Today, I had to go pee in a bottle for the VA, because almost 3 wks ago I dropped a sample, and they found Tramadol (VA prescription I take DAILY for pain) and they found Opiates (Tramadol is a synthetic Opiate, but it was Oxycodone they traced, that is ALSO a VA authorized med. I had hernia repair surgery last Mar. I do NOT take these pain pills as directed, I take a half tab WHEN I NEED ONE)
Without a CLEAN pee test, they would not refill the Tramadol.
After that circus last time at the main Hosp, I did not want to visit that center of Plague ridden control freaks.
Today was almost that bad.
My Dr's office scheduled this lab, said it HAD TO BE WED, that they were only OPEN on this day.
I got there and watched the control freaks doing their dance, waited outside for more than 30 min before being allowed INTO the building.
At least the flowers outside were purdy
Almost TWO HOURS I waited, finally I went to the receptionist desk and said "You know, all I am here to do is leave a pee sample, I've been holding it and I really have to go now"
They said "Just go knock on the door! You could have come in any day for a urine test, Wed is for Blood work and all the rest"
😱Incidentally, I saw VA EMPLOYEES walking around with their masks covering nothing but their chins.
So I did my thing, left the sample, washed my hands and left.
16 days ago, I got a Covid test at an Emory Testing Clinic in Tucker.
That one came back positive and I've been in total isolation for 14 days. I needed to get another one so that the Emory people would let me come in to be seen as a follow up for my Total Hip replacement done May 2019.
The VA did the first one, but would not do another. "You've been 14 days without symptoms Mr Smith, you're good to go"
That wouldn't fly with the Emory people.
So since I was going to be about 4 miles from that Emory site, I thought "this will be a good chance to kill to birds... etc"
So I got the phone number from a NURSE IN THE CLINIC I need to see, the one that is requiring the negative tests as proof.
I called TWICE before I left, it wouldn't let me leave a message or speak to anyone.
This is the route I took 16 days ago to get there, and coming back today, so you can see it is ALL THE WAY on the otherside of the city from me.
Of course, since I was already ALL THE WAY over in Tucker, went ahead and went there.
They wouldn't let me in without an appointment, even though there was almost no one there.
I was irate. They called the manager on duty, who told me to call the number I HAD ALREADY CALLED TWICE, which I did while she stood there (they were NOT busy).
She listened to the same menu I had heard twice already, shook her head and said "hit one again, that will get it to where we can talk to someone" (How the HELL is anyone supposed to know these things? ARGH😱)
A person answered, I explained, she took my info, and said "I need to call your Dr's office to get this cleared"
Now the nurse I've been communicating with Via text, said SHE had not been able to get in touch with the Dr, and probably wouldn't until next week. I waited outside in the sun, on hold for 10 min. She then came back online, I don't think she got hold of anyone, but since I was there and I had the manager (who had gone back in, but came back out when I waved at her) there with me, got me into the schedule.
Then both the manager standing there and the lady on the phone said the most asTONISHING thing.
Since it was the Emory Dr reQUIRING me to have this test, someone FROM THE OFFICE could have made this reservation/appointment!!!!!!!!!
OH.MY.GOD!
I went in, got the nose swab, but the manager had asked me if I would be interested in/willing to participate in a study (since I had a previous positive) to test a new method of testing that would be faster and easier.
I'm all about participating for the common good, (plus there is supposed to be a $25 gift card coming to me)
This new device that I was tested with (there are several others) also swabbed inside my nose, but THIS one looks for all the world like a pregnancy pee stick, complete with positive/negative indicators.
It was an all around trying and frustrating day, one I hope to not have to repeat any time soon.
"One had doesn't know what the other one is doing"
by
Jerry E Smith
©08/26/2020
All images are mine, but the top is a screen snip, the meme is I don't know what
These .gifs were created for me by 
