As a young, married female I get asked this question a lot (for those of you reading this, feel free to stop asking). But I wanted to share with you THE most absurd moment when I was asked this question.
Background:
It’s taken a few doctors to figure out that my gallbladder needs to be removed. It’s February 2007. Since November-December, I haven’t been able to eat much food and have been surviving on bread. Since it’s the morning of my operation, I haven’t even been allowed to eat bread or drink water for the past 8-12 hours. So there I sit in the pre-op room getting hooked up to IVs and waiting to get operated on, in walks a nurse. This nurse is holding a urine collection container and then explains she needs to do a pregnancy test.
Really?
Lady, I haven’t eaten for 8-12 hours. I gave blood a week ago – shouldn’t we have confirmed that I was/wasn’t pregnant then?
Really?
Pee in this cup after no food or water for 8-12 hours.
Really?
Your going to wait until the morning of of the operation to determine if my urine, slightly less accurate than the blood test done a week earlier, will show that I’m pregnant so that I can’t have my gallbladder removed. Did I mention I that I haven’t been eating and am in extreme pain, hence the operation?
Really?
Thanks but no thanks. Someone pass me the yellow food coloring and some water.