My day started with someone sucking my blood. .. for blood tests that is.
Our homeowners’ association periodically hosts medical missions for its residents once or twice a year. Health services such as blood tests, ECG, x-ray exam, and urinalysis are offered to residents at a reduced fee. My mom, my brother and I availed of these services except for x-ray exam this morning at our barangay hall extension.
For someone who is a certified first-aider and basic life support giver, a licensed chemist, and who once considered taking up surgery as a profession, you would think that going through blood tests would be a walk in the park for me. Not true. I’m OK with blood and needles as long as they’re not mine.
I cringed at the sight of the 5-mL test tubes filled with blood and the medical technologists (?) doing the deed without gloves, nor masks. Even if they did use a new syringe and needle each time and prepped the patient and their selves with alcohol, I couldn’t help but feel queasy. It didn’t help that as a chemist, I was fully aware of the dangers that lurk with improper lab techniques and practices and the abundance of fresh body fluids. At least the person handling the urine samples was wearing gloves. Still… Hello HIV???
I allowed myself to undergo such mental and physical torture in the name of medical science. I turned away and closed my eyes just as she was about to prick my arm.
The test results will be available a week after.
(Fuchsia girl crosses fingers (and toes) and hopes that everything will be alright.)
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