Everyone Poops

I've found a common denominator among patients: no one wants to talk about poop. Unfortunately, we as (future) physicians need to know about that particular bodily function in order to take a full history and make the correct diagnosis in many cases.
Men and teenagers have a particularly difficult time answering our questions about the subject. I'm sure the reason behind male reluctance is that I am the opposite gender. A sweet old man last week muttered, "I didn't want to say anything, seeing as how there's a lady present..." before describing his symptoms. I couldn't help but smile when he looked away. I love being regarded as a lady; however, this lady is not disgusted by talk of your bowels; she, in fact, needs to hear about them.

This classic toddler tale should be (re)read by every individual entering a physician's office. I might just keep a copy in mine one day.
So go ahead and tell us all about it without shame. It's okay; you're not alone. Everyone poops!