Friday, December 2, 2011

Test your patience. I dare you!

Anyone who has nothing to do, wants to be asked tons of questions, poked and prodded, and test their patience, should head to Parkland Hospital in Dallas and try to get a Rhogam shot. Sounds tempting? Maybe not after I walk you through such a day.

7.45 Drive to Parkland in Rush hour traffic
9.15 check in without an appointment, settle into waiting room and read Twilight
10.15 Register with a financial advisor and reapply for medicaid
11.00 Settle into waiting room, read some more Twilight
11.30 Blood pressure check and urine sample
11.35 Settle back into waiting room, watch Charlie and the chocolate factory
1.10 Assigned a room, and handed a paper gown to put on
1.15 Told to put clothes back on
1.20 Go over medical background with "Educator" who said some strange things that would scare any pregnant lady who didn't know any better.

Some of the things that came out of his mouth:

"Be careful when you walk, if you fall your baby could die"
"Don't eat any fish or seafood while pregnant. Autistic kids have mercury in their brain, and we don't know for sure how much mercury is in sea food. Just don't eat any while you're pregnant"
"Drink 8 cups a day, but only a sip at a time. If you drink too fast, you can throw up"

He also gave me plenty of scaring literature, which included a ridiculous list of "don't eat" foods. I've never met anybody who harmed their baby by eating soft cheeses or hot dogs!

There's so much I could say about how wrong these statements were, but instead I just nodded my head, and said okay. This was also I would have to head back home to be there in time for the kids to get back after school, and I still hadn't even seen a nurse. Luckily Earl was home, so I could stay and finish the process.

2.00pm back to the waiting room, watch Toy Story
2.40pm Sent back to the nurses room, and told to put on a paper gown
2.45 pm Examination by nurse. And then I mean, all the possible examinations you could possibly get. In Holland the midwife measured my belly and asked if I was feeling okay. Not here! Good thing I don't have an aversion to needles and probes!
3.35pm To the lab to donate 7 vials of blood. Every test under the sun will probably be run.
3.45pm The awaited moment has arrived: the Rhogam shot gets administered, and I feel somewhat like I'm getting a horse shot
4.00pm Drive back home through rush hour traffic.

And they want me to come back next week to do more tests! Diabetes, and then the week after that for another ultrasound. Have I mentioned I've already had 3 ultrasounds this pregnancy, and it's a low-risk pregnancy???

There were several instances when I considered leaving the building, driving home, calling a "normal" OB/GYN, and handing over a wad of cash, just to be put out of my misery. Instead I persevered to the end, and now feel totally deflated.

2 comments:

Wendy said...

all I can say is; Messed, Up!

Nancy Sabina said...

Ugh! That is completely awful!

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