It was kick started off at the staff clinic where females and males waited in segregated waiting areas. After waiting for about an hour, my name was called and I was taken in to a room where my vitals (weight, height, temperature and blood pressure) were taken. Then I had to take a seat and wait again for my name to be called. A lady came out and called out for what sounded like Jessica something (couldn't really understand) and I didn't really think much of it the first time but after calling it again, I thought i'd check to see if it was me she was calling. So I asked her and she showed me my label and then got angry at me saying that "I called you three times and I was standing right in front of you blah blah blah" Well maybe if you pronounced my name right...but I wasn't going to argue with her because I wanted my check completed today.
So I was taken in to another room where there was a doctor and that lady, and asked some more questions about my past medical history, family history etc. The one thing that I didn't appreciate, was when the doctor and nurse were talking amongst themselves in Arabic, which I obviously don't understand and they would laugh afterwards. I found that very rude and just hoped that they weren't laughing at me.
Then I was instructed to lie down on the bed, by the not so nice nurse and the doctor came to listen to my heart. Why he couldn't do this with me sitting in the chair beats me. So after that, I was told to go and wait outside room 7.
When called in to room 7, the nurse did the TB test which was no big deal. It was just a little needle which didn't hurt that much. She completed my paperwork and then I had to get back on the shuttle bus to get my bloods, pregnancy test and chest x-ray completed.
At this point, I had found an Irish friend who was also doing her pre employment health check. Something about safety in numbers is always reassuring, especially when you don't really know what you are doing or where you are going.
So back to Hamad for the blood test which wasn't so bad. The 'female laboratory' was one big open room so everyone was watching you get your bloods done. No privacy here!! Six vials of blood later and I was done. Even though I have had many blood tests in my life, this has had to be the worst one ever. My poor arm is still aching and I find it hard to lift even the kettle!! Holding my arm straight is painful, holding it bent is painful, it is just painful +++.
So with my sore arm, you can imagine how hard it was to collect a urine sample for the pregnancy test. The floors in the toilets are always flooded with water from people washing themselves and the toilet I chose was no exception. It is difficult as it is trying to hike up the bottom of your pants so they don't get wet from the floor with one hand while using the other to pull your pants down so you can go to the toilet, but today, I had to struggle hiking my pants up with one hand, pulling them down with the other while holding on to some paper towels, as there was no toilet paper in the cubicle and juggling a little sample jar to pee in...and all this with one painful arm. Let me tell you, it was a challenge but I managed somehow!!
Then it was on to the 'female radiology' department. At this point, I was used to being ushered from one room to another to just have to sit and wait. This was no exception. Thankfully the waiting wasn't too long. I was taken in and given a gown to change in to. Normally you would expect to have a little change room, but I was shown in to a little storage like room and had to change there. It felt funny striping down to nothing in a storage room, but I am sure everyone else does the same thing...well I hope they did. The chest x-ray was completed and then after changing back I was finally done. All this only took up about 6 hours of my day!!
So that was how I spent the first day of my second week. Fingers crossed my bloods and other results come back fine so that I can continue on with the process of getting my Qatari ID. Time can only tell.
The pokey little store room/change room
All gowned up
The sun trying to poke through the clouds at the end of the day
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