So, let’s start at the beginning, proceed to the end and there stop.
Today I was scheduled for a pap smear and a pelvic ultrasound at the hospital – all part of getting as much information on me as they can on file so they can refer to it at a moment’s notice. The doc also had me fast and do a cholesterol and thyroid and a couple of other blood tests too.
So bright and early, after I saw that Nala had stopped puking, had actually ate something and was going to be ok after all … I took my ass to the hospital … in time for 9am. I registered for the blood tests and waited. They called me in and took 3 vials and I was done by 9:30 – which left me exactly half an hour before the pap smear was going to be done. Since I was on the same floor as the radiology department, I went by to check whether they were swamped and whether they would squeeze me in before the 10am pap smear appointment. Well, they said they could at first, but then 2 emergency’s came up just then and the tech said I would probably be better off keeping my 10am and coming back to her afterwards.
Cheerful as I could, I told her “Sure. See you in a little bit.” – why so cheerful? Cos she seemed like she felt she’d made a boo-boo of some kind … and it hit me that someone else might have given her a hard time about first saying she could do it and then saying she couldn’t.
/shrug I was going to be there until after 11am anyway – so what the hell… and it’s not like I had a job to rush back to either … so …
So anyway, I go back to do my pap smear and again I am struck by the VAST difference in the way they conduct medical business here versus in Jamaica. The nurse processed all that extraneous information – except here it’s that much more detailed- she even asked me about physical abuse and depression. Took my blood pressure, made me laugh so it was a little elevated; asked me some more questions again … like the history they took 2 weeks ago wasn’t enough. Then gave me some extensive instructions about the “procedure”. I’m like “what the hell, it’s just a damn pap smear” … to myself of course.
But Oh No! It’s a BIG DEAL here. The doctor – who by the way was male – had to come in and “prep” me. He was of course HORRIFIED to hear that I had never had my feet in stirrups before. So I had to explain to him that we get inventive … ankles together, knees apart. And he was like “Ooooohhhhh!” Light-bulb. I guess he needed help to actually visualize how this kind of thing is done without stirrups.
So anyway, apparently it was ULTRA important that the nurse be in the room with him while he did this “procedure” too. And it hit me suddenly that they are concerned with my filing harassment complaints or something …. or maybe it’s protect me? Dunno … just found it hilarious. Back home in Jamaica, nurse don’t have time to sit around watching or holding doc’s hand while he does a routine pap or exam. Doc don’t give too much of 2 shits about who is on the table in front of him either …
So anyway, pap smear done, he looked at my toe nail and told me that I didn’t need to get the rest of the nail out … it should grow back normally and that I should just watch it and come back if I have problems. Fair enough … I had HIS word that it looked ok – which still means a great deal to me after all this time and independent research.
So anyway, that done I headed back upstairs to the ultrasound – which was another experience. The room is darkened, carpeted, smells sweet like a high class bordeau (no lie!) and is REALLY a pleasant looking place. The ultrasound machine, while I didn’t get the model and manufacturer (:P @ You-Know-Who), it looked much the same as the ones in Jamaica that had been used on me before. It was a quite pleasant experience – despite the stirrups again – and I was struck again at how NICE people are in dealing with the public. They are so nice, I am fooled into thinking they give a shit about what I think … and it gets me chatting. I forget it’s their training and they really are just going a job. They really could care less about me and my issues.
Which is why it was so encouraging that the clerk who checked me in at the clinic twice actually recognized me and talked to me this evening … but I get ahead of myself.
After the hospital, I went on over to the Red Cross while I waited for hubby to be free for lunch. And OH BOY! BLOW MY MIND WHY DONTCHA!??!
May Giulitto – she’s the program director; or rather the service center manager – blew my mind almost immediately. She WAS busy when I walked in with my application, but the minute she heard I was a volunteer, she screamed at me to get in her office and have a seat. Then she saw my resume and screamed at me again how much she loved me. When she inquired after my accent and learned I was Jamaican, she screamed at me again “OMG! I JUST LOVE YOU!” and that is ALL she was on for a good 20 minutes straight.
Then she launched into what seemed to be random, meaningless chatter with me about Katrina, working with the sheltered victims from Gustav, working with the different programs for financially needy families … just bouncing around and around the different chapters, projects and stuff they do here …. and then after about another 20 minutes of that hairy-scary kind of excited chatter, she sits back with a calm look on her face that said “I’m satisfied” and she said “I’m going to send you to the hospital. I think you’ll like it there.”
Of course, I was like “Oh No! Please, not the hospital. I HATE hospitals.” and she very calmly looked at me and said “Oh dear me no – not the patients, the OFFICE!” And when I go “Oh!” with a look of intense interest on my face (oh yea! Those who know me, KNOW how my face says it all), she smiles and says “Yes. I think the hospital is where we will start you out at. Of course, we’ll rotate you around so you don’t get bored, but we’ll start you there.”
So of course, I have to go through all this legal bullshit now – tests and background checks and all that jazz. And then back to the hospital to do more tests and get vaccines and so on …
PPD test, blood tests to be sure my immunizations are actually alive and well, hepatitis-B vaccince since I’m going to be working in the hospital …. and then on Thursday I need all kinds of other clearances and so on and a picture ID and all kinds of bullshit. They tell me to be prepared to be running around with my head cut off on Thursday…. ya! NOT looking forward to THAT part, but what to do, eh? /shrug
Anyway – I am getting excited about it now. As I mentioned before, the dude who checked me in at the clinic was walking out with me at 5. And we got to talking about me working there as a volunteer and maybe even hoping to get noticed enough to be offered a permanent posting and he was all “Oh goodness! You’ll catch all KINDS of eyes here with your credentials!” which made me even more excited. This could be a good opportunity….
And then here comes Yolospat with “plus, what kind of immigrant volunteers? it’s going to look SO good on your paperwork!” … and she’s right you know.
I am not going to deny it … I AM excited. I am trying to contain it a little, because for all I know, I’ll hate it so bad I’ll tell May to get me the hell out of there … but at the same time, WHAT a coup it would be to land a posting there! Not ONLY will it look good on my resume and papers, but it will be SO much easier to transition jobs when we move.
Ya. I AM excited.
Course, starting tomorrow morning, I am getting up and out at 8am. So it’s not all roses and perfume … I’m going to HATE that part … plus I’m going to have to reorganize my day so much differently now that I won’t be here all day with nothing but time on my hands … but you know what? It’s better having to do that now being a volunteer with limited responsibility rather than in a job where people have expectations of me that start immediately with no leeway. So, it’s ALL good.
/sigh
My only problem? When WoTLK comes out, I’ll have to go into work. While hubby sits home and gets ahead of me. 
Oh well .. such is life.
Tired. Exhausted. Thirsty. Need a break now. /sigh Talk to you all laterz.
YUSH
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