Three Men saw me without a bra on While I was lying in a Hospital Bed. I Feel Embraced

I woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating chest pains and difficulty breathing. My parents rushed me to the hospital. Before I knew it, I was lying in a hospital bed. A male doctor was checking my vitals. I was in so much pain. I didn’t even care that I was in my PJs, which consisted of a t-shirt, pajama shorts, and no bra. But as the pain meds started to kick in, my brain started to kick into gear. I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious as the male nurse put sticky pads on my chest for an ECG.

The cardiologist did a bedside echo. He pushed a transducer against my left breast. Sure, they were doing their job and being professional. But I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable. I mean, my shirt was pulled up and my breast was on full show for them to see. A few days later, I met up with my friends, and they asked me how I was feeling. I joked that I was feeling much better but embarrassed to return to the same hospital. When they asked why, I explained that I was in various stages of undress during my hospital stay.

At least three different men saw me without a bra on. My male friend then asked if I would have felt self-conscious if it had been a female doctor or nurse. I admitted that I would have, but to a lesser extent. That’s when he went on a tangent. He talked about how it was unfair for me to discriminate against male doctors and nurses. He even brought up some ridiculous theory. It was about men in the medical field living in fear of their female patients lodging complaints against them. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. But before he continue, I couldn’t resist interrupting him and asking if he was speaking from personal experience.

Needless to say, the rest of the group burst out laughing, and he was left speechless. Later on, he texted me. He said that he didn’t appreciate me making fun of him. He was trying to talk about a serious topic. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I mean, he was the one who went off on a ridiculous tangent. But now he was upset because I called him out on it? It’s not like I was trying to hurt his feelings. I was just trying to make light of an uncomfortable situation. But now, he hasn’t spoken to me since, and I’m left wondering if I should apologize. But then again, why should I apologize for speaking the truth and making a joke? Maybe he needs to learn to lighten up and stop taking himself so seriously. After all, we’re just a bunch of 18-year-olds, not seasoned doctors.