Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Listeriosis
So Laura scared me about listeria. There's a scare going through Canada about listeria getting into lunch meat, or other processed meat, and the risk of pregnant women getting it are a lot higher. If one does have it, the symptoms are flu like.
I started throwing up on Friday. I thought it was just the pregnancy the first time I threw up because it was right after eating, and I felt immediately better. But then I threw my dinner up too. The next day I felt weak, and nauseous but didnt thow up my food yada yada, it's not like a play by play is necessary about the comings and goings of my vomit. By Monday things were still going on, and I felt so gross that I decided I may as well get checked for listeriosis. You know, just to be safe. I never have the flu for that long, and why would I get pregnant sick in the middle of the second trimester when all that stuff already happened to me in the first?
So on Tuesday morning I phoned to make an appointment. My doctor was on vacation and there were no other appointments availible so I had to go to the walk in clinic. I went right when it opened and had to wait for an hour. This is where it get's horrifying. The doctor said that it most likely wasnt listeriosis, but that we should check just to be safe, since I am at higher risk. He ordered a stool sample. A STOOL sample!!! So I had to go over to the lab, and I was thinking, "are they gonna make me go right now?" you know, having never done this sort of thing. Nope. They give you containers -TWO containers that have specific "fill lines" and packet of instructions. They told me to put saran wrap over the toilet and then scoop it into the jars. Saran wrap?? No way! I noticed when the nurses were helping someone else, that they had these little containers specifically for that purpose. So I asked for one.
Then I had to go home and do the deed. It's still really painful for me to relive. I can't believe how gross it was "going" into a container and then SCOOPING it out with a spoon from my kitchen (because for some reason I didnt think to use a plastic one) and trying to gracefull get it into a narrow jar. It's almost demeaning or degrading. I wish it could be erased from my memory. I mean, can you imagine how embarrassing it is, to hand your pooh stuffed into jars to someone else? I had to take it back to the lab and hand it in as if it were nothing.
After i had done the deed. I was sitting on the couch winding down and getting ready for my nap and trying to forget the whole experience by watching some tv when Kyle and Wade pulled up for lunch. I realized the jars were sitting in their zip lock bags on the counter for all to see, so I had to jump up and hide them. Who wants to see someone else's pooh on the counter?? I mean it was just so gross and embarrassing in every way.
Don't worry I disposed of the spoon.
WHY couldn't the doctor have asked for a blood sample instead? And whose job is it to do that sort of testing anyway? I mean, could there be a grosser job? And all this, probably just to find out that I dont have it.
Just one more thing. When I was sick in the hospital in Japan, the hospital gave me a booklet of phrases in English, incase the doctors or nurses didnt know now to communicate with me, they could just find what they wanted to say in the booklet. Among the phrases was "please place your stool in this cup." Kyle and I had a good laugh from that one, and continued to make fun of it for the next while saying things like "I'm going to take a stool," or "do you have to pee or stool?" I remember thinking, wow do people actually have to do that? And feeling relieved that all that was ever required of me, was my pee. How ironic.
I'm sorry if this post has grossed you out or made you think less of me in any way. I couldn't blame you. I think less of myself.
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Sarahstottle posted @ 8:44 AM