The Digestive Health Center: Susan's Story

by Pepper North

  Dr. Anderson looked at her very seriously as she climbed up to take a seat on the table. “Your intestinal tract is dangerously compacted. Unfortunately, in the state it is currently, I can’t definitely diagnose the cause but we can begin to address this immediately. You need to have your intestinal tract completely cleansed. This is going to be a very involved process. Basically, we need to wash out all the compacted material. We’ll do this using a variety of types of enemas. Have you ever had an enema before, Susan?

  Swallowing with difficulty, Susan replied, “Yes, I remember having them when I was very young. My parents would give them to me but I don’t remember much other than lying on the bathroom floor with one parent holding my legs up and the other squeezing what looked like a rubber ball with a straw on it.”

  “What we are going to do is a little more sophisticated but the same theory. Cleansing fluid will be introduced into your intestines followed by a rinsing agent in a systematic way so that the entire length of the intestines is washed clean. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?” Dr. Anderson said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Some people find it a little embarrassing at first but soon feel so much better that they don’t worry about the embarrassment and focus on feeling better. That is what you need to do, Susan. It’s Friday afternoon. We always schedule first appointments on Friday so that we can take advantage of the weekend for treatment. I would like to admit you into a treatment room for the weekend, Susan. Do you need to notify anyone that you will not be home?”

  Chapter Three

  Thinking furiously, Susan realized that no one would be expecting to see her until Monday morning at work. “No, doctor. I had a quiet weekend planned.”

  “Perfect! Annie, call for a room and notify X-ray that Susan will be in for a complete set of abdominal views. This will give us a view of the level of congestion in your digestive system before we begin and then we can compare your progress after treatment. Susan, I want you to lie on your side. I’m going to give you a shot to relax you. This will help you tolerate the treatments this weekend with ease. I want this to be very easy on you – no stress, okay?” With that he took the injection, Annie had prepared and administered the shot in Susan’s hip. Almost immediately, she felt her muscles relaxing and stopped worrying about what was ahead of her.

  “Annie, please take Susan by the lab on your way to X-ray and have them run a full blood panel for us. We need to see if Annie needs any supplements as well to help her feel her best,” Dr. Anderson requested.

  Annie helped her into a big, fluffy white robe, picked up the jar of lubricant, and took Susan’s arm to lead her down the hall to the x-ray department. Entering the room, Annie helped Susan take off the robe and instructed her to lie down on the stainless-steel table. Susan shivered as her body stretched out on the cold metal. A large, bald man entered and took charge. He had Susan put her hands over her head and attached her wrists to the top of the table. Then her legs were spread, and raised off the table with her ankles attached to supports rising from the bottom of the table. Susan turned her head to the side very embarrassed to be splayed out. She was very groggy from the shot and her muscles were very relaxed. It didn’t even enter her mind to protest. “Okay, we’ve got you in position so that nothing will impede a good x-ray of your abdominal area. We’ll take our first x-ray now. I want you to take a deep breath and hold it now.” Susan heard a faint zooming noise and the technician re-approached the bed with a large metal rod with a smoothly curved end. “We need to map out the beginning of your intestinal tract, Susan. This insert will show up on the x-ray and help Dr. Anderson diagnose your illness.” Annie stepped up with the jar of lubricant and opened it for the technician. He dipped his finger into the jar and applied the lubricant to her rectum and then dipped the metal rod into the jar. Susan felt him push the rod deeply into her rectum. The cold rod caused Susan to shiver repeatedly as she squirmed uncomfortably due to the deeply inserted rod. The tech straightened Susan’s position on the table and again told her to lie still, take a deep breath and hold it as he took the x-ray. Removing the metal insert, he then detached her ankles and lowered her legs to the table and released her hands to help Susan sit up on the side of the table. Annie helped her back into the white robe and they re-entered the hall.

  Turning into a large room with a hospital type bed and all sorts of equipment, Annie instructed, “Just slip out of your robe, dear, and get into bed. I’ll get your first cleansing enema ready for you and we’ll get started,” Annie bustled over to the sink. She removed a large rubber bag from the cabinet, attached a long hose and selected an enema tip about 6 inches long and one inch diameter. “I’ll start small, Susan, so you’ll be comfortable.” Clicking into place the tubing stopcock, she measured out a cup of a milky white cleanser, poured it into the bag, and after waiting for the water to warm, she filled the bag almost to the top and carried it over to Susan hanging it from a hook in above the bed.

  Dr. Anderson entered and smiled to see everything was ready to go. “Susan, we’re going to put your legs up into these supports to get them out of the way. It’s very much like what your folks used to do when you were small.” Annie and Dr. Anderson positioned Susan’s legs and strapped them in securely before lifting them out and to the sides almost lifting Susan’s behind off the bed. “Lower the head of the bed also, Annie. We want gravity to help the solution flow as deep as possible. That’s it. Now, I let me lubricate the opening.” Again, he dipped into the jar of lubricant and slid first one finger and then two repeatedly into Susan’s rectum. The combination of the rhythmic motion of the finger sliding in and out and the previous injection made Susan relax. Quickly, Dr. Anderson replaced his fingers with the enema tip, twisted it into place as deeply as it would go, and clicked the stopcock into position allowing the warm water to flow. “Slow the flow, Annie, to a minimum. Susan, I’d like for you to try to take a nap. Close your eyes and relax.” Annie piled several warmed blankets on top of her, and attached straps to her wrists binding them to the sides of the bed, and they both left the room. Susan noted that Annie carried the white robe out of the room and remembered all her things were in the exam room. Oh, well. She couldn’t worry about that now.

  Susan could barely feel the water flowing into her rectum. It was warm and soothing. The shot had made her very sleepy and relaxed. The room was dark and silent. Susan felt herself drift off to sleep.

  Water flowing into her rectum at a much greater force, woke Susan. She heard someone moving about and questioned, “Annie? Are you here?”

  Annie immediately moved to her side. “Did you have a good nap, Susan? The enema is going well. How do you feel?”

  “I really need to use the bathroom, Annie. Can I get up now?” Susan questioned urgently pulling her arms against the wrist restraints.

  “The enema is almost finished dear. I just increased the flow. I’m sorry if that woke you up. Let me see if I can help you tolerate just a little more fluid. It’s important that we squeeze it all into your digestive track. I’m going to so a couple of things for you. First, let’s massage your stomach area.” With that, she pulled up the blankets and began massaging Susan’s stomach with a firm circular pattern. “Oh, there’s lots of room here for more fluid. That’s good to know for future enemas! Does that help?” Upon seeing Susan’s nod, she moved one hand to grasp the inserted enema nozzle and began to twist and slide it in and out of Susan’s anal opening. “Many people find this both stimulating and distracting. Do you like that?”

  Susan nodded again with embarrassment. She tried to look for the enema bag to see how much fluid remained in the bag but it was blocked from her view by a curtain next to the bed. She’d just have to wait for Annie to let her know it was over. Finally, Susan felt the liquid begin to ebb as it flowed into her system. Annie continued the circular massage and the movement of the nozzle for a few more moments and then moved over to the tubing to close the stopcock.

  “Often, we’ll need to leave the liquid to soften the fecal
material in your digestive tract for a period of time, but since you’re so packed with material to start, Dr. Anderson’s orders let you expel the enema immediately. Can you hold the liquid while I release your legs, Susan, or should we put in a plug to help you?”

  “I think I’m okay if you hurry, Annie.” Susan rushed to say scared of the concept of a plug.

  “Good, Susan, we’ll try it and see what happens. Let’s get you all disconnected.” She slowly lowered Susan’s legs and bottom to rest fully on the bed and fussed with the straps until they were released. She stopped and slid her finger into Susan’s vagina and pressed on the top of her stomach. “This first enema looks like it’s going to have a limited effect, Susan. Keep your fingers crossed that you surprise me.” Stopping to wash her hands, Annie finally released Susan’s hands, removed the blankets from the bed, and helped Susan to her feet. “Let walk over to the toilet, dear.”

  Feeling the liquid slosh in her stomach, Susan walked as fast as possible to the toilet and sat down. Immediately, the fluid began to gush from her. Annie leaned against the wall and waited with a smile. “Is she going to stay in here while I use the toilet,” Susan was horrified. “I can’t believe how embarrassing this is!”

  As gush subsided, Susan looked around for toilet paper. None. She looked for a way to flush the toilet, only to see a button next to Annie on the wall.

  “Think you’re all done, Susan?” Annie questioned moving a waist high padded bench over in front of Susan. “Just stand and lean over this bench, and I’ll get you all cleaned up. Then, I’ll need to check what we flushed out of you.” Repeatedly wiping with the same, cold cloths, Annie cleaned Susan’s bottom with practiced strokes. Pressing her hand down on Susan’s back to stop her from standing up, Annie instructed, “We’re not done yet, Susan. Just stay in that position while I get you ready for your rinse.” She removed a long hose from the cabinet and again fitted a nozzle on the end. This time it was longer and flexible. She walked over and retrieved the lubricant jar and applied a large glob to Susan’s rectum with the same in and out motion. Sliding the nozzle in at least 10 inches, she walked to the side of the bench and pulled out a retractable strap, wrapping it across Susan’s back and attaching it to the other side. It effectively prevented Susan from moving away from the bench. “We don’t want you to slide off the bench, Susan. The water is going to be coming in very quickly this time. Again, you need to relax. We’ll set the timer for 5 minutes and when you hear it ding, you’ll be finished.”

  Susan heard a click and felt a gush of water enter her intestinal tract. She attempted to stand in surprise but was stopped by the restraining strap. She tried to clamp her buttocks together to slow the water’s entrance but it didn’t work. “Annie, it’s too fast. Can you stop it or slow it down for me?” she begged.

  “Sorry, dear. It will be over in 4 more minutes – just watch the clock.” Annie replied. Annie became very busy writing notes in Susan’s file about the results of the cleansing enema before flushing the stool. “Two more minutes,” she said to Susan who was squirming on the bench. “I’ll be back in just a minute, Susan.” Annie walked out of the door leaving Susan perched on the bench.

  Ding! Off went the timer. Susan sagged with relief. It was over. Wait, where was Annie? Just then, Susan heard footsteps and in walked Annie.

  “Perfect timing! I just heard the timer go off. Let’s turn off the flow, Susan. Doing okay?” Annie questioned.

  “No, I really need to go to the bathroom – NOW!” Susan cried.

  Annie slowly removed the nozzle and instead of unfastening the strap holding Susan to the bench, she picked up a large black object about 2 inches wide and 5 inches long with an indention about ¾ of the way down its side.

  “What is that for?” said Susan dismayed.

  “I just checked with Dr. Anderson. He’s concerned that we didn’t have good results from the first enema and thinks we need to let everything soften in your tummy. This is an anal plug. It will help you keep the fluid inside you. Let me get this lubricated and we’ll hope it just slides into place. It’s pretty wide to help block the opening completely.” She began to lubricate the plug and approached Susan’s bottom. Pulling apart her buttocks with one hand, she aggressively pushed the plug into position. “Oh, that was tight. I bet it’s a little uncomfortable. Good thing, it’s going to help so much. Let’s get you back to bed, Susan.”

  Chapter Four

  Still woozy from the previous shot, Susan couldn’t struggle as Annie unstrapped her and led her back to bed. Her stomach felt 3 times its normal size. “How long does all this have to stay in me? Can I go to the bathroom soon?” she questioned.

  Annie replied, “Dr. Anderson will be in to check on you and he’ll decide when you can expel the fluid, Susan. You don’t want to rush this and not get better, right?” With a cluck of her tongue, Annie reattached Susan’s wrists to the bedsides. “We can’t have you messing with the plug now. It has an important job to do. How about if I turn on the TV for you? That will be distracting and help the time pass.” She adjusted the channel to a current movie, and straightened the pillows. “Let me do one final check to make sure all is in the right place.” She reached between Susan’s legs and rotated the anal plug to ensure it was deeply seated. Next, she thrust two fingers into Susan’s vagina and pressed on her stomach in a variety of places wiggling her embedded fingers as she pressed. “Still lots of room in your intestinal tract, Susan, we could have filled you up a lot fuller. I’ll make a note of that in your chart.” With that, she withdrew her fingers and pulled the covers over Susan’s body.

  “How much longer do I have to hold this water? I really have to go to the bathroom, Annie!” Susan questioned urgently.

  “I’ll check on you in a little while, Susan and we’ll see how you’re doing. Just try to relax and watch the movie. It will take your mind away from the fluid,” Annie counseled gently. With that advice, she dimmed the lights and exited quietly.

  Susan immediately pulled with both hands trying to free herself. No way. She was thoroughly bound in place. Mind racing, she tried to figure out what to do. Still somewhat dopey from the medicine, she finally realized that she was okay and rationalized that she would have to relax. The doctor knew what he was doing. If the fluid needed to stay inside of her, she could handle it.

  The movie was ending when Annie returned. “How are you doing, Susan? Think everything is softening up in your intestinal tract?” she said with a smile. “The doctor will be here in just a minute. I’m going to get everything set up for the next step.”

  Susan watched her fill a syringe with a clear fluid from a glass vial and set it down. “Must be time for more medicine,” thought Susan. “That’s great it will help me relax again.” Next Annie removed a large plastic bowl from the cabinets and a large red bulb with a black nozzle about 12 inches long and 2 inches diameter. Filling the bowl with a mixture of warm water and a milky fluid, Annie loaded the syringe, the bowl, the red bulb, and the jar of lubricant onto a cart that she pulled over to the bedside. Annie untied one of Susan’s hands from the side of the bed and quickly tied it over next to her other hand while encouraging Susan to roll over on to her side. Annie pulled the cover up from the bottom of the bed and bent Susan’s legs up toward her hands just as Dr. Anderson entered the room.

  “Hi, Susan. Perfect, Annie – you’ve got her all ready to go!” He said with enthusiasm. He picked up the syringe and quickly administered the shot to Susan’s hip. “Now, let’s see if we can’t get some of this clogged fecal material to cooperate with us, Susan. We’re going to use a bulb syringe to agitate the liquid inside you, Susan. This will help rinse the sides of your intestinal tract. It may be a little uncomfortable, so I’ve given you some additional medication to help you relax. Can you feel the effects of the medicine, Susan?” he questioned.

  Susan nodded slowly. Her head was a little foggy and her body felt heavy and limp. She was glad she felt safe with the doctor and Annie. She wouldn’t
have been able to protest any treatments if she had any concerns.

  “Okay, let’s get started. First, I’ll fill the bulb with the cleansing fluid.” He put the black nozzle into the fluid and squeezed it several times until it was filled. Next, we’ll take out the anal plug. It’s done it’s work for us for now. In goes the nozzle,” he detailed as he pushed it in Susan’s rectum, twisting it until it was almost entirely seated.

  “Doctor! That’s too big. It’s hurting me!” Susan protested. “Can’t I just go to the bathroom. I’m sure I’ll be able to do well this time,” she promised.

  “Susan, you need to let me take care of this problem for you. The nozzle feels a little large but you’ll adjust to it just fine. Try to relax. I’m going to squeeze the bulb now and you’ll feel the moving around inside you.” He squeezed the bulb rapidly several times in a row.