On Thursday I got tested

So my bf left town on Wednesday night to go on a mini-family vacation before finals week begins. I wasn't sure how I felt being left alone considering the string of bad news we'd had the previous few days. I eventually came to the conclusion that at 23, I was old enough to be able to take care of myself for a few days, even if a life-ending virus was circulating through my veins.

My bf had said that he wanted to get tested with me, but I decided that it'd be best not to wait for him to get back. Besides, there was a slim chance that even if I was infected, he would still be clean, so I decided to go to our campus infirmary and get the bevy of STD tests that they offer. I felt guilty at first for not telling him, but at the same time, I knew it was best for both of us.

What's really sad is that I was scared to make the phone call and arrange the appointment. I new the infirmary was the best place to go for this type of thing, but for some reason, requesting an STD test made me feel dirty. My best friend would later tell me that I'd get over the dirty feeling the more often I got tested. Even after several tests, I guess I still hadn't gotten over it.

Anyway, I managed to get a same-day appointment. I wasn't emotionally ready for that, but I decided that it'd be easier than having to wait another day. As I walked up the steps into the historic, brick building that is our infirmary, I felt like everyone was staring at me and judging me for having to get these tests done. Sure, deep down I knew that they had no idea why I was there, but I still felt like all eyes were on me. I was an untouchable in a world of clean, healthy people.

Luckily at this stage in the semester, there weren't a lot of patients in the office, so I managed to slip in and out relatively unnoticed by other students. I had barely sat down before the doctor called me back. The nurse hadn't even taken my vitals before my doctor had ordered the tests and was sending me out the door to the lab to get the tests done. In fact, the male nurse had to call me back into the office after I left because he needed to check my blood pressure, temperature, and the like.

Getting the actual tests done was pretty painless, even though I'll confess my sincere fear of needles. Fortunately, for the Gonorrhea and Chlamydia test, the infirmary uses urine samples instead of a urethral swab, which was a huge relief for me. The lab technician had a few awards on the wall honoring her ability to calm down rowdy patients. From previous experiences, I knew that I'd be one of those out-of-control patients, but she was surprisingly well crafted at her job. She slipped the needle in, drew the blood, and closed the viles before I even felt the prick.

I don't know what the results will be, but I found this coming Thursday. Sure a week seems like a long time to wait to get the results, but at least I'll have some sense of closure over the whole issue.