Monday, July 21, 2008

How do you 'cough' in spanish?

I went for my "Welltest" today. It is the physical exam for working here.

It was an interesting process.....

I was told to not eat before the tests or go to the bathroom (that is an interesting trick).
I took a taxi and arrived at the clinic at 9 am for the tests. After verifying who I was (with passport), I was directed to the First stop - the locker room to drop off my coat, jacket and briefcase. I noticed that there were guys who got to wear matching red & white t-shirts (it was the Suisse Clinique) and grey sweats. I guess I wasn't on that testing program.
Next stop: blood work. Here, I had some blood taken and was handed an empty specimen cup with the distinctive red lid (more on that later).
Next stop - the 'kitchen' for juice, coffee and medialunas (like croissants). I guess that was to get my system 'going'. This lovely old lady offered me the newspaper, a choice of juices, coffee (con leche or not) and she placed that red-lidded cup on the chair next to me.....like it had its own place at breakfast or something. It is also amazing how someone will just go on talking to you in a foreign language like you understand every word.
Next stop - Vision test. Conclusion: I can read with my glasses on. He did do a glaucoma eye pressure test but it wasn't with the 'puff'. He numbed my eyes with drops and then used some thing-a-ma-jig to touch my eyes. First time I have had that. Target range 10 to 24, I came in at an 11 and a 12. I think that is good.
Next: Hearing test. Now, this was funny - getting a hearing test in probably one of the loudest cities in the world. While doing the test, I could hear phones, car horns, buses and yes, (some of the) quiet tones in the headset. Less scientific, but just as accurate - Mimi says I am hard of hearing (I think I am just hard of 'listening' - a big difference). I carried my red-lidded specimen cup to that one too.
Next: Then there was the 'look in your mouth, ears and listen to your lungs while your breathe' followed by the 80 item questionnaire. It was all in Spanish. It was a 'Si' or 'No' test. Based on my answers, I could be a 48 year old smoking pregnant man with a family history of flat feet.
Next (and yes, in yet another room): Blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight, waist measurement (probably a BMI calculation in there somewhere).
Next: There was the ECG - I felt like the guy in the '40 Yr Old Virgin' movie when she tore those 8 'stickers' off my chest hair.
Next: Then there was the chest X-Ray complete with Kodak film (no digital work here)....no lead aprons either. By the way - I'm still carrying my little red-lidded cup with me at this point.

Finally, someone directs me back to the locker room to get my coat & briefcase and says something in Spanish (probably about my red-lidded cup).She said something about '2 hours', I said something about '5 hours' and I figured, what the hell - I filled it and gave it to her. It didn't have any stickers on it, so it might be tested as mine or as someone else's.

I am expecting a meeting with the company doctor to review the results next week. I think I am in good shape......for a 48 year old smoking pregnant guy with a family history of flat feet.

B.

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