The Patient’s Preparation: A Cleansing Journey Before the surgery, a young male patient needed to receive an enema. That day, the doctor visited the patient in his ward, palpated his abdomen once more, and said, "Well, buddy, it's time for the enema. Let's head to the procedure room." The doctor, who was also young—about the same age as the patient—always referred to him as "buddy." While this wasn't entirely appropriate from a professional standpoint, it seemed to amuse the patient and perhaps distracted him from any unpleasant thoughts. The patient had already been informed about the enema. The same doctor had previously explained the procedure in detail and how it would be carried out. Without hesitation, the patient agreed and accompanied the doctor to undergo the procedure, which has a rather unpleasant reputation. "Better to prepare properly for the surgery," he thought. Concerned about his health, he diligently followed all of the doctor's instructions. In the procedure room, the doctor instructed the patient to undress from the waist down and lie on his side on the couch, where a sheet and towel had already been placed. "Take off your pants and underwear, and lie on your side with your hips on the towel," the doctor commanded, and the patient complied, folding his clothes neatly on the adjacent couch. For some reason, the patient decided to remove his T-shirt as well. Perhaps he was concerned about soiling it, or maybe he believed that an "ideal enema" required complete undress. "You need to bend your knees and tuck them under your abdomen—like this," the doctor guided, helping the patient position himself correctly for the procedure. "Great! Now lie still; I'll be right back." Soon, the doctor returned from the storeroom with a large rubber Esmarch cup, filled to the brim with water. A long tube with a nozzle and a tap was coiled in the doctor's hands. He placed the enema device on a stand next to the couch and then took the long rubber tube with the nozzle in his hand, lifting one of the patient's buttocks with the other hand, and carefully inserted the nozzle into the patient's rectum. The patient remained still, without a single movement, like a statue. "Good, now relax! You'll soon feel some water flowing into your body. There's nothing to worry about; just endure it until the procedure is complete." The patient continued to lie silently and motionlessly. The doctor opened the tap on the enema hose. "Can you feel the water coming?" "Yes, I feel it," the patient responded. "Good. Stay still and bear with it. You shouldn't go to the bathroom too early; you need to complete the entire enema." The patient remained silent. His physique was strong and well-defined, with broad shoulders, a developed chest, and muscular arms. His narrow waist contrasted with his firm, square buttocks, from which a rubber hose now extended, delivering water into his intestines. A towel was placed beneath him on the sheet to catch any leaks. His testicles were visible behind the hose. Despite his strong and handsome appearance, he looked helpless lying in such a state on the medical bed. From the moment he had undressed and prepared for the procedure, he had been utterly silent and motionless; only his eyes occasionally blinked, and his chest moved slightly as he breathed. The water from the enema quickly filled his intestines, moving from one section to another, stretching his abdomen, and causing uncomfortable bubbling sensations in his internal organs. The flow of cool water constantly tickled his rectum. Yet, the patient endured all of this stoically, as if he felt nothing at all. The rubber Esmarch cup gradually emptied. The doctor, standing by the couch, occasionally touched the container to check its progress. Eventually, the once full rubber vessel became flat and deflated, a quiet "gurgle" indicating that the water had completely transferred into the patient's body. "How are you holding up, buddy?" the doctor asked. "I'm still holding up," replied the patient, now full of water. "Can you take a bit more?" "Yes, I can manage a little more." "Good, then I'll add more water." The doctor refilled the enema reservoir to the brim. The patient heard the sound of water being poured behind him, and the flow of water into his body resumed. "Try to hold it in for a bit longer—until it becomes unbearable. Let me know when you can't take it anymore, okay?" "Okay, doctor." The patient's voice trembled slightly as he responded. Two liters of the cleansing solution had already entered his intestines, causing his abdomen to swell significantly. But he was too embarrassed to admit his discomfort; after all, how else should a man behave in such a situation? His breathing quickened with anxiety as the water continued to flow into his body, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer and almost shouted, "Doctor! I can't take it anymore!" The doctor swiftly closed the tap on the enema hose, lifted the patient's firm buttock once more, and removed the nozzle from his tightly clenched anus. A small amount of liquid leaked out and dripped onto the towel. "That's it! You did great, buddy! That was an excellent, thorough enema." The doctor coiled the enema hose and hung it on the stand, then moved it aside. There was still a considerable amount of water left in the reservoir, but it had been significantly emptied. "Now, lie still for a bit to let the water cleanse your body from the inside." The patient remained silent. The doctor went to the storeroom. After such a procedure, the patient felt exhausted. His abdomen was bloated with liquid, and the sensations were far from pleasant. For the first time, he moved his hand to rest it on his bare thigh. His thoughts were muddled, and his bloated intestines occasionally rumbled with gas. But he didn't yet feel the urge to go to the bathroom. "Well, that was my first enema," he thought to himself. It wasn't until ten minutes later that he began to feel the first urge to empty his bowels. Fifteen minutes later, the doctor allowed him to get up and go to the adjacent room, which was a shower room connected to the enema room. The patient emptied his intestines with great relief. A stream of water mixed with feces and gas shot out one after another. He strained with all his might. After completely emptying his bowels, the patient felt an incredible lightness in his abdomen. He wiped himself, got up, and returned to the doctor. He still wasn't wearing any clothes, and for some reason, his penis had become erect, but he pretended nothing had happened. The doctor was in the storeroom, busy with something. The patient glanced at the enema device: a large rubber heating pad with an open top, from which water was visible, hanging on a holder that resembled a clothes hanger. From the heating pad extended the same tube, with a plastic nozzle at the end. At that moment, the doctor entered with a full jug of water. "Doctor, can I take a closer look at the enema?" "Sure, buddy. Are you curious about how it works?" The patient took the coiled hose and brought the nozzle close to his face to examine it. "This nozzle is what we insert into your rectum, buddy." The doctor took the hose from the patient's hands and opened the tap slightly. A thin stream of water sprayed from the nozzle. "We need to let the air out of the hose before administering the enema." While the patient was emptying his bowels, the enema had been refilled and was waiting for him when he returned. "Lie down again, buddy, on the couch. We're going to give you a second enema." The patient obediently lay down again in the fetal position, his hips on the towel. The doctor lifted his buttock and inserted the nozzle into the opening. "Here comes the water," the doctor warned. And so began the second enema. We won't describe the details this time, as the process was much the same as before. However, after the second enema, the patient's intestines were much more thoroughly cleansed. After the second procedure, the patient was sent back to his ward. "Enemas cleanse the body of toxins; they're very beneficial," the patient thought to himself after the two deep washings. He also recalled that doctors sometimes recommend enemas as a preventive measure and that such procedures can be done a few times a year at home. Health enthusiasts often combine fasting with enemas to cleanse their intestines. "I think the procedures I just went through count as an excellent preventive cleanse!" he thought. "It wasn't so bad after all; maybe I should try giving myself an enema at home?" The patient was health-conscious. After this experience, he now understood the process firsthand and decided he would definitely buy a rubber Esmarch cup for home use, look up the correct solution online, and give himself a good "cleanse." The next day, the surgery went very well, and the patient made a full recovery. Moecus, September 9th, 2024, New York