Dreaded Sputum

[angeljolie 188]

1 hour ago, RO_AH said:

I received an auto-reply:

 

Same here. I wish we had some clue as to the wait times. Based on what I see online, re/scheduling is all over the place. I see a lot of applicants with expired medical clearance. So frustrating.

 

2 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

Write to USEM and let them know.  As I mentioned in some other threads, USEM worked with us quite well when the visa was under a month from expiring.  When they first reached out, we had many missed calls one morning and we had no idea who it was.  We texted the number as it was a mobile phone number and that afternoon we had a call back and it was USEM asking us if we were sure we could get to the US before the visa expired.  Ill check tomorrow and see if we still have that text saved or not and can PM the number if we still have it.  It was about 2.5 months ago.

 

I wish we're as lucky as you. I know some people who were also contacted 10 days before their medical expiration. I'm very curious how they monitor the dates.

[flicks1998 1,044]

6 hours ago, angeljolie said:

Same here. I wish we had some clue as to the wait times. Based on what I see online, re/scheduling is all over the place. I see a lot of applicants with expired medical clearance. So frustrating.

 

I wish we're as lucky as you. I know some people who were also contacted 10 days before their medical expiration. I'm very curious how they monitor the dates.

I’m not sure. Maybe they are monitoring the emails. Previously when we had written (months before) there would be no response or a response after a month. So maybe they are screening emails for urgency. I’m not really sure but they were helpful in the final month. 

[Chancy 6,240]

On 2/10/2021 at 2:57 PM, Chancy said:

I already expect I'd be flagged for sputum testing.

 

Well, SLEC did not betray my expectations.  I was flagged for sputum testing.  And it seems they haven't let up on the number of applicants they tag for it.  In the 15 minutes or so that I spent in the waiting area for my name to be called, 3 other women were also told that they have to go through sputum testing.  Because I was already expecting the bad news, I wasn't as crestfallen as those other women seemed to be.

 

[flicks1998 1,044]

8 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

Well, SLEC did not betray my expectations.  I was flagged for sputum testing.  And it seems they haven't let up on the number of applicants they tag for it.  In the 15 minutes or so that I spent in the waiting area for my name to be called, 3 other women were also told that they have to go through sputum testing.  Because I was already expecting the bad news, I wasn't as crestfallen as those other women seemed to be.

 

@top_secret had posted some data on % of people flagged for sputum testing and it came around 15% although it may be getting higher nowadays.  If you have the time, out of curiosity I would go to another hospital and ask them to do a TB xray.  I would be curious what that hospital says compared to SLEC.  

[Murph4865 597]

I think SLEC need to equipment and needs the doctors re-trained myself my wife was flagged twice once during K1 process then during this CR1 process and the doctor looked at both exrays side by side and told her they was exactly the same from 2017 till now, back then she had to take the 6 month regiment of pills but she was clear no hint of TB.  I honestly think they do it to hold people back and to earn extra money for their pockets after everything said and done.

[RO_AH 1,656]

34 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

Well, SLEC did not betray my expectations.  I was flagged for sputum testing.  And it seems they haven't let up on the number of applicants they tag for it.  In the 15 minutes or so that I spent in the waiting area for my name to be called, 3 other women were also told that they have to go through sputum testing.  Because I was already expecting the bad news, I wasn't as crestfallen as those other women seemed to be.

The worst part about it is that they stamp your 1st day of the medical in the passport not the day that it is completed. I was expecting my wife to get it on her second medical and I was shocked that she did not. Maybe they only clean the x-ray machine once a week and you need to go on the right day.

[Chancy 6,240]

7 minutes ago, RO_AH said:

Maybe they only clean the x-ray machine once a week and you need to go on the right day.

 

Ha!  I actually thought something like that when I got called to the sputum announcement counter.  Like, "Dang it!  I guess the x-ray machine got dirty again..." 😆

 

[RO_AH 1,656]

1 hour ago, Chancy said:

 

Ha!  I actually thought something like that when I got called to the sputum announcement counter.  Like, "Dang it!  I guess the x-ray machine got dirty again..." 😆

 

Someone really needs to do that. Or bring a bottle of glass cleaner to medical.

[top_secret 2,347]

Maybe don't go on Fridays because they only clean it once a week??

 

I feel bad for everyone here that got that.  It almost seems like something really wrong is going on in that place.  Just to frequent to be coincidence.  At some point you have to start to wonder about the dynamics of the cash flow in that operation. 

 

Our day is coming sooner or later too.

[Stevephoto 230]

That is great news. I know that the additional wait was hard, but the super part is that she doesn't have a life-threatening disease. She will be in Hawaii soon. Hang in there.

[Chancy 6,240]

On 7/23/2021 at 12:35 PM, Chancy said:

I was flagged for sputum testing.

 

Update -- my sputum test results are negative, as expected.  I'm just glad that agonizing wait is over and I can move on to the next wait for my new interview schedule 😄