Strike 2 of 3

 Holy cow, what a day!

And it sure was a day haha.  I didn’t even sleep last night after finishing work.  I went straight to gym and did a pretty awesome workout.  I pretty much didn’t say anything to anyone at work except for customers because I was still so pissed off.  I kept asking myself why I had even gone to work, but then told myself to stop letting something so pathetic get to me, and eventually I got through the shift.
Anyway, I had a big day planned out in my head.  I was up doing my research online, and decided on the South Brisbane dental hospital.  I hadn’t actually been there before, so I got there exactly on time at 7:45am, where you have to line up in order of arrival, as that’s just how it works.
When I used to work out that way, I’d always see people lining up out the front from even 5am, so me rocking up at 7:45am (when they open), I expected to have to wait a long time.  There were people everywhere in there, and the nurse told me I’d missed out on all the numbers, so to just take a seat.  After about a half hour, a security guy told me to do up and see the lady, so I did and she said there was a cancellation tomorrow at 2pm.  So I booked in for then!  I told her I think I have a chipped tooth, because it’s been a bit uncomfortable lately.  I think they had a few emergencies to get through, and I don’t mind waiting only a day, so I booked in for it.  

On my way back, I spontaneously decided to go get a skin-cancer check, as that is also free for health care holders and I was kind of wanting to get all of my body-repair crap out of the way haha.  When I walked in there, turns out she had one appointment available in about a half-hours time!  Otherwise the next one would have been on Thursday, so I booked in for that.  It’s not like I had anything ele to really do lol.  She asked if I wanted to sit and wait, but I decided to have a wander around West End for a bit and just went and used a restroom so I could have a proper look at my teeth in the mirror haha, so I could figure out which tooth was actually causing my discomfort, and from what I can tell, I DO have a chipped tooth, but I’m actually in pain due to the top one on the very far right side of my mouth.  So I figure I’ll tell the dentist about that one, as I don’t know if the dentist will have time to fix both teeth, but I guess I’ll wait and see how I go.  I’m sure the other one will also become painful in time 🙁  I haven’t been to a public dentist since I was in primary school, so it’ll be interesting to see how this goes tomorrow.  It just reminds me of when I lived with Bryn, and when he came home from the dentist he told me the person he got was a VETERINARY dentist and he was bleeding profusely from his mouth and I ended up having to drive him to the hospital LOL, so I’m hoping like HELL I don’t end up with a horror story like that.  That sounded very dodgy though, and I don;t exactly know where Bryn got his done back then.

So anyway, my appointment came around in no time and I went back and sat down for a while, and after a while this friendly foreign doctor called me in.  Not sure where he was from, but he was of middle-eastern/slightly Indian decent.  I told him I was there to get my moles checked out, as I haven’t had it done properly in about two years now.  I told him my history, how I’ve had two checked out in the past and they came back all-clear.  I don;t know what it is with my genes, but I have little moles all over me, mostly my arms and some on my legs.  Just things that add to my body-fashion I guess lol.  He asked if I had any family history of mole removal and I told him my mum has had some removed, but I think that’s about it.
Anyway, he then asked me to strip down to my underwear.
Well, this esculated quickly!

So I did and he got out his little microscope thingy and put some sort of cool stuff over the moles he wanted to check out.  I don’t even know what it was, but I just felt something cool every so often that he’d rub on.  He checked each arm, between my fingers, then both legs, in between toes, my ears, my hairline.  He was very thorough.  I laid on my back and he checked the few I have on my stomach and then I had to lay on my front and he asked, "Do you mind?" before checking my backside haha.  I was impressed at how good he was.  He then told me that I was all-good!
What a relief that was!  He just told me to take note of any changes and get a check up every year.  I shook his hand again and thanked him for his time.  I asked reception if I needed to do anything else, but she just smiled no and I was on my way.
So I got called back for one appointment I wanted to get done, and had completed another!  I had one more thing I wanted to do.
My sexual health check.  
It is the one closest to home, so I caught the bus back to Roma street and walked into the office where they do it.

Wow, things have changed.  It’s really quite sad.  Earlier in the year, since Campbell Newman got into power as our Premier, his health minister has cut the jobs in the Biala sexual health clinic from 46 back to just 14.  There were a few signs up explaining the changes and that the clinic was on it’s way toward closure.  The nurse told me Icould still be seen as a walk-in (like I’ve always just done before), but that they are changing to a booking-system.  There was a statement from some company about the pending closure as well as photos from a protest outside state parliament, with people holding signs "Save our sexual health clinics" etc.
I mean, it’s not like I didn’t already know about this.  I did, and I was pissed off about it.  This has been a vital and valuable service for many people, including sex workers and provides amazing support for HIV treatment etc.
I had to fill out a little form about why I was there, but I don’t have symptoms etc.  It was just for the nurse to see.  I was eventually called in, where a lady saw me and asked me the usual questions, like how many partners I’ve had, if it was protected or not etc etc.  
I was then surprised, because normally I just have my test done right there and then, but she told me ‘Russell’ was available at 1pm and she could book me in for then.  That was in 3 AND A HALF HOURS TIME.  I was SOOOOOOOOOO tired!!!
I accepted the appointment and left the clinic, walking across the road to Roma Street, where I wasted the hours.  I thought about just heading home, but I couldn’t risk falling asleep!  I know myself too well, and if I even SAT down at home, I would have probably passed out.  It got to the point where my eyes were feeling quite heavy, but I managed to handle myself better than I thought I would, because I’m usually the grumpiest most unreasonable person ever when I am over-tired haha.
At one point, I set the alarm on my phone and put my headphones on, and laid my head down on one of the tables in the foodcourt.
I hate that foodcourt.  There’s nothing healthy there, literally.  There is maccas, KFC, a donut king and a pizza shop.  Ironically there’s also a dentist, and a barber.  I thought about getting a haircut, as that’s something else I need to get done, but there was a guy in there when I went past a second time.  I stupidly ordered KFC, mainly because I wanted to try the new Zinger pie, which I did.  It was actually pretty yummy, and I’d heard it was, but I was conscious of the amount of kilojoules I was consuming haha – moreso how much fat is in there, which I didn’t know.  Oh well, I didn’t feel too sick afterwards, which I thought I would.
I ended up falling asleep briefly, I think.  I mean, I must have.  I guess I was overtired so I don’t even know haha.
I woke up and still had around another hour, so just sat around listening to music.  Stupidly, my phone needed recharging, so I pulled out the voucher I’d bought a few days ago, but when I followed the prompts, and every time it would tell me the code was invalid.  Are, you, serious!?  Gah, I paid $40 for this and couldn’t even use it.  And of course there was no free wifi there (in a transit centre, GO FIGURE!), so I couldn’t even waste my time on the internet.  So I guess it’s good I managed to get a quick nap or two in, nd by the time 12:30 rolled around, I made my trek back to the sexual health clinic.

I was eventually called in again and chatted a bit with the new nurse.  He handed me a jar to piss in, but this time he also handed me the anal swab!  What the fuck was Imeant to do with this??!  Haha!  In the past, the nurse has always done this for me, but I guess they’ve changed the options haha.  I asked him how I was meant to do it, and he showed me a chart that had diagrams (animated thank god) of a guy shoving the tip of the swab up his arse haha.  He had one leg up on the toilet seat whilst reaching behind, so I just took note of that haha.
I went and did my thing, but I wasn’t sure if I had done it right, so the nurse put on some gloves and then told me I had, so all was good LOL.  I hope so, cos that was so weird for me.  I’m not used to shoving things up my own arse.
The nurse then did my throat swab for me.  I hate that one.  Gag every time.  But he reckons that’s a good thing as it makes it easier for him.  He then took my blood.  I barely felt the prick of the needle at all this time.

Everything was done!  I thanked him and I was on my way.  I must say I was a little alarmed at the amount of time it’s been since I last had a sexual health check-up.  According to their records, I was last tested in July 2012!  That means, 16 MONTHS.  I was SURE that I had been there in January of this year.  I really didn’t think it was that long.  Christ almighty, how the fuck am I meant to go back and find out who the hell I’ve slept with over the past 16 months.  Has anyone READ my life here? LOL!
In all serious, I’m not all that bad.  I know of my main two guys, who would be both Ryan (with his little freakout when he bled), and with Wayne, who took me without any lube.  I did have to laugh my my housemate wanting to ask him for tips on how he managed that LOL.

Next Monday is a public holiday, so I’ll have to ring up next Tuesday to get my results.  I’ve been through this so many times now, that I’m not even really worried.  I’ll probably on be worried when Monday next week rolls around and when I pick up the phone.  Anything could happen, but when it comes down to it, as I approach 30, I’m more mature and just need to know where I stand when it comes to what my status is.
I had a guy nurse that time, and he seemed a lot friendlier than the female nurse earlier.  He couldn’t read a lot of the stuff she had written down, and I had to clarify.  Which was all good.

So, two out of three done.  Tomorrow at 2pm is my dentist appointment, so I’ll see how that goes and fingers crossed it’ll all be good.  Pretty cool how I didn’t have to spend a cent today.  It’s just a bit sad about the sexual health clinic potentially on it’s way out.  The nurse did tell me of other places I can go and get my test done, if and when it comes to that.
Fuck I hate our government.  Both state and now federally.