Glowing in the dark

I am simply flabbergasted, not to mention boiling mad, at an x-ray tech from tonight's emergency. I went to a hospital emergency room to interpret, nothing major, sore back from a fall. The doc orders x-rays to rule out fractured ribs. Pretty basic. The tech comes in to take her patient/my client, and is arguing with me about my right to go with them, saying I'm not allowed. This is a regular issue with this woman. Every time I've dealt with her, she's said the same thing. I always go with my client, it's a basic communication issue and the law. Despite this, she's still being confrontational, finally saying she's tired of arguing with me and storming out with the patient and I behind her.

Ok fine, we get down to the room, she positions him for the pictures, really not saying much, and then quietly walks behind me. I'm still signing to him, making sure he's ok, understands, has no metal on him, etc, and she fucking takes the x-ray! I'm not 2 feet from the machine, no lead on, never asked if I was pregnant (ok, I'm not, but she should still ask), and she shoots the fucking film! I was too much in shock to say anything. The next time she positioned him and started to walk towards the control area, I pointedly said I'd be joining her behind the safety glass this time. She never suggested I join her, *I* had to say something and take it upon myself to ensure my safety. After the x-rays were done, as we were leaving the room, she made a point of saying, "See, I didn't need you. We did fine." BITCH

When we got back to the exam area, I told the doctor that I wanted that tech's name and the name of the chief of radiology. I told her what happened in the room and was going to file a formal complaint. She and a colleague there totally agreed with me and were just as shocked by her behavior and attitude from before. When she was discharging the patient, she gave me the names and apparently had also written down everything in the patient's chart. I hadn't asked her, suggested or anything, but she and the other doc there felt it was very important to have everything that occurred documented and she wrote a detailed account of what happened. I LOVE that she did this. It's totally documented and not just my word.

I've been interpreting in medical settings for 6 years and have NEVER had someone so callously disregard my safety. They are usually falling over themselves to make sure I'm ok and not in danger. I expect attitudes. Many people are not used to working with interpreters and they get territorial and defensive. I can deal with the attitude, don't put my ass in danger because you've got a problem. That's beyond over the line and don't fuck with me and my safety. I will burn your ass.

So tomorrow I plan to meet with my boss and/or the department head in my agency and tell them what happened and that I want to file a formal complaint. If it was just me, I'd do it on my own, but since it happened through work, I feel like I should go through them to figure out the best way to handle it. I so want this tech to be suspended, get a formal reprimand, go through recertification, even lose her license. Something to massively kick her ass. Maybe now they will figure out how to get the radiation tags that measure exposure that I've been asking for for 5 years.

I am not a crook

Will wonders never cease...I was able to walk through Home Depot again today and place items in my jacket without being followed by a security twit. I figure it's one of 3 reasons.
1) They actually learned a lesson and knew I wasn't stealing - HA! Not a fucking chance
2) They figured I wouldn't be stupid enough to walk out the door with a large item sticking out of my pocket - seriously doubt this, too
3) Nobody actually saw me put anything in my pocket - most probable

Whatever. I was able to shop in peace and that's what matters.

FUCK YOU Fairfax

Since Estelle is the only person to read this blog so far, it's more like preaching to the choir, but I just have to say that I am beyond outraged at Fairfax Cryobank for being such slimy, greedy, unethical, immoral pricks. Charlie's donor was known to have produced at least one child with skin and other health problems, yet the problems were undisclosed by Fairfax. Fairfax knew of these problems WEEKS before Charlie was even conceived, yet they showed a blatant disregard for a child's health and released the donor's sperm anyway. The donor either didn't know or chose to hide the fact that this was a problem, but Fairfax is ethically, morally and I hope legally responsible for notifying recipients, disclosing the issues, or removing the donor from the registry. I hope Estelle and Jean sue the living shit out of Fairfax and get tons of money for Charlie's medical bills, research into his condition, hell, even have his college paid for.

In the meantime, Charlie remains bright-eyed, smiling, cute as hell and loving his life with his mommies despite living with a painful skin condition and infections. He is an amazing human being, even at his tender age. Then again, so are his parents.