So I caught some kind of bug at the right time last week to have it really fully hit me on Saturday evening, while watching X2. I’d already been having the sinus pressure and sore throat, so I had my box of Kleenex with me, and I had fun timing my nose-blowing during explosion scenes. I slept 14 hours that night (getting up at 1:30 the next day) and lounged around doing nothing much yesterday, and decided I was well enough to come to work today. Well, in trying to rip off two packets of DayQuil, I ripped into the plastic of a third and had to take both pills. Normally, I only take one. Can we say “medicine head?” It’s supposed to have worn off by now, but I’m still a little spacey.
I was coming back from the bathroom and the receptionist asked, as I was punching in my door code, “How’re you feeling?” I don’t remember what I said, because her next line was:
“Is there any chance you could be pregnant?”
That about knocked me flat. I wanted to say, “WHAAAAAT???”, but settled for “Absolutely none,” and went in. I’m still trying to figure out how a stuffy head, sore throat, cough, body aches, and tendency to sneeze can be caused by pregnancy. Of course, the people in this office have tried to pin all sorts of my physical ailments on pregnancy. I don’t know what they find so cool about the idea, but I’m getting a little tired of it. Thing is, if I say so, they’ll just say, “You’re really irritable. Is there any chance you might be pregnant?”
Grrrrr.
I’m beginning to believe that most people are convinced that women only suffer from hormone-related imbalances: menstruation, pregnancy, menoupause.
I dragged myself in for a strep test and they asked the obligatory, “Is there any chance you might be pregnant?” I felt like saying, “Nope, and you?” After all, I fail to see the relevance of the question, so the must just be making conversation.
Sorry that people at your office are so obviously bored. Hope you feel better.
I’m feeling quite a bit better today, thanks. This has to be the fastest cold-thingy ever to rip through my system. Brutal, but fast. And made much more bearable by the discovery that, in going to the special Saturday choir practice the morning before X2, I managed to infect a good portion of the choir. I hope the director actually learns her lesson this time and decides not to be so adamant in the future that we show up even when sick. Even if she doesn’t, I still get to grin evilly….
YOu are asked this because if there is a chance you are pregnant, you shouldn’t take certain medications, have exrays blah blah blah, I would be more concerned if they didn’t ask
I’ve run into every possible variant of the ask/don’t-ask scenario, I think. With routine trips in for antibiotics they usually seem to go off the LMP date and ask accordingly. Once I had a reaction to those meds and wound up in the ER from 1 am to 4 am. The specific reaction I was having was chest pain, and they originally wanted to do an X-ray, but refused to do it without a pregnancy test. The last 2 hours of the visit were, unbelievably, spent doing nothing but waiting for the pregnancy test results. Had I known that, I’d have flagged down the nearest orderly and asked if they’d rather I sent Kelson out to get a 3-minute pee-stick if it would get me out of their insane air conditioning and back to my bed. Not only that, but they ended up not doing the X-ray anyway, based on my not having had any additional problems in the 2 hours.
Guess what arrived the next morning?……
Guys, you are too rude about medical professionals.
The reason they ask you whether you are pregnant is that Xrays cause fetal damage, and these people want to be protected against your lawsuits in case a baby was born with defects.
I did my Ex-ray 5 days ago and I was waiting for my period. (actually there was some bloody discharge). And I with sirtainity answered that I am not pregnant. And then period did not come, I did a pregnancy test today and it was positive. So now I have to consider abortion 🙁 or tremble or 9 months fearing to have a handicapped baby.
Natalia: I have no problem with making sure a woman isn’t pregnant before doing an x-ray, and I understand the risks to everyone involved when you don’t make sure. It was the time involved to get the result of a simple urine hCG test that I was objecting to. It being 3 a.m. before Thanksgiving was probably a big factor in both the delay and my impatience.
I’m sorry to hear about your x-ray experience and I hope everything turns out in a way you can deal with. There are lots of resources out there for women in your situation, and I’m sure you’ve talked to your doctor about the specific risks of the type of x-ray you had and at what point in your pregnancy the exposure occurred. If you’re in the US, many health plans offer specialized counseling or second opinions. I wish you the best of health, luck, and outcome. <hugs>