My first ever visit to a government hospital..

I hate hospitals... that's it, period. Yea, id rather bear with any pain or cracks as long as i have too jus to avoid one. And so far id managed it pretty well. I hate its anticeptic smell, i hate its vibes.. yea, coz there jus seems so much suffering there. And next i hate needles. Its just i feel its such a violent invasion of the body even if it is to make it better. But you know, wat u resist, persist.

So there i was last week, dragging my feet to the hospital for the first time in my life for a thorough check up. And yea, ive also heard my share of horror stories of having to deal with bored, overworked and underpaid gov hospital staff.

I was there first thing in the morning to avoid the crowd they say. I walked in and immediately smelt the mixture of anticeptics trying to cover whatever that lay beneath...! Goosebumps ... Quickly, I searched for a counter or something similar and found one. I got a waiting number. The nurse at the counter handed me a small form, mumbled something and pointed to another counter nearby. I looked at my form and using my common sense saw it needed some info so I filled up a small form of my name, IC and add and i jus followed the line and left it in a basket on top of a counter and crosssed my fingers.

The crowd was still low so within 20 minutes i got my number called. And i was handed another huge card with my name written on it, another lady at the counter mumbled something and pointed to somewhere. I took it and went and sat down thinking i had another number to be called. I checked and rechecked, nope. So i went up to the lady at the second counter again and asked what i was supposed to do. She gave me a look like 'are you demented in some way i haven't noticed' and mumbled something again and pointed at a door and said something like 'yellow door'.

Mmmm... i looked around for a door painted yellow. All the doors seemed white. Ok, then i looked up in one corner of an entrance, yea, in small writing, 'yellow door'. I went through it and there were so many doors on left and right. So instead of risking another 'encounter with the 2nd kind' of counter lady, i decided to follow the crowd again that led me to another counter. I waited, one elderly woman stood in front of me and when her turn came, she greeted the man at the counter with a 'good morning'. He didnt even bat an eyelid. Ok, i jus knew something was gonna brew with this.
She asked for something and he jus threw back her card and said, 'i dunno!'.
The lady's body language tensed up, 'wat u mean, u dunno, u dunno, i need to collect the results of test!'
'Then where is ur reference, lady, i cant be looking around things for you only' he answered abruptly.
"I always collect it here and i never had any problems!' she argued.
"I dunno, i can only do it for you if you give me the original slip and when were you supposed to collect it?"
"Ten days ago," she answered. (oops, wrong answer, i thought)
He grunted, obviously proven himself right "Then i cant help you, you go upstairs and ask for it!'
The lady was totally pissed by now, her voice raised, "Look if you can give proper instructions, il follow it!"
"I am giving you proper instructions!" he started yelling. "Go upstairs, the department that did the test and look for it!"
"Dont shout, please.." she said, trying to compose herself ( my bet is she must be a retired teacher with that kind of poise). "Is there a counter upstairs?"
He rolled his eyes, "Y E S! " He pushed off her card and shouted "Next!"
I handed my card. The lady grabbed hers and walked off muttering loudly to the rest of us on the line "so rude!".

Thank God, i was in the right line and he handed me another number without a sound. Ok. I checked it, funnily the number coincided with my birthday number. Lol, mmm, should i take a 4D later with it. Lol
Ok, i picked my number and turned around. God, there was the actual crowd, in this waiting hall, i hadnt noticed them earlier listening to that small heated exchange.

I quickly walked to an empty seat. there were rows and rows of rooms on both sides with numbers showing. I had another 45 people waiting before me. Ok, long wait. Where's the newspaper? Hubby and little one dissappeared while i was waiting for the first number itself. Mmmm., wonder where they went. The TV in the hall, seemed out of order. Ok, people watched people instead. So i joined them. Grumpy children, anxious adults... mmm. Perhaps i can still change my mind. Maybe next time, when i really cant avoid it, like fighting for my life or gasping my last breath!

'Mummy! Mummy! Papa took me for breakfast!" my kid appeared.
My hubby showed up next with a sheepish grin, obviously guilty he went for breakfast without me, lol! . "Sorry, you cant take any food in case they want to perform blood test or something!"
Yea, rite, remind me of the horrors again. Ok. Hand me the papers!

Almost an hour later, yea, that was my number being called!
My heart pounded a little, my fingers cold. I thought, perhaps i can still run away while i can! Nope, my hubby pushed me towards a door numbered 8, obviously again, my birthdate. How auspicious, i thought!

I knocked the door, no one answered. My hubby reached out and turned the knob, "just go in, they are not goin to answer you anyway!"
I peered inside, a nurse and lady doctor sat at a table inside, loud in a chat, obviously some gossip. The doctor looked up, 'Come in' she said. Ok.
"so wat seems to be the problem?"she asked
"ive been having some problem..." blah blah, i listed my complain as my mother told me too.
She jus touched me once on my chest and said, its probably all muscle pain. "Il give you a nerve medicine!"
Thats' all?
"Ok, one more, thing.. " i said, i jus took a blood test in a pharmacy and they discoverd.... blah blah blah!"
She looked at me funny. Did i say something wrong, i wondered. Then she relaxed.
"Oh, ok.. then i better do a blood test on you!." She handed me my card and told me to go upstairs for BP and blood test.

So with hubby and kid in tow, we went hunting the whole of upstairs for the elusive blood test room. From one end of the long endless corridor to the other end. We kept going and going coz whoever we asked for directions kept saying its at the end of the corridor or something, only thing when we reached there, there was nothing. Finally entered one small waiting room. There was another counter. Two nurses sat busily filling up some forms. None had time for us. The other sent me to the other from one end of the counter to the other. Ok, i had enough! I looked at hubby, "can we jus go home?" Then one nurse looked up, she heard that! Actually i was hoping in a way she did!
"Wat you looking for actually?" (Maybe the friendliness campaign for gov staff jus kicked in her system. ) I showed her my card. "Oh...!" She pointed a door behind her. That's all. We went up. Yea, in small letter, 'Blood test room!" This time i didnt knock the door, jus opened and peered in. Hubby and kid waited outside.

A guy was standing at a window inside and watching something goin on outside. He turned as i entered.
"Blood test?"
"Yea!" i said and he pointed me to a chair. He picked up a syringe, o'god, i thought, here it comes.
A small prick at the finger and yea, two small drops of my blood. Ok, a few questions? He asked something, i answered something, and he wrote down something else!
Ok, is that how it goes!

He handed me my test and I headed back to the doc's room. The nurse and she was still into the same gossip while attending to another patient.
Ok, she look at my test. Mmmm.... she wanted me to go for a full blood check just to be sure! Ayoooooooo..... !!!! I really asked for this! And told me to get back in two weeks for the results! That's it! And they carried on yakking!

So again, we went hunting for the actual blood test department. Finally we found exactly near from where we started, tucked in a corner with an elusive sign. Ok. I'm beginning to understand the mechanics behind this. Look where you tend not to look!

An irate nurse was attending to an elderly patient. Is it me or are many hospital staff always in a bad mood??? The poor guy was telling her where she had last poked him to withdraw blood and she went something like.... "Are you telling me wat to do? Why not you do it yourself then?" For his credit, he just kept quiet.

And then it was my turn. I jus shut my eyes and went into a non-existing mode for the next few very long seconds. And yea it was over. My poor blood gushing into the syringe tube. Bye bye blood!

Then she look at me and barked, 'Come back after 2 hours after uve had something to eat. I need to take some more samples!"

Excuse me, i thought, are you a vampire disguised in a nurse's attire i hvt notice it? She looked at me in the face, equally determined. Ok, i lose. Better lose some blood now then having to put up with all these later when things go real wrong!

I came back after two hours, she dint even ask me for my name. She grabbed my arm again and asked me where she last poke into me.. i pointed! "Look, not even a mark!" she congratulated herself and in that overconfident mode jammed the syringed into me straight into some nerve. It hurt like hell! And she just kept quiet, not even an apology!

I jus stared at her grudgingly for a while, rubbing my arm. But i think by now, she was well practiced to deal with such looks, she dint even flinch. "Ok, next!" she yelled.

You too, i thought, have a happy life, honey!