Okay. I just had to comment on this one since I’m a Radiologic Technologist by trade and have been for almost fifteen years. We are the ones who usually insert the catheters for barium enemas. The process is called “tipping” the patient.

I just have to explain why this happens because I believe that is what you’re looking for -- an answer to “how the fuck?”

In a thin or average patient who can manage to keep their sphincter muscles relaxed during the tipping, the process is easy and very few mistakes are ever made. The holes are easy to see and there is no resistance when inserting the tip of the catheter. However, with heavier patients, sometimes the different holes are very difficult to see, especially since the patient must be lying on their side for the insertion (only about an inch goes in. just enough to be able to blow up the tiny balloon inside to keep the catheter from coming out).

If we can’t see due to huge masses of flesh and sometimes other elements that I’ll spare details on (each patient is different), we have to go by feel.

Sometimes, if the patient cannot relax their muscles, when the tip is pressed against the anus and unable to uneasily penetrate, it will slip into the vaginal opening instead. It takes the path of least resistance, so to speak.

Normally, one can tell if they’ve entered the wrong hole by the way the tip slips in, but obviously and unfortunately, not all the time.

This is absolutely not an excuse by any means, but simply an explanation on how it happens.

Your mother’s story is exactly why I believe in THOROUGH explanation ahead of time as to what is supposed to happen so the patient can tell us if they think something is wrong.

For statistics’ sake, I’ve only had an “oops" moment once in my career that was caught immediately.

I also had to recieve a BE once.

I tipped myself.