Just a (not so) small bitchfest
I like to participate in clinical studies. It's a great way to contribute to science in general, and sometimes they even pay me. After I finished the last study I was in, I gave the study staff permission to put me on a list of healthy people willing to partake in other studies. So last week, when I got a call about participating in a functional dyspepsia study, I agreed to do it.
Today was the first appointment. I had talked at length with the study coordinator about how to get there, including parking. Unfortunately, it became clear when I arrived that she had no idea that the parking situation had changed significantly since last fall. The parking structure I was used to parking in was no longer for patient use. It was seriously irritating, considering that I had explicitly asked about it. But ok, I thought, maybe this woman didn't know about the change.
So I get there, and it turns out the nurse is the same as for the previous study. However, despite the fact that I had come in regularly over 20 months to have my blood drawn by this very nurse, she never remembered me during that study, and clearly didn't remember me this time. I could tell she thought I was just a dumbass for parking in the wrong (formerly correct) place. After some discussion, I decided to just risk a potential ticket and carry on with the appointment.
The doctor gave me a quick physical and asked me some health questions. Then the study coordinator described the study to me and went over the informed consent forms. As an aside, she asked me if I was a student and what I was studying. I kept it simple and told her I did earth and planetary sciences, which is the name of the University department. She then asks, "Oh, is that in Biology?" Um, no. What's really funny is that she just graduated pre-med from UNM, so she must have taken classes in the Bio department...which is literally right next to the Earth and Planetary Sciences department.
Next, she asked me to fill out some forms about potential gastrointestinal symptoms I may have experienced over the past two weeks. I don't really have any GI issues, but of course I answered truthfully that I have had a non-zero amount of "excess gas," "belching," and "bloating." AND THEN...the study coordinator informed me that since I had experienced some "symptoms" I was going to be a bad control, and I couldn't do the study. Are you kidding me? Maybe I'm completely abnormal, but who DOESN'T have some gas sometimes??? Is there actually someone out there who hasn't farted or belched in two weeks? Seriously, if that's you, I want to know. Maybe it's a question of the definition of "excess." I think pretty much any non-bathroom toot is "excess"!
On the positive side, at least my car wasn't ticketed or towed. But I was in a foul mood when I finally got home--I am definitely going to open a bottle of wine tonight!
Today was the first appointment. I had talked at length with the study coordinator about how to get there, including parking. Unfortunately, it became clear when I arrived that she had no idea that the parking situation had changed significantly since last fall. The parking structure I was used to parking in was no longer for patient use. It was seriously irritating, considering that I had explicitly asked about it. But ok, I thought, maybe this woman didn't know about the change.
So I get there, and it turns out the nurse is the same as for the previous study. However, despite the fact that I had come in regularly over 20 months to have my blood drawn by this very nurse, she never remembered me during that study, and clearly didn't remember me this time. I could tell she thought I was just a dumbass for parking in the wrong (formerly correct) place. After some discussion, I decided to just risk a potential ticket and carry on with the appointment.
The doctor gave me a quick physical and asked me some health questions. Then the study coordinator described the study to me and went over the informed consent forms. As an aside, she asked me if I was a student and what I was studying. I kept it simple and told her I did earth and planetary sciences, which is the name of the University department. She then asks, "Oh, is that in Biology?" Um, no. What's really funny is that she just graduated pre-med from UNM, so she must have taken classes in the Bio department...which is literally right next to the Earth and Planetary Sciences department.
Next, she asked me to fill out some forms about potential gastrointestinal symptoms I may have experienced over the past two weeks. I don't really have any GI issues, but of course I answered truthfully that I have had a non-zero amount of "excess gas," "belching," and "bloating." AND THEN...the study coordinator informed me that since I had experienced some "symptoms" I was going to be a bad control, and I couldn't do the study. Are you kidding me? Maybe I'm completely abnormal, but who DOESN'T have some gas sometimes??? Is there actually someone out there who hasn't farted or belched in two weeks? Seriously, if that's you, I want to know. Maybe it's a question of the definition of "excess." I think pretty much any non-bathroom toot is "excess"!
On the positive side, at least my car wasn't ticketed or towed. But I was in a foul mood when I finally got home--I am definitely going to open a bottle of wine tonight!