Several years ago, my mother was scheduled for a barium enema. What she got was a near medical mishap that left her with lasting anxiety and a fear of doctors and medical procedures.

As the doctor prepared to administer the barium enema for her procedure, my mother felt the plastic catheter being pushed into her vagina instead of her rectum. The doctor reacted before she could protest. “Oops,” he said. Then he quickly removed the tubing from her vagina and reinserted it into her rectum in one smooth movement.

He didn’t even say he was sorry.

My mother didn’t file a complaint; she didn’t even mention it at the doctor’s appointment. Ever the good patient, she remained quiet throughout the procedure. When it was over, she got dressed with shaking hands, left the hospital, and drove home. That’s when the full seriousness of the situation struck.

A doctor had nearly filled her reproductive organs with a contrast solution that contained the metallic element barium, which was used for X-ray imaging tests that examine a person’s lower intestinal tract — not the reproductive system.