Friday, November 6, 2009

Adult Security With Pointy Sticks

I had a Dr.'s appt. today, which, of course, means that the following post may likely contain waaaay too much info from time to time.

Nothing fancy, just a full physical. I didn't eat anything after 9:30p last night so I could give blood should they want it. They did. But they didn't take it until 11:30a so that horribly aged granola bar floating around my purse was calling my name all morning. (And once I got to it? It was delicious!)

I made my appt. for a day last month but since they were going to do a Pap, and since I started my period the day before my appt., I rescheduled. It was just as well. I was really leery of seeing the dr. they'd set me up with. While scheduling, the receptionist said, "I know this is going to seem like a strange and overly personal question but are you on birth control?" I said, "No. Well, yes... my husband has a vasectomy." I almost added, "I'm on that occasionally." but stopped myself and had a little private giggle instead. She said they make her ask that question to any female seeing that particular dr. because she doesn't prescribe birth control. "That's odd," I said, "Why not?" The receptionist said, "I have no idea. I've never been brave enough to ask her."

So when I had to reschedule anyway, I rescheduled with the other dr. I thought I was being a bit judgemental so I called my good friend who is a practicing Catholic. Even she said she wouldn't schedule with that dr. We both thought that a person's beliefs were their right but when it starts effecting their job... we just wouldn't be comfortable seeing that particular dr.

Anyway...

I get to my appt. early, as requested, to do the paperwork. One of the forms asks mental health questions and one of the questions was simply "Loss of pleasure". It seemed fairly random and for some reason that made me laugh. I know it's one of the beginning symptoms of depression but I've never seen it worded like that.

There was another patient there who was clearly losing her pleasure as we continued to wait for our respective appointments to start. Three people came in after us and they all were called in ahead of us. Two had on the wear-this-mask-if-you're-coughing things and I overheard the other talk about pain that was getting worse, so I just figured they were being triaged ahead of us - no big deal.

Of course, no big deal since I had my knitting! And yes, I still knit obsessively, though I haven't spoken much about it here. I have it with me everywhere and have even resorted to putting a small bag with a pair of socks for Dave in the glove box of the van in case I forget some.

I just got that color book by Kristen Nicholas from the library. I didn't see anything in the book I'd really tackle (sadly, I'm much more reserved in my color choices) but there was one thing she said in the book that really resonated with me. She talked about having her knitting everywhere she went and that it was really like an adult security blanket. That is exACTly what it is for me! Without it, I start to get twitchy. With it, I can wait all day long.

The RN who took me back and did my height, weight, pulse oxygen, etc. saw me knitting and said, "Oooh, I just got my pins!" She had an accent (German? Eastern Europe?) and told me how she'd just started to knit. I gave her my card and wrote the Rav site on the back. We were talking knitting and she kept calling the knitting needles "pins". I love that! "I just got my pins" - sounds like a gang initiation or something! She lamented not having any family or friends who knit who could help her out and then mentioned the nearest LYS and said she would have to call them to take a class. So she seems well on her way with the obsession.

When I got home and told Dave about the knitting RN he said, "I swear you can smell a knitter a mile away." It was pure coincidence! Also pure coincidence is the woman who lives around the corner whose son is in the same class as D2. She used to knit but hasn't since she was pregnant with her son (6 years ago?). When the boys play outside together, I'm knittin' away and she keeps saying she's going to have to get back into it. hah!

Our numbers are growing, Ruth!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am exactly like you -- without my knitting I get twitchy and impatient. What is worse is having my knitting with me in the car but forgetting my head lamp. Cannot knit in the dark. Knitting bag just sits on the floor of the car and mocks me.

I am severely tempted by the multicolored socks in the book. They would be sooooo much fun to knit and to wear.

Turtle said...

cute, never heard them refered to as pins before! and i personally agree with you about the dr you changed your apt from. They have had issues here with pharmacists and the day after pill. When the professionals refuse to do something it makes me a bit sad, as they perhaps do not have the full story, but just make a judgement. They took an oath, live by it.

5elementknitr said...

kmkat - you're right about the socks! I forgot about those lovely, fanciful socks!

Turtle - I've heard that the problem is nationwide. And not just the day after pill but also basic birth control! Sad.

Yarnhog said...

I was just having this discussion with my husband--not the vasectomy, although that's coming--the one about people's personal beliefs affecting their jobs. If you sign on to do a job, you need to DO THE JOB, regardless of your personal beliefs. That means a justice of the peace should marry people who have a legal right to marry. A doctor should perform legal medical procedures. A pharmacist should fill legal prescriptions. A cop should enforce the law. PERIOD. If you can't hack it for personal reasons, find another job.

Rant over.