Our bodies, our selves, our lingerie

I have 12 days left until my breast reduction surgery, and I'm kind of freaking out.

This morning I had a pre-op appointment - had to get some bloodwork done to make sure I am healthy enough to be anesthesized (I think that's a word?).

Now, I'm all for helping people learn their jobs hands-on; I didn't complain when the optometry student conducted my vision exam or when the gynecology student stuck her fingers you-know-where.

But, today my bloodwork was drawn by someone obviously learning the process, supervised by some guy who distracted me by asking questions about what I do in life.  Student proceeded to prep my right arm for needling without asking which arm I preferred, then jammed the needle into my vein in a not-so-delicate manner.  I'm not sure in the future I will support people learning to use needles on me, unless I take up a heroin habit.

Meanwhile, I answered the supervisor/distractor's questions about what "student affairs" is, when I really wanted to scream to get this horrible, violent student away from my arm and put her on phone-duty.

Distractor then asked me if I had arrangements for receiving my bloodwork results.

"Yep, this is just my pre-op bloodwork, my doctor is going to fax it to the surgeon."
"Pre op?" He asked, "you're having surgery?"
"Yea I'm having breast reduction surgery in a couple weeks."
"Whoa - I didn't need to know what kind of surgery.  That's your business."

My mistake for misinterpreting his question about my surgery for an interest in talking further about my surgery.  I suspect he wouldn't have had the same reaction if I told him I was having hip replacement surgery.

Boobs are kind of funny.  I feel like a creeper because I keep staring at stranger's boobs, trying to imagine what the size of mine will be like after my surgery - and to be fair to the strangers who catch me doing it, they don't know that I'm not just a creeper.  Obviously, it's not appropriate to ask them what size bras they wear, and apparently it's not even appropriate to tell a medical professional that I'm having the procedure done (note: "The Procedure" is what my dad calls it every time I talk to him, as he cannot physically utter the word "breast" to his daughter).

Last night my roommate turned on the Victoria's Secret Fashion show.  [Insert feminist critique here related to body image and beauty and sending unhealthy messages to young people/our entire culture], but that's not really my point.  I can watch a full hour of models parading around in bras, panties, and stilletos on a major television network, but I can't tell a medical professional what kind of surgery I'm having because it involves boobs?  He probably spent last night watching the same damn fashion show while jerking off.

I'm gonna need people to get a little more comfortable talking about breasts - both because I'm terrified of my surgery and need people to tell me it'll be okay, and because I think it's stupid not to be able to have conversations about our body parts at a Health center.

Oh and for the record - I have to go back for more bloodwork tomorrow because I got a call and learned that distractor/supervisor of student didn't realize that she didn't take enough tubes of blood.  Super.