Ashlee and I met Mei at the office around 9:15 after a harrowing taxi cab ride through the city (which is much bigger than I ever thought it was) and started by filling out the appropriate form. The form of course had its slew of weird English translations that always get a laugh. After the form was completed and we paid the medical check fee we went to our first of 6 medical stations.
The first station was the blood test and urine test. No joke. The blood test involved walking up to a window in which you stick your arm through the window and a nurse takes your blood, no private room, nothing. Me, being the brave soul that I am, does not like needles. Mei was afraid that I would pass out so she informed the nurse and I was escorted into the nurse station and told to lounge on a sort of outdoor swimming pool chair. So here I was laying in the middle of the little room where the nurses are taking blood and also putting peoples urine into viles. I managed to survive the blood test portion and was allowed to proceed onto the urine test.
This was no urine test like in the united states. They give you a dixie cup like thing that has no lid and point you over to the bathroom. Once you are done you walk your un-covered cup back to the nurse and she dumps it into the vile. This concluded the tests on the second floor and we were to now move up stairs.
The tests upstairs started with the ENT (ears, nose and throat). Oddly enough the first part of this test was being weighed and then taking an eye test. The interesting part about the eye test was that I was to tall and blocked the projection so I couldn't read the lower levels without constantly moving around. This got a good laugh out of the nurse at least. The nurse had a trick up her sleeve thought...she pulled out the color blind testing book. Anyone who knows me, knows that I cannot pass one of these test to save my life. Page one of the book she asks me what I see, I respond with "triangle", which instantly give the nurse a very confused look. She goes "you see number?" In which I respond no "Triangle". This back and forth of wrong answers goes on for several pages until she gives up with the color blind book.
There was then a blood pressure test which also included a nurse poking me in the stomach several times. How blood pressure and my stomach are interlinked I have no idea. I also had an EKG in which they attached wires to my legs, chest, and arms. It is the closest I have ever felt to Frankenstein in my lifetime.
Probably the most random test though, was I had to have a ultrasound done. No idea why this is included as a test for men but it was an experience I wont forget for a while. The last and final test was an x-ray, which was pretty standard.
The thing you have to remember was that during all this the doors are open to all the exam rooms, so you have a bunch of random people watching you. It really makes you miss the privacy that the medical profession gives you in the United States.
All in all it was an interesting day and one that I probably will never forget.
1 comment:
Where did they do the ultrasound? This reminds me of somethingv we did at the dairy with a rubber glove that went up to your shoulder...
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