during a medical exam. Gimme a break. > > Secondly, my experience with colonoscopy was that it was no big deal. They put me in a state called “twilight sleep,” which is, I believe, a very light anaesthesia, and I remembered nothing of the experience. The prep ordeal is annoying, though. I asked two of my older coworkers, one of whom had a colonoscopy yesterday, which was worse, a prostate exam or a colonoscopy. Without hesitiation, they both replied, the prostate exam. Obviously, I can’t speak to any gyn exam, so I can’t do a strict comparison. I can say that I’ve been injured enough to know I handle pain quite well, to the point of impressing EMTs, nurses and such. Prostate exams don’t hurt much, but they make me physically nauseas and break out in a sweat. I honestly have to lean on something to keep steady. I’ve been at some of my wife’s exams, and I never saw that reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212/48 "2005-01-21T02:04:57Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > I was never too thrilled with prostate exams either. _ **HOWEVER** _ … as **nivlac** mentioned, a colonoscopy is worse !!! > Fortunately, I have _never_ had one. From those that have had one, I hear it is a triple discomfort because: (perhaps TMI) > > 1. The night before, you have to drink about a _gallon_ of laxative which is NOT the most refreshing beverage in the world. > 2. Then, because of Step 1, you end up evacuating everything that could possibly be in your intestinal tract all the way back to your tonsils. (It may be exaggeration, but some folks have said that you’ll use up a roll of toilet paper). > 3. The next day you get probed (you know where), and I hear THAT is somewhat uncomfortable. I had one of these a few years back. The night before I went to the pharmacy to pick up the 10-gallon jug of “cherry-flavored” laxative. It was clear, real thick and very nasty. I also bought a few football magazines so I could have plenty to read when it hit. The stuff is supposed to start working after an hour. Well, two hours passed and nothing. I was getting worried. Then after about 2 1/2 hours, it hit with a vengence. And it kept hitting for hours. When there was nothing left, and I mean NOTHING left, I was exhausted. Skip to after the procedure. I was knocked out cold for it and I don’t remember a thing. After I wake up, I am laying on the hospital bed and the doctor is explaing to my wife and I what he did to me. He even had full-color pictures. I was drugged up and out-of-it. I remember the doctor saying rectum. I actually said, remember I am was as high as a kite, “rectum, damn near killed him.” I don’t even know what that means. My poor wife was very embarrassed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-had-my-first-prostate-exam-today/285212.md?page=2)