Wednesday, October 03, 2007

I wasn't going to say a word

I went for my bloodwork this morning. I had to go to an independent lab outside the clinic for OHIP related reasons that still aren't particularly clear to me. I finally decided it wasn't worth trying to find a third person at the clinic to explain this to me in layman's (or crazy-bereaved-stressed-out-hormonal-fragile-tempermental-lady's) terms, so I found an independent lab and headed there this morning.

The drive was quick, there was plenty of parking, the wait was short, the phlebotomist was experienced and I barely felt a thing. Even though she sucked 9 vials out of me.

But then she opened her mouth.

I was happily looking at the crappy landscape photographs someone tore out of a real estate calendar and slapped up on the blood-letting room wall (yeah, that'll make me forget that you have a needle in my arm) when she started to pry.

"So, why are you having all these blood tests? Do they think you have lupus?"

Yeah, sure, go ahead and ask. It seems perfectly reasonable to try to worm information out of a quiet, sad-looking girl staring at the wall minding her own business.

You'd think after all this time I'd be good at dodging, but I'm tired these days. It's been a trying few weeks. My guard was down. So despite the fact that "____ REGIONAL FERTILITY CENTRE" was clearly marked on my lab requisition, I mumbled something about having some fertility issues.

And that, apparently, was her opening.

Listen up all you uterinely challenged ladies, all you mothers of dead babies - my phlebotomist has the answer you've been searching for:

You should go to Vegas.

Imagine that. After all this time, after all the perfectly timed sex, the dildocam monitoring, the Clomid, the HCG shots, the surgery, the miscarriages, the child buried a half hour from our house - after all that, turns out all we really needed to do was buy a ticket to Vegas.

It's what her daughter did. After 10 years of trying they gave up, went to Vegas last Christmas and had a baby boy on Friday. So clearly it works.

I quietly explained that our situation was a little more complicated. I mentioned Thomas and the Tigers and the complications during the D&C and watched as she avoided eye contact and stopped talking altogether.

And then I let her off the hook, asked about her new grandson and quietly left the office.

This is why I'm so tired. It just. Never. Ends.

16 comments:

meg said...

I had a similar thing happen, when I went to get all the HIV/hep tests that my fertility clinic requires. The lady taking my blood, looked at the form (that said blah blah fertility clinic) and asked me if I "just wanted to know" my HIV status, while looking at me like I was a crack whore. She made a point of putting on her gloves and tutting, something she didn't do for the blood draw before me. These people really suck (literally and figuratively).

Angela said...

Uggh, will people ever stop saying dumb sh*t?!

You've been in my thoughts.

Lori said...

Oh please!! Unbelievable.

I'm so sorry.

Kathy McC said...

Yep. People suck. What business does any lab tech have asking you what your blood work is for??? Yikes.

The Goddess G said...

Ugh. This woman seriously needs a boot to the head. So sorry you had to endure that.
~Carole

Rosepetal said...

what a stupid stupid woman. God I'm sorry you have to put up with that C.R.A.P.

She should go to Vegas and stay there so she's not near you anymore.

Chris, Renae & Annie said...

I have to go to Vegas?

Well crap - all this time I thought I just had to relax!

The Nanny said...

good grief. sorry you had to go through that!

Dr. Grumbles said...

Now, what if you had replied, "Well, yes, actually, they suspect I have Lupus," and started to cry?

hammygirl said...

Ugh. Stupid woman! I'm so sorry you had to deal with her stupidity. :(

Catherine said...

You are too kind to the stupid people around you. I would have smacked my forehead and said, "Why, of course! Vegas! Why didn't I think of that?!?!"

{{{hugs}}}

Denise said...

What a stupid, insensitive women. ((((hugs)))

Carrie said...

So Sorry, you didn't need that.

Aurelia said...

Oh cack....I mean, I get that she was trying to be helpful, but there are lots of other sympathetic nice things she could have said that weren't that!

Besides, Dr.Sher's clinic in Vegas isn't that big a whoop. Seeing that list, maybe she could've said---well hell, any old damn thing.

I'm sorry about this!

kate said...

Hell, what an idiot. I am sorry you encountered her.

Maybe she will think next time before she opens her mouth? Unlikely, but you never know.

A Teacher in Texas said...

I recently went for my yearly eye exam. My doctor was VERY pregnant (and gave birth later that week) as were two of the assistants...when I commented on it, they mentioned that the receptionist had recently had a baby a few months before! I jokingly said there was something in the water there, but they denied it and said the reason was...potato soup! Yes, the only thing they all had in common was that they liked to eat potato soup next door at Jason's Deli.

Well. Silly me for going through all of MY fertility treatments when potato soup was the cure! [/sarcasm]

Hugs to you, girl, when stupid things like this are said. It's like a punch in the stomach, isn't it? :*(