I’ll start this by telling you that it has a happy ending and there’s nothing to worry about. Suspense is great in novels, but not in real life.
Last week, I found a lump in my breast. (remember, happy ending) Daddi at work, made an appointment for me at Leitarstöð Krabbameinsfélagsins (center for cancer search). So, this post is about the amazing difference between a doctor’s visit in Iceland compared to the U.S.
I came to work for an hour and then headed off for my appointment. Because I hadn’t been there before, and I was nervous, I gave myself too much time to get there. I arrived about fifteen minutes early for my appointment. There were no televisions in the waiting room, but there were magazines, books of short stories and a play area for children. I was expecting to fill out paperwork.
No. They took my kennitala (id number) and asked me to have a seat. I picked up a magazine, and a nurse called my name. Really, that fast. So I followed her back to a changing area. They provide lockers with keys, for personal items, and hospital gowns in spring colors cut like kimonos. I sat down in the little waiting area outside the changing area and immediately the nurse reappeared and asked me to follow her.
I figured that, like the U.S., she was going to park me in an examination room, but instead she took me straight back and did a mammogram. We won’t go into those details because it would frighten the menfolk.
After that, I returned to the smaller waiting room, and after perhaps five minutes, the radiologist came for me and did an ultrasound. It turned out that I was right and there was a small lump, but that it was merely a cyst. She said it was nothing to worry about and that women get these all the time. Whew.
We finished up. I got dressed, and headed back for the reception area. There I encountered the rare Icelander who doesn’t speak English. We managed to handle everything in Icelandic. Fortunately the questions were straightforward ones like “What is your address.” Yay! These Icelandic lessons are paying off.
I took my leave and was back in my car by 11:30. In the U.S. I would have still been in the reception area, trying to ignore a television. What a delightful civilized country.
That does sound nice. Even nicer is the happy ending. Glad to hear everything is okay, even if I’m having some plausibility concerns with your description of the visit to the doctor’s office.
I’m also glad you are okay – even with the happy ending warnings (which brought Robot Chicken to mind) I was nervous and tapping my finger.
Whew!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you’re okay.
My MS work was in medical anthropology, so this is right up my alley and terribly fascinating for me. Thanks so much for sharing.
Again, I’m glad you’re okay.
The thing I’d forgotten to mention was that before arriving, I had been warned that I might have a long wait as they were very busy. Good heavens. Can you imagine what a short wait would have been like?
Maggie, there’s a thing that you might be interested in. They didn’t ask me to wear a lead apron during the mammogram. I was really surprised at that.