11.20.98
Why in the hell am I doing this?
so many people ask that. Why? Now, I am asking myself. Why? I've come up with a whole bunch of answers that sound good to me, yet leave me strangely empty. Now, I'm coming up with the conclusion that the reason that I am continuing on this thing is sheer exhibitionism and ego. Everybody likes a stroke or two, right? But, that's not what I wanted to talk about right now. I'll explore this topic later when I'm in the mood. Right now, I want to look at employment, and why I alternatively love and hate my work.
For those of you tuning in late, I are a blood banker. (Right here, right now, a blood banker rocking out to "A Flock of Seagulls." 80's rock, baby!) Why would I want to do that? Well, let's look at my wide and varied experiences in the world of medicine:
Hanging around in emergency rooms and ambulance crews is way too stressful. I've given those that do the title of "adrenaline junkie." Some thrive on it, but then again, some jump out of perfectly good airplanes and live at Starbucks. However, my brief experience in this environment did teach me how to elicit information from those who are not exactly willing to share it. Don't smile, show no emotion and yell a lot. (You've seen it a million times on TV "Joanie....Joanie....come back to me, Joanie.....over here, dear....{barf on shoes} that's all right, dear, let it out...)
Health education, especially HIV and communicable disease education, comprise a good portion of what I do right now. Usually, given the context of my work, I can't do what I want to, but I try. (gotta maintain positive relations, you know.) I'll give you two examples recently. A youngman came in, very nervous, and began to endure my litany of questions regarding what the government considers "high risk" for HIV infection. He's young (19,) and obviously just a little shaky about the whole thing. "The" question (Have you had sex with another male, even one time, since 1977?) came around. he paused, and in a quiet voice, said yes.
I pressed on, leaving the space for that response blank. When the questions were pau, I went back and re-asked the question, paraphrasing it so there could be absolutely no question as to its meaning. Once again, he answered in the affirmative, and started to cry. I produce tissue (never leave home without it,) and start talking to the kid to calm him down. He needed to hear that he was not a bad person, and that it was okay to be queer. I usually fiddle with my wedding ring when this discussion occurs (It's a Cartier Trinity ring, on the RIGHT hand, thank you...how queer can you get? Lesbians usually pick up on it.) and click it against Grandma's wedding ring (on the pinkie.)
Cutting the story short, I was the first person that he had ever told that he ws gay. Gee, what an honour! I'd never been the first person that someone had come out to. It was kinda nice.
I'm thinking right now, that it is time for a pause to the cause. How do I feel, sitting around all day asking men if they've ever had sex with other men. If the answer is yes, we start on the "I Shall Survive" song lyrics:
And how do I feel? Can you say hypocrite? That's a big word. I am just like a cop. I don't have to agree with the law, I only enforce it. FDA sez what is and isn't safe in the whole scheme of things, and I'm the man in the field who makes the world safe for democracy. Usually, the gang at FDA uses their noggins and come up with logical, sensible reasons for their actions. Other times, they don't exactly engage their brains b4 the word processors. Prime example: Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD, aka sub-acute spongiform encephalopathy) This is a wicked little bug (not a bacterium, and less than a virus. It's a prion, which is a self replicating protein. Got it?) that doesn't have a clear cut mode of transmission, and a really looooong incubation period (the period of time between infection to the onset of symptoms. We're talking 40 years here...)
When you donate blood, you are asked three questions:
Do you or any blood relative have Creutzfeld-Jakob disease; have you ever been told that your family is at increased risk for Creutzfeld-Jakob disease?
Have you ever received a dura mater (brain covering) graft?
Have you ever received human pituitary derived growth hormone?
Well these questions encompass the four largest of the modes of transmission, but one is missing... Corneal transplants. Why? Politics. Corneal transplants are done by the thousands daily, and the primary organization collecting them is the Lions Club. (heard of them?) The message to the public: Corneas are SAFE! Vis a vis, blood is NOT. CJD is also not known to be transmitted by blood, but we ask about it anyway.
I will grant you that these are very subtle things, and easily missed by the 99% of the population who are not neurologists, yet I feel they are important, because the FDA appears to be more politically motivated than actually interested in preserving the public's health. We, as a blood banking industry, are vitally interested in protecting the interests of the patients we serve, if for no other reason, than the fact that we may be the recipients of our own product.
I think I've said enough to be sooo fired, it aint funny. Think I'll stop NOW!
The project for this afternoon is to go to Kinkos and play with the scanners, and rebuild this page for transport. This is also the final entry for this page of the journal. Next page will involve targets and such. If you have a bookmark to this page, please set it to the "Index Page" so that all works well. Subscribers to the thoughts of The High Exalted Desidonian will notice a slight similarity. I love ripping off other people's ideas. So much easier than original thought.
Also, the Index page will have my new URL when that becomes necessary (isn't it exiting! No more popup ads!!!!)
so many people ask that. Why? Now, I am asking myself. Why? I've come up with a whole bunch of answers that sound good to me, yet leave me strangely empty. Now, I'm coming up with the conclusion that the reason that I am continuing on this thing is sheer exhibitionism and ego. Everybody likes a stroke or two, right? But, that's not what I wanted to talk about right now. I'll explore this topic later when I'm in the mood. Right now, I want to look at employment, and why I alternatively love and hate my work.
For those of you tuning in late, I are a blood banker. (Right here, right now, a blood banker rocking out to "A Flock of Seagulls." 80's rock, baby!) Why would I want to do that? Well, let's look at my wide and varied experiences in the world of medicine:
Hanging around in emergency rooms and ambulance crews is way too stressful. I've given those that do the title of "adrenaline junkie." Some thrive on it, but then again, some jump out of perfectly good airplanes and live at Starbucks. However, my brief experience in this environment did teach me how to elicit information from those who are not exactly willing to share it. Don't smile, show no emotion and yell a lot. (You've seen it a million times on TV "Joanie....Joanie....come back to me, Joanie.....over here, dear....{barf on shoes} that's all right, dear, let it out...)
Health education, especially HIV and communicable disease education, comprise a good portion of what I do right now. Usually, given the context of my work, I can't do what I want to, but I try. (gotta maintain positive relations, you know.) I'll give you two examples recently. A youngman came in, very nervous, and began to endure my litany of questions regarding what the government considers "high risk" for HIV infection. He's young (19,) and obviously just a little shaky about the whole thing. "The" question (Have you had sex with another male, even one time, since 1977?) came around. he paused, and in a quiet voice, said yes.
I pressed on, leaving the space for that response blank. When the questions were pau, I went back and re-asked the question, paraphrasing it so there could be absolutely no question as to its meaning. Once again, he answered in the affirmative, and started to cry. I produce tissue (never leave home without it,) and start talking to the kid to calm him down. He needed to hear that he was not a bad person, and that it was okay to be queer. I usually fiddle with my wedding ring when this discussion occurs (It's a Cartier Trinity ring, on the RIGHT hand, thank you...how queer can you get? Lesbians usually pick up on it.) and click it against Grandma's wedding ring (on the pinkie.)
Cutting the story short, I was the first person that he had ever told that he ws gay. Gee, what an honour! I'd never been the first person that someone had come out to. It was kinda nice.
I'm thinking right now, that it is time for a pause to the cause. How do I feel, sitting around all day asking men if they've ever had sex with other men. If the answer is yes, we start on the "I Shall Survive" song lyrics:
"Go on now, go!
Walk out the door!
Don't turn around, now,
Cuz you're not welcome anymore!"
And how do I feel? Can you say hypocrite? That's a big word. I am just like a cop. I don't have to agree with the law, I only enforce it. FDA sez what is and isn't safe in the whole scheme of things, and I'm the man in the field who makes the world safe for democracy. Usually, the gang at FDA uses their noggins and come up with logical, sensible reasons for their actions. Other times, they don't exactly engage their brains b4 the word processors. Prime example: Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD, aka sub-acute spongiform encephalopathy) This is a wicked little bug (not a bacterium, and less than a virus. It's a prion, which is a self replicating protein. Got it?) that doesn't have a clear cut mode of transmission, and a really looooong incubation period (the period of time between infection to the onset of symptoms. We're talking 40 years here...)
When you donate blood, you are asked three questions:
Do you or any blood relative have Creutzfeld-Jakob disease; have you ever been told that your family is at increased risk for Creutzfeld-Jakob disease?
Have you ever received a dura mater (brain covering) graft?
Have you ever received human pituitary derived growth hormone?
Well these questions encompass the four largest of the modes of transmission, but one is missing... Corneal transplants. Why? Politics. Corneal transplants are done by the thousands daily, and the primary organization collecting them is the Lions Club. (heard of them?) The message to the public: Corneas are SAFE! Vis a vis, blood is NOT. CJD is also not known to be transmitted by blood, but we ask about it anyway.
I will grant you that these are very subtle things, and easily missed by the 99% of the population who are not neurologists, yet I feel they are important, because the FDA appears to be more politically motivated than actually interested in preserving the public's health. We, as a blood banking industry, are vitally interested in protecting the interests of the patients we serve, if for no other reason, than the fact that we may be the recipients of our own product.
I think I've said enough to be sooo fired, it aint funny. Think I'll stop NOW!
The project for this afternoon is to go to Kinkos and play with the scanners, and rebuild this page for transport. This is also the final entry for this page of the journal. Next page will involve targets and such. If you have a bookmark to this page, please set it to the "Index Page" so that all works well. Subscribers to the thoughts of The High Exalted Desidonian will notice a slight similarity. I love ripping off other people's ideas. So much easier than original thought.
Also, the Index page will have my new URL when that becomes necessary (isn't it exiting! No more popup ads!!!!)
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