After more than a decade I've been living and breathing in this city, this morning was the first time I stepped into Boston Medical Center's building.
It's all started when my new job required me to have a PPD shot, a shot that determine whether a new hired is free from tubercolosis.
I had a shot a year ago, and I thought I didn't have to take anohter shot. I was wrong. They asked me to get a new shot. It came back positive. I was already on my fifth day at the new job. The director of the shelter told me I have to go for a treatment, and I was removed from the schedule. The nurse at the health centerwho gave me the shot made an appointment with BMC for me to go for further treatment.
Three days ago I got a letter in my mail from BMC giving me an instruction and direction how to get there and what to expect. I got to the front desk which is on the third floor on Menino Building, 20 minutes earlier.
I was surprised to see the majority of the people (seeking for treatment?) in the building were minority. Where do the white get their body fixed? Or there might be in another building, another floor, but the first floor was flooded with Hispanics and African Americans. African Americans were outnumbered by Hispanics actually. Everywhere I turned I heard the Spanish language fired back and forth.
Back to the front desk on the third floor, a friendly receptionist entered my personal information into the system and gave me a yellow index card.
"Go the x-ray room, opposite the elevator, after that come back here again."
Two minutes walk to the x-ray room, another woman gave me a clean blue gown to change into. "From waist up, and wait in there."
After I put my cotton ball-room gown, a girl came out from nowhere and greeted me. She asked me to follow her to an x-ray room. The process took less than 15 minutes. She gave me my chest x-ray negativein a big yellow envelope. I put on my clothes and walked back to the front desk.
I handed her the yellow envelope. Five minutes later, I was called to go into an examined room. Another friendly staff greeted me and took more information, like the language I speak and my origin country.
From her accent, I think she is from African continent.
She then put the the x-ray negative onto a lighted wall where they usually go. She left and after 20 minutes, thin man in white long coat came in. He introduced himself as Dr. X. He asked me more questions and filled up my answers in my personal record.
He explained to me in detail why I was there and how does the tb virus work their ways around and in human body."Let's see your the film." he said. After ten minutes of looking at my chest x-ray film he told me I'm looking for a white patch in your lung. The patches mean the virus."
The x-ray turned out negative.No tb virus visible, but he asked if I'm interested to take a medication called Isoniazid for a period of nine months. One pill everyday. He said he will monitor my progress and my liver function when I return to pick up the new batch.
He explained to me all the side effect and repeatedly ask me to call him if I were to experience side effects. "So would you like to take a treatment?" he said.
"Do I have a choice?" I asked him.
"Yes, you do," he nodded his head, "you don't take the medication, but your body might not be strong as it is now the next time." He looked at me intently.
I never on any medication for a long period. As a matter of fact only medication I have taken so far was cough syrup. I never had an aspirin in my life. I had a tylenol a couple of years ago, when I had a fever.
Finally I nodded my head. I know I am healthy, but my immune system is not as good as I was in 30's or 20's.
I went down to the first floor to pharmacy to pick up perscription. Fifteen minutes later, I was out in the cold facing the ass-whipping wind. For the BMC's starff at Menino Building, I could say they are a b8nch of friendly people. Even the girls behind the counter at pharmacy greeted the patiens and wish "Have a nice day" when they handed the medication to the patients.
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