...Think, Think, Think...

Frightening the Nurse

Today, my first day off a week off, has been awesome.

I've been productive. I've also been health conscious.

After I had one lot of tests done at the hospital a couple of weeks back, I went back to the doctors today for a smear test.  Boys, you probably don't want to hear the details and I won't share.  Girls, you've been there, you know what its like.

I chat to the nurse while she fills out the form and tells me that although I've got symptoms that the doctor wanted to get checked out the people who do the tests may not actually do the test because I'm not due one. Over here they do these tests every 3 to 5 years and its been just over 2 years since my last one. 

This is, of course, insane.  Surely if there is something serious wrong (which there probably isn't, but go with me on this) and they make me wait a year to have a test - I could be dead by then.  Then the test is pointless. 

The nurse pulls the little curtains around the bed and tells me to get undressed.  I know the drill with this sort of stuff.  Drop Trou, remove undies, lay on couch with feet together (no stirrups at my doctors) and knees apart.

Now comes the funny part.  She comes through the curtains, takes one look at me "down there" and shrieks:

"OH MY GOD, I don't know how you could get a piercing?  You're so brave."

I burst out laughing at this.  Fortunately, the few people who normally get to see this piece of jewellery have a somewhat more favourable response.

I explained to her that its actually not that painful in the grand scheme of things.  Its a hood piercing, its a teeny bit of skin and it only hurts when the needle goes through.  She apologised for reacting so strangely but she said it makes her want to cross her legs.

I thought about telling her that it really hurts to do that when you've just had it done, but decided that maybe it'd make her feel worse...

Politics

I'm not usually much of a one for politics.  I have a theory that all politicians are on the same side, like a wrestling tag team if you will.  They go as long in the ring as they can (battling the issues) and then tag out to what they'd like to have us think is the opposition.  I don't think there is such thing as true democracy in the political arena, its theatrical democracy.  I realise, lots of people will disagree with me and thats totally fine, this is just my angle on it all.

My beliefs aside, there are some things I do like.  I like when an ingenious blogger makes a very funny comment but completely untrue about a political candidate on his blog and it gets picked up by the US Media.  Not much of a post for the Brits, but for anyone who has read comments about Sarah Palin thinking Dinosaurs are Lizards of Satan, I urge you to go to the blog of the man you have to thank for that comedic gem:

http://unbearablebobness.typepad.com/ 

I also got a random email in my blog inbox to ask me to mention a political documentary and as I know that some of who you are so very kind as to read my blog have an interest in this stuff, I'm mentioning it.

Its called Split: A Divided America and the little bumpf at the bottom of the email says:

"Shocking and informative, SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA takes a behind the scenes look at the partisanship dominating our politics."

In the film, they're speaking to real people across the country and getting their take on the whole business.  Anyway, go here, read stuff about it, watch the trailer, by the DVD:

http://www.bside.com/films/splitadividedamerica

My completely self-centred and whiney posting will resume in the next few days.

Blah

As you may have noticed, I havent updated for a few weeks.

I've been feeling decidedly blah and haven't wanted to bore anyone with my dramatic ramblings, so below is the short version of a few things that have happened and things that are on my mind. 

Boys, if you're in the least bit squeamish about girl-things I'd recommend skipping to the next paragraph.  I'm on the birth control pill, have been since I was about 17.  I've always been on the same one and I've never had any problems with it.  Until about 5 months ago when I started bleeding randomly.  I put up with it for a couple of months, then figured that coming off for a month or so might fix it.  Sure enough, I come off the pill and the bleeding stops.  I go back on and what doy ou know?  It starts again.  I stuck it out for another 2 1/2 months before I went to the doctor who was rude, told me that I'd only just had my last 6 month prescription of the old one 2 months ago (reading between the lines, she didn't want to waste 4 months of a mp edication from her precious NHS budget, regardless of how it affects me) and that I need to have a Smear and Swabs.  She refuses to do them though, because she quote "only has 10 minutes to see each patient" and so I'll have to go back - how dare I take up her precious time.  How very dare I?.  Eventually after I was a little huffy she precribed me a different pill, but on Tuesday I have to go and have tests done which will lead to two weeks of complete hell panicking over my test results of the swabs and 6 weeks for the smear.  They don't much care about that though, at least not my doctor.

Boys...you can rejoin the group now - the girl stuff is done.

As an aside from the above mentioned health issue, I've been fighting off a cold for the last couple of weeks.  I wake up all snotty and still tired and by the time I finish work I really just want to sleep.

Continuing with the medical theme, we had an amusing conversation in the office just recently.  One of my colleagues had cancer a few years ago and every couple of months has to go for a check up to make sure everything is ok.  We were talking about CAT Scans and MRI machines at which point my blondest colleague asks "Do you have to take your clothes off before you go in?".  The rest of us reply no, that the machine can see through them.  Her immediate response was "OH MY GOD.  So the doctor can perv on you?".  I answered that they weren't X-Ray specs, and that he could only perv if bones and internal organs were his penchant.  Bless her, she just doesn't think before she speaks.  If all the machine could do was see through clothes, why would you spend thousands on it - why not just ask your patient to take their clothes off for free?

I went to a housewarming party a few weekends ago, which was quite fun.  I was kind of sad that some of the other guests got ridiculously drunk and started to throw drinks about (Coke on a cream carpet?  Oh dear) and was also totally perplexed at the little group who felt that they had to do some sort of pills.  I have no idea why you'd bother.  In a club, although I don't partake I at least half-understand, but at a housewarming?  No.  Just silly.  There are a few pictures here: http://flickr.com/photos/missbethsmith

I have spent the last month lusting after an iPhone but have finally decided that I don't need one.  I'm allowed an upgrade in March, so I'll just wait and see what is around then.  My life honestly doesn't have enough going on for an iPhone or a Blackberry so I need to just be realistic!

I may be in the market for a new camera though, I don't have one at the moment and so I'm on the lookout for something I like.  Should I get one, I plan on actually taking pictures and putting them on the above flickr site which I've had for ages and never use.

Onto sport, I'm very excited that the NHL starts up in a few weeks.  I've missed my hockey fix big time.  I'm very curious to see how my Bolts do this season after the serious shake-up they've had in the off season - its almost not the same team anymore! 

Also vaguely sport related, I'm extremely pleased that the story people at the WWE have realised that the Edge/Vickie Guerrero storyline was horrible and ended it all.  I'm also hoping that John Cena recovers quickly from his neck surgery as quite frankly I have no other eye candy without him.

I'm 22 days away from my next few days off work.  I'm excited and I plan to shop.  I realise that material things aren't going to pull me out of my funk, but they'll help.

Thats about all I've got for now, hopefully I'll have a more interesting post later on this week.  After all, no one wants to wait 3 weeks for crap...and I'm so flattered that you guys keep coming back!