I had another successful week volunteering at Legacy Clinic. As I have started cataloguing and alphabetizing the 2009 x-rays, I noticed that there are substantially more x-rays on file from 2009 than from 2008. It is customary for HIV patients to receive regular chest x-rays to monitor the potential progress of secondary disease. I asked the radiology technician why there was such a dramatic increase in the number of x-rays. She told me that the increase could be due to several reasons.
Firstly, many more people have chosen Legacy as an option for receiving healthcare in the past year due to the downturn in the economy. People who would have gone for testing at their family practices have lost insurance due to job termination and financial burdens. The result is an increase in the amount of patients being seen at clinics like Legacy which do not require insurance and offer care at a reasonable price. Also, there may be an increased awareness about the dangers of HIV in the Houston area. Legacy has increased its public outreach to Montrose and greater Houston community to warn people about the possible effects of not getting tested. They do this through free HIV testing available at many bars throughout the week in the Montrose area, and through an internet campaign called the CORE program which targets people who may engage in unsafe practices.
In order to accomodate the recent increases in patient intake, Legacy Clinic is in the process of moving to a new location in the same area of Houston which will provide a larger space to offer care to the community.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
April
Things have been going well at Legacy Clinic. I have started cataloging the X-rays from 2009 and will likely continue with this project for the remainder of the semester. With the multitude of things going on between school and the holiday, it has been a test in my ability to juggle so many different commitments. In the chaos of early April, I have come back to my original realization of the interconnectedness between the love of science and healthcare. Despite the demands of a biological education and the time commitment of volunteering in a health facility, it is rewarding to see the merits of science within the laboratory being practiced in the clinic for the good of the community. Science and healthcare are inevitably reliant upon one another, and I feel blessed to be given the opportunity to be a part of both worlds.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Not Enough Room :(
Well this past week has been rather unproductive for me at Legacy Clinic because... I was not able to volunteer due to lack of room. I had to ask if this was a fat joke... luckily, it was not. There were several additional events at the clinic taking place in the rooms which I normally work in, so Susan, the Radiology Technician, called and said that I could not come in this week. She said that she was not sure if I would be able to come next week but for the time being to plan on coming at my regularly scheduled time next Wednesday. If there are conflicts next week, I'm going to ask if there are any other available time slots outside of the scheduled time so that I can fulfill my requirements.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
X-rays
Last week, I completed alphabetizing and cataloging x-rays through the R's. I'm hoping to complete the 2008 x-rays within the next two weeks so that I'll be able to finish both the 2008 and 2009 x-rays by the end of the semester. All in all, things are going well at the clinic. Like I mentioned in a previous post, my tasks do not change much day to day, so things have gotten quite routine. The routine is comfortable and there is always minimal drama.
I have started to think about the materials which I will be making for the clinic. Despite the fact that the clinic does much in the way of x-rays, medication distribution, and other tests, the clinic is mostly focused on the prevention and treatment of HIV. I am going to begin researching the cell biology behind this disease and begin to compile resources for my submission.
Monday, March 8, 2010
A Day in the Life of a Legacy Patient
This past week, I did not feel like I experienced anything different than my previous days volunteering at Legacy. My position does not involve much change since I am alone cataloguing x-rays each time I go into the clinic, so for my blog this week I have decided to write the perspective of a hypothetical patient at the clinic going though the process of receiving HIV testing. The following is the account:
Its been months now since I knew I should receive testing. My mind has been going in circles wondering if I contracted the disease, and the pressure is building up to the point of insanity. I know I should get the test, but what happens if the results come back positive? I don't have insurance, and I'm scared to think what others will think of me if I have contracted the disease. My friend told me about a clinic in Montrose called Legacy which does HIV testing, and I have driven past it many times but cannot get the courage to actually go in. Luckily, my friend is in the same situation and has encouraged me to to go the clinic with him for testing.
As I walked up to the clinic, I saw several homeless people waiting outside and began to get discouraged. I wonder how I got to this point. When I was younger, I had so many hopes and dreams for my future, and now all of those ambitions are lingering by a the result on a blood test. I could feel the tears welling up as I stepped through the door. There was a security guard waiting in the lobby which pointing me in the direction of the receptionist. The receptionist seemed unusually warm considering the seriousness of my presence in the clinic. I was handed several forms to fill out which asked about my demographic information, recent drug use, and sexual history. Filling out the forms was a rather strange experience. I realized that my situation was not nearly as bad as it could have been considering some of the questions on the form. As I filled out the form, I slowly glanced across the waiting room and saw another man about my age figiting through the forms as well. Two seats down from him was a man sleeping and across from them sat a woman with a sunken face. The mileu of other people in the waiting room were watching Oprah on the television, reading magazines, and trying to wait patiently until their patient number was called. I suddenly realized that these people from so many different ages and races were all feeling the same feelings of apprehension waiting to get tested. I experienced a sense of happiness for these people that they had the courage to come to the clinic and find out their status. I tried to fight through the nerves and warrant myself this same feeling of happiness, but the nerves were increasingly difficult to control as I returned my forms to the receptionist.
As I sat waiting for my number to be called, I must have folded and unfolded the paper she gave back to me a hundred times. I tried to focus my attention on anything other than the reason I had entered the clinic, trying to calm myself down and remembering that knowing my status would be safer than not knowing, but I found myself getting more and more apprehensive. The urge to leave the clinic had almost reached a pinnacle, when a door opened and a woman yelled out "95316!" My heart sank as I looked at my paper and realized that the time was now or never.
The nurse took me into an exam room and asked which arm I would prefer the blood drawn. I rolled up the sleeve on my left arm and she took four samples. The exam was over just as soon as it started, and I was told to return in one week to receive the results of my test. "One week?!" The words rattled through my brain as I tried to comprehend that this anxiety would be prolonged another seven days. I had thought the tests could have been read immediately, but the clinic did not have the resources to complete the lab work that quickly. My friend had the same reaction, so we left together and went to Ruggles to have lunch. We ate in silence.
The next seven days were a complete blur. The prospect of the results being positive loomed over every action. I felt trapped and terrified. The seconds ticked by, and I found myself doing a constant search for information about the disease and how people handled receiving a positive result. I found that Legacy offers many programs for people who have contracted the disease. Support groups meet weekly, and there are programs which help with the cost of medications. Finally, on the one week anniversary of my tests, I retured to the clinic with my friend. We kindly told the receptionist that we had returned for our results and were once again seated in the waiting room. I gritted my teeth and tried to stop tapping my foot. "95316!" I stood up. The nurse asked me to follow her. We were not going back to the exam room. She walked me up the stairs and asked me to wait in a smaller waiting room and said she'd be with me in just a moment. About five minutes later, my friend appeared in the same waiting room. We wondered what this additional waiting room could be for and prepared ourselves for the worst. At the end of the waiting room a door opened labeled "Therapy." A man walked out and called my number. He took me into a room with my file, asked me to have a seat. He asked how I was feeling today. I said that I was okay. I could hear myself lying.
He asked me several questions before announcing my results. He asked why had chosen to get an HIV test, and what my plans were if the results were positive. He asked me what I could do to put myself at the lowest risk possible for HIV, and he asked me to write down these resolutions. He saved a copy of my responses and gave the original back to me. He assured me that Legacy clinic was not hear only to read the results, but to prevent me from finding myself in this situation again. If I did not have HIV, the clinic wanted to make sure that I was aware of precautions to protect myself in the future, and if I did have HIV, the clinic wanted to help me on this unfortunate journey. He told me that despite whatever I may be feeling, I am not alone. He asked if I was ready to hear my results. My words escaped me. My entire body felt like it had gone numb. It was then that I realized that the next few seconds would change the rest of my life. It took all I had to shake my head yes.
Gathering my things, I walked out of the clinic with my friend. Neither of us said a word. We looked down and walked to our cars. I saw him get in his car as I walked to mine. Just before I ducked into the drivers seat, I looked over at him, and he said that his results were negative. I told him I was happy for him and sat down. I did not have the lucidity to speak yet after experiencing this amount of stress and confusion. He waved goodbye and said to call him later. As he pulled out of the parking lot, I turned on my car, put on my sunglasses and looked out the front window waiting for a gap in the traffic. Just before I made the decision to pull out onto Westheimer, I realized my better judgement and returned to my spot. I turned off the car and with my sunglasses still on I picked up my copy of the results paper and looked at it again. All of that anxiety, all of that courage, all of that apprehension finally manifested itself externally in the most relieving tears of my entire life. A tear fell from my face and hit the paper just barely below the results of my results. I was negative. I was lucky. I made a resolved effort to practice the precautions I had committed to in the therapy office and left the clinic.
Its been months now since I knew I should receive testing. My mind has been going in circles wondering if I contracted the disease, and the pressure is building up to the point of insanity. I know I should get the test, but what happens if the results come back positive? I don't have insurance, and I'm scared to think what others will think of me if I have contracted the disease. My friend told me about a clinic in Montrose called Legacy which does HIV testing, and I have driven past it many times but cannot get the courage to actually go in. Luckily, my friend is in the same situation and has encouraged me to to go the clinic with him for testing.
As I walked up to the clinic, I saw several homeless people waiting outside and began to get discouraged. I wonder how I got to this point. When I was younger, I had so many hopes and dreams for my future, and now all of those ambitions are lingering by a the result on a blood test. I could feel the tears welling up as I stepped through the door. There was a security guard waiting in the lobby which pointing me in the direction of the receptionist. The receptionist seemed unusually warm considering the seriousness of my presence in the clinic. I was handed several forms to fill out which asked about my demographic information, recent drug use, and sexual history. Filling out the forms was a rather strange experience. I realized that my situation was not nearly as bad as it could have been considering some of the questions on the form. As I filled out the form, I slowly glanced across the waiting room and saw another man about my age figiting through the forms as well. Two seats down from him was a man sleeping and across from them sat a woman with a sunken face. The mileu of other people in the waiting room were watching Oprah on the television, reading magazines, and trying to wait patiently until their patient number was called. I suddenly realized that these people from so many different ages and races were all feeling the same feelings of apprehension waiting to get tested. I experienced a sense of happiness for these people that they had the courage to come to the clinic and find out their status. I tried to fight through the nerves and warrant myself this same feeling of happiness, but the nerves were increasingly difficult to control as I returned my forms to the receptionist.
As I sat waiting for my number to be called, I must have folded and unfolded the paper she gave back to me a hundred times. I tried to focus my attention on anything other than the reason I had entered the clinic, trying to calm myself down and remembering that knowing my status would be safer than not knowing, but I found myself getting more and more apprehensive. The urge to leave the clinic had almost reached a pinnacle, when a door opened and a woman yelled out "95316!" My heart sank as I looked at my paper and realized that the time was now or never.
The nurse took me into an exam room and asked which arm I would prefer the blood drawn. I rolled up the sleeve on my left arm and she took four samples. The exam was over just as soon as it started, and I was told to return in one week to receive the results of my test. "One week?!" The words rattled through my brain as I tried to comprehend that this anxiety would be prolonged another seven days. I had thought the tests could have been read immediately, but the clinic did not have the resources to complete the lab work that quickly. My friend had the same reaction, so we left together and went to Ruggles to have lunch. We ate in silence.
The next seven days were a complete blur. The prospect of the results being positive loomed over every action. I felt trapped and terrified. The seconds ticked by, and I found myself doing a constant search for information about the disease and how people handled receiving a positive result. I found that Legacy offers many programs for people who have contracted the disease. Support groups meet weekly, and there are programs which help with the cost of medications. Finally, on the one week anniversary of my tests, I retured to the clinic with my friend. We kindly told the receptionist that we had returned for our results and were once again seated in the waiting room. I gritted my teeth and tried to stop tapping my foot. "95316!" I stood up. The nurse asked me to follow her. We were not going back to the exam room. She walked me up the stairs and asked me to wait in a smaller waiting room and said she'd be with me in just a moment. About five minutes later, my friend appeared in the same waiting room. We wondered what this additional waiting room could be for and prepared ourselves for the worst. At the end of the waiting room a door opened labeled "Therapy." A man walked out and called my number. He took me into a room with my file, asked me to have a seat. He asked how I was feeling today. I said that I was okay. I could hear myself lying.
He asked me several questions before announcing my results. He asked why had chosen to get an HIV test, and what my plans were if the results were positive. He asked me what I could do to put myself at the lowest risk possible for HIV, and he asked me to write down these resolutions. He saved a copy of my responses and gave the original back to me. He assured me that Legacy clinic was not hear only to read the results, but to prevent me from finding myself in this situation again. If I did not have HIV, the clinic wanted to make sure that I was aware of precautions to protect myself in the future, and if I did have HIV, the clinic wanted to help me on this unfortunate journey. He told me that despite whatever I may be feeling, I am not alone. He asked if I was ready to hear my results. My words escaped me. My entire body felt like it had gone numb. It was then that I realized that the next few seconds would change the rest of my life. It took all I had to shake my head yes.
Gathering my things, I walked out of the clinic with my friend. Neither of us said a word. We looked down and walked to our cars. I saw him get in his car as I walked to mine. Just before I ducked into the drivers seat, I looked over at him, and he said that his results were negative. I told him I was happy for him and sat down. I did not have the lucidity to speak yet after experiencing this amount of stress and confusion. He waved goodbye and said to call him later. As he pulled out of the parking lot, I turned on my car, put on my sunglasses and looked out the front window waiting for a gap in the traffic. Just before I made the decision to pull out onto Westheimer, I realized my better judgement and returned to my spot. I turned off the car and with my sunglasses still on I picked up my copy of the results paper and looked at it again. All of that anxiety, all of that courage, all of that apprehension finally manifested itself externally in the most relieving tears of my entire life. A tear fell from my face and hit the paper just barely below the results of my results. I was negative. I was lucky. I made a resolved effort to practice the precautions I had committed to in the therapy office and left the clinic.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Steadily Volunteering
This week I volunteered three hours at Legacy Clinic. I was particularly struck by the friendliness of the staff this week. Every person from the staff which I have come into contact with at the clinic has been very welcoming to me despite their very busy schedules. I think it takes a very special type of person to work in a clinic like Legacy. Many of the patients I have seen at the clinic are noticeably having a difficult time with chronic disease (particularly HIV), drug use, and/or financial trouble. By no means does every patient at the clinic have these issues, but I have noticed that the clinic has an open door to all of these groups of people. It is wonderful to see how much respect all patients receive at the clinic. When it comes to administration of medicine, the treatment should be available to all, and all who are receiving the treatment should be treated with the same dignity and respect. This desire for dignity, respect, and good treatment is one of the commonalities shared between all people. The witnessing of this type of care at Legacy Clinic is very inspiring and makes me proud to be a part of their service to the community.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
First Week
This week I volunteered both Wednesday and Friday morning for an hour and a half. I am making my way through the 2008 x-rays, alphabetizing and cataloguing as I go. The Legacy clinic staff is very warm and welcoming. The clinic sees more patients than I had realized. I am there from 9:00-10:30am, and the waiting room had at least ten people in it both times I volunteered this week. The patients do not have to wait for long though because the clinic is so organized. The lab work and x-rays take place downstairs, the insurance and sign in table is at one wing, the pharmacy is in the other wing, while therapy is upstairs. While I have not spoken with patients directly about their experience at the clinic, the satisfaction seems to be very high judging by the attitude of those waiting in the lobby. As I catalogued this week, I realized the importance of my position to the overall success of the clinic. Namely, my efforts will supplement the organization of the clinic allowing for even greater patient care in a timely manner. Of course, my position is once again hanging by a thread since I received a TB skin test which showed up positive. X-rays were taken on Friday and the results should be in this week. Pray for no granulomas!! Not really too worried though, since I go through this everytime I get a TB skin test. They've always been false positives, but its always a little wierd during that time between the x-rays and the results. As far as I know, I'm still volunteering at Legacy and plan to be there this Wednesday and Friday mornings again.
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