Wednesday, April 27, 2011

who woulda thunk, that such a small spot, would cause such a funk?

catchy title, aye?
let me give you a little background information... i'm going to start my externship in May at a nursing home. I had to get a tuberculosis (TB) skin test to be able to work to make money for free there. Monday, I went into the university's health center to have a small injection to see if I have TB. I had the same test done about a year ago to do volunteer work in another nursing home. That nurse barely turned on the light in my room before she said I was fine. With all that being said written, avert your attention back to the title and imagine me sitting in a waiting room full of windows. (the windows really have nothing to do with the story, it just gives you something to think about)
me: (texting) I'm getting my TB test checked on... I don't have it by the way.
nurse: "Laura Nicholson?"
I stand up to go see her
me (to the nurse): I'm back!
nurse: how is your arm?
I hold my arm out to let her see.
she doesn't give me the same lack of attention as my nurse the year prior.
I sit down in a room... just like any other hospital or health center waiting room. you know, white and sterile.
She carefully rubs my arm where she had injected me and has a worried look on her face.
she pulls out one of these (or it at least sort of looked like this) and measured my spot:



I comment on how she is giving me so much more attention than the last time I had this done.
nurse: well, you've had a small reaction...
me: I'm sorry, come again?

She spends about 15 to 20 minutes researching a positive TB result and what the measurements should look like if you have a reaction.
She looked up metric conversion charts, several things on cdc.gov until she went to go ask another nurse about conversions. That nurse wasn't there.

nurse: I'm not so sure about the spot on your arm, we might have to give you a chest x-ray.
me: I bed your pardon?
me: (thinking) this can't be good... and i just jinxed myself by saying i didn't have it... what an idiot.

She quickly grabs another nurse to come look at my arm as if it would fall off at any moment. Not even hesitating she looks at it and says its fine... so, no TB for me thanks.

so this is the little spot, that caused such a funk! you can barely see it, right?



3 comments:

  1. Glad you are fine - can't wait for you to get home!

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  2. Well you can you almost had TB! You post totally made me laugh :-)

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  3. Um helllleerrrr?? If you have TB i can't be your friend anymore. Just sayin'

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