London Medical - Knightsbridge Doctors

[Al422 221]

I also had to pay up for a drugs test due to an historic police caution for possession. This is £48 and results take 4-10 days preceding the medical. They supervise a urine sample at Knightsbridge. Nothing exceptional here but worth noting if you're in that situation.

Was the supervision because of your drug history or do they do that for everyone?

[Al422 221]

Maybe it's that I'm American, so I'm coming at this from a different culture (and yeah, UK and US culture are quite different, I'll admit!) but "shame" is such an apropos word, not a weird one, at all when talking about the body in our culture, at least. It's an inheritance from the puritans--you know, the ones you sent packing from your country after the Restoration because ya'll thought they were crazy!

There's a huge body shaming aspect to our culture (and I would say I still see quite a bit of it in the UK, at least compared to other places like France!)--whether it be the health of the body (too fat, too skinny, too feminine, too masculine) or (albeit antiquated) notions of modesty (too "slutty"--cover up! only x can get away with wearing something like that. You're too old, too young, too x, too y, too z). People can't really win--this is especially true for women, though men certainly go through it.

It's sad, though, I agree. Doesn't mean it doesn't carry over to the doctor's, especially when you have a member of the opposite sex. I was raised fundamentalist Christian (I've since been liberated), and going to male doctor was a cause of extreme anxiety for me not because I didn't understand the goal, but because I had parents who constantly made body and bodily productions a cause of just that--shame. Not everyone is so lucky, I guess. (I should also say not every Christian is a body shamer, and not every body shamer is a Christian--it goes beyond religion, though that was just my experience.)

While I am certain your parents were acting in what they thought were your best interests, you see the result. Not only do you suffer completely unnecessary trauama every time you need a medical exam, what if you got a deadly cancer that was not detected until it was too late because you did not go for screening?

Parents should never teach their children to be afraid of being examined by a doctor.

[paddington_bear 30]

While I am certain your parents were acting in what they thought were your best interests, you see the result. Not only do you suffer completely unnecessary trauama every time you need a medical exam, what if you got a deadly cancer that was not detected until it was too late because you did not go for screening?

Parents should never teach their children to be afraid of being examined by a doctor.

Actually, I don't experience trauma. I did as a child, but that's because I was told to "cover up, cover up." Now I'm quite well adjusted, but thanks for the sympathy/concern

I agree with you though--I think parents shouldn't only teach their kids to not be afraid of doctors, but to not be ashamed of their bodies in general (no matter *what* sort of bodies they have). Body shaming is a terrible thing. Sadly, it's quite pervasive--as many on this thread indicate.

I am sorry my fiance has to go through the medical at all, though. He is the one who has to go through all of the invasive stuff--I get why it's being done, but it does seem unfair as I watch his life get picked apart, put under a microscope, to be with me--while mine is running off a few tax forms and birth certificates. The medical is just one more thing.... But he's quite calm about it. British calm.

Edited May 6, 2014 by paddington_bear

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Actually, I don't experience trauma. I did as a child, but that's because I was told to "cover up, cover up." Now I'm quite well adjusted, but thanks for the sympathy/concern

I agree with you though--I think parents shouldn't only teach their kids to not be afraid of doctors, but to not be ashamed of their bodies in general (no matter *what* sort of bodies they have). Body shaming is a terrible thing. Sadly, it's quite pervasive--as many on this thread indicate.

I am sorry my fiance has to go through the medical at all, though. He is the one who has to go through all of the invasive stuff--I get why it's being done, but it does seem unfair as I watch his life get picked apart, put under a microscope, to be with me--while mine is running off a few tax forms and birth certificates. The medical is just one more thing.... But he's quite calm about it. British calm.

He'll be fine! It's good that he's calm, I've just noticed that his medical is the same day as my interview... ask him to look out for a nervous looking guy in his 20's pacing around central London

[Al422 221]

Actually, I don't experience trauma. I did as a child, but that's because I was told to "cover up, cover up." Now I'm quite well adjusted, but thanks for the sympathy/concern

I agree with you though--I think parents shouldn't only teach their kids to not be afraid of doctors, but to not be ashamed of their bodies in general (no matter *what* sort of bodies they have). Body shaming is a terrible thing. Sadly, it's quite pervasive--as many on this thread indicate.

I am sorry my fiance has to go through the medical at all, though. He is the one who has to go through all of the invasive stuff--I get why it's being done, but it does seem unfair as I watch his life get picked apart, put under a microscope, to be with me--while mine is running off a few tax forms and birth certificates. The medical is just one more thing.... But he's quite calm about it. British calm.

I hear you 100% and would do anything to trade places with Candy so I get the medical exam and not her. We are still talking about it. Oddly enough, the part that concerns her the most is not exposing her body to the doctor; it is the needle associated with the blood test. Her med is in 6 days, and I am doing everything I can to give her 100% confidence going in there that none of it will be a problem.

I also agree with you that body shame is a terrible thing to teach children. But as bad as that is, body shame to the doctor is even worse because now you are moving from the socially inconvenient to the physicallly deadly. The first should be the parents' choice even though it is bad, but the latter should be treated as child abuse.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Al422

[paddington_bear 30]

He'll be fine! It's good that he's calm, I've just noticed that his medical is the same day as my interview... ask him to look out for a nervous looking guy in his 20's pacing around central London

YAY! Best of luck, though you'll hardly need it I'm sure! If you see a nervous American girl in a dress pacing around with a tattooed British bloke who is cool as a cucumber, give us a wave!

Though realistically, I'd imagine the Embassy and KB are not near each other? Still wouldn't it be wonderful! I sincerely hope to see some VJ people at Jake's interview, if it's scheduled while I'm still here in the UK that is!

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

YAY! Best of luck, though you'll hardly need it I'm sure! If you see a nervous American girl in a dress pacing around with a tattooed British bloke who is cool as a cucumber, give us a wave!

Though realistically, I'd imagine the Embassy and KB are not near each other? Still wouldn't it be wonderful! I sincerely hope to see some VJ people at Jake's interview, if it's scheduled while I'm still here in the UK that is!

They are actually not far apart, Bond Street is the best underground station for both. I was hoping to see other VJ people at my medical but everyone there was with someone else (I was the only loner lol) and I was too shy to start any conversations!

[PBJ 60]

Was the supervision because of your drug history or do they do that for everyone?

A urine sample was not required for the standard medical, only because of drug history, and so under those circumstances yes they made it clear supervision is always necessary.

For the record, they don't stand and stare at you, but the door is open and you are handed the pot and asked to give it straight back. They take your belongings before you go in, I assume to avoid any fraud.

It really is no bother at all.

Edited May 6, 2014 by PBJ

[PBJ 60]

Maybe it's that I'm American, so I'm coming at this from a different culture (and yeah, UK and US culture are quite different, I'll admit!) but "shame" is such an apropos word, not a weird one, at all when talking about the body in our culture, at least. It's an inheritance from the puritans--you know, the ones you sent packing from your country after the Restoration because ya'll thought they were crazy!

There's a huge body shaming aspect to our culture (and I would say I still see quite a bit of it in the UK, at least compared to other places like France!)--whether it be the health of the body (too fat, too skinny, too feminine, too masculine) or (albeit antiquated) notions of modesty (too "slutty"--cover up! only x can get away with wearing something like that. You're too old, too young, too x, too y, too z). People can't really win--this is especially true for women, though men certainly go through it.

It's sad, though, I agree. Doesn't mean it doesn't carry over to the doctor's, especially when you have a member of the opposite sex. I was raised fundamentalist Christian (I've since been liberated), and going to male doctor was a cause of extreme anxiety for me not because I didn't understand the goal, but because I had parents who constantly made body and bodily productions a cause of just that--shame. Not everyone is so lucky, I guess. (I should also say not every Christian is a body shamer, and not every body shamer is a Christian--it goes beyond religion, though that was just my experience.)

Thank you for an excellent expansion on what I meant by 'shame'. I wasn't compelled to explain it so well myself, but great job.

[Al422 221]

A urine sample was not required for the standard medical, only because of drug history, and so under those circumstances yes they made it clear supervision is always necessary.

For the record, they don't stand and stare at you, but the door is open and you are handed the pot and asked to give it straight back. They take your belongings before you go in, I assume to avoid any fraud.

It really is no bother at all.

Thanks for the explanation. In the Philippines they do urine 100%, but I can't get a straight answer out of anybody if it is supervised or not. I want to prepare Candy for anything that might be regarded as traumatic without unnecessary worry over things that just don't happen. So I want straight answers.

Here in the US, I know several people on probation for drugs who have to submit samples for their probation officers. The schemes they come up with to beat the test are pretty amazing, like putting a flat plastic bladder filled with clean urine into your underwear that has a small hose you hold next to your #######. One clown used his wife's urine, not knowing she was pregnant. Needless to say he was quite surprise to learn he was going back to jail because he was the world's first male pregnancy.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

At a large chemical plant where I worked, everybody had periodic random drug screening. You would get a call and had to report to the contracted clinic (in the next town) within 30 minutes. You could list any medications you take on a paper beforehand. It was not supervised, but they were set up for anti-fraud. No handbags allowed. The toilet tank lid was locked down. The flushing lever was disabled. The water in the sink wouldn't turn on. No paper towels or toilet tissue. Being a woman, the anatomy is not so great for aiming a stream of urine at a medicine bottle. So I handed them the sample cup dripping with pee. "Sorry for that, but there's no tissue". They let me wash my hands at a sink in their lab. The urine had to meet a certain warm temperature level. Then they put the lid on and a paper seal we both signed.

The amusing thing to me is the various offices in the complex had letters instead of numbers. The urine sample place was office "P".

[Al422 221]

Well at least the lab the chemical plant used found a way to ensure the integrity of the urine sample without compromising your privacy. I give them credit for that much.

[paddington_bear 30]

Hi All:

Silly worrying question--Jake just got his (free!) MMR from the NHS today--and it said that commonly (1 in 10 cases) people get rash and fever within 6 to 10 days . . . but our appointment at KB falls between that time. If he goes to KB and they notice his fever and rash, will his bringing his recently updated vaccination records and the leaflet the nurse gave him on MMR symptoms be enough? Or will they want to see him again when his symptoms have cleared? Granted, he may show no signs at all--but I'm just not willing to trust our luck.

Thanks!

[Al422 221]

Since this is not an illness but instead a side effect of medication, you should bring the documents that show that fact. They are doctors and can probably figure it out themselves, but why not make it easy for them?

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Hi All:

Silly worrying question--Jake just got his (free!) MMR from the NHS today--and it said that commonly (1 in 10 cases) people get rash and fever within 6 to 10 days . . . but our appointment at KB falls between that time. If he goes to KB and they notice his fever and rash, will his bringing his recently updated vaccination records and the leaflet the nurse gave him on MMR symptoms be enough? Or will they want to see him again when his symptoms have cleared? Granted, he may show no signs at all--but I'm just not willing to trust our luck.

Thanks!

Yeah just bring the little leaflet and the record, don't worry! I know when I got my tetanus jab the nurse gave me a little leaflet from the company that made the vaccine explaining possible side effects so if that's what he got he'll be fine with that. I don't think they are going to care about a little rash anyway, I had a little eczema (from wearing a wool jumper lol) and the doctor remarked on it but it didn't matter obviously.