as a part of the process of becoming an on-call chaplain at skagit valley hospital, i was required to take a tuberculosis test. it is a simple procedure where a needle injects into your arm and you are to watch it for 48 hours - if, after 48 hours, it is red and raised, you have been exposed to tuberculosis and must have a chest x-ray to determine if you have spots on your lungs.
48 hours ago i had the test...and my arm has a large red, raised welt on it where the needle went in...over twice as large as a result that would beg a chest x-ray. this does NOT mean i have TB (i am also NOT contagious), but it does mean i have been exposed to it and may have to take this nasty medicine that messes with the liver and it also means that i will have to "register" with whatever county i am living in...crazy!
in my usual hypochondriac manner, i was already planning a lung transplant as i changed into the hospital gown to have my chest x-ray this afternoon...beau, in his usual calm, cool and collected manner, looked at me incredulous when my eyes got huge and scared...
i was most likely exposed to it on some of my gallivanting journeys around the globe - perhaps in the escuela juan wesley for disabled kids in santiago, chile, or the andes of ecuador...maybe the rio frio of nicaragua...but 6 months of meds was worth every minute of it.
pray for my lungs...while you are at it, pray that my asthma goes away too...that would just be more than i could bear.
1 comment:
hey b,
have you had to start taking the meds yet with the watch dogs? I hope not.
enjoy the rest of your freedom like ms. liberty. (i had to, i'm in ny)
now by my "midwestern element" do you mean sweaty as a hog?
it was so wonderful to hang out with you for a few hours, thanks for going to the station and everywhere else with me.
i'm leaving at 4 am tomorrow again,
ahh.
love you and love interneting with you
kylee
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