Excuse me?

As you can probably imagine after being in the hospital for most of my pregnancy and having the health issues that I have been having, the number of doctors and specialist that I have seen or have been watching over me continues to grow. I can't being to to say thank you for everything that these highly qualified people have done for me, this baby and our family. What I don't understand is the number of people who are not highly qualified nor have any idea of what my condition is or what I have been going through trying to give me advice.

Last night I was rushed into the Radiology department of the Rockyview Hospital for an emergency ultra sound of my picc line because I am having unexplained pain and shouldn't be. As I was waiting in the room for the ultra sound tech to return so he could do the exam my mind started to wander and worry about all the things that could possibly be wrong and what solutions and procedures I am have to entail in the near future.

So in walks the ultra sound tech and the first thing he snaps at me (yes snaps as if I had done something to frustrate him or I was some how wasting his time) is "Why are you here?" Think to myself that this is a stupid question with an obvious answer I said "For an ultra sound."

"Of what" He again snaps at me as though my answer of "an ultra sound" was not what he wanted to hear. Again I am thinking that if I was rushed in for an emergency ultra sound and they were waiting for me to get there, then obviously there was paper work sent ahead of time and everything should be stated on why I'm here and what I need done.

Now becoming frustrated myself I replied, "Of my right arm."

"Why?"

Seriously? Shouldn't you know all this information? I have never had to walk into a procedure and explain what I am there.

" Because I have a picc line in and I am experiencing pain."

"Why?"

Why am I experiencing pain? Do you not think that if I knew why I was experiencing pain in my arm I wouldn't be here for an ultra sound? Why are you even asking me these questions, you are not a doctor, you have no idea what I have been going through or what my treatment is and as far as I am concerned you don't need to know. All you have to do is the ultra sound.

"I don't know why I am having pain."
(This comment seemed to really push him over the edge and whatever calm he had was now gone.)

"No, why do you have the picc line in?"

Again information that you do not need to know nor should you even be asking me. Pretty sure that all my medical information is considered private and confidential.

" Because I can't eat or drink anything and this is my only form of getting nutrition."

"You're pregnant you should be eating."

EXCUSE ME? Are you really going to stand there and tell me what I should and should not be doing in my pregnancy? Who on earth do you think you are? If you know me you know that I can only stay calm for so long and once you push me over the edge it's not pretty. So here was my response...

" I don't think that's any of your business so why don't you just sit down turn on your machine and do your job."

I know that there are so many people that are worried about me, praying for me and willing to do whatever they can to make this experience better in some way shape or form. It's when people who have no idea what they are talking about or have any sort of comprehension of what I have gone through, think they have the answer to what is wrong or say stupid comments like "You're pregnant you should be eating." Stop for one second and think, if I could eat don't you think I would be doing that rather than have a picc line in?

I guess some people really should not be in the health care profession if they are not able to deal with people in a respectful and compassionate manner. Even after I snap at the tech he said not two words more to me for the full 40 min exam and didn't care that he was pressing so hard on my arm that I was crying. I felt like he was punishing me for standing up to him.

Unfortunately he is not the first bad health care tech that I have had to deal with but I sure hope that he is the last.