One year ago today I went for my medical for my Australia
visa; not only was this day much awaited and anticipated but the course of the
day was anxiety filled and crazy.
I have waited to get the go ahead to take my medical for
months and I knew that this was one of the final stages that I had to do for my
PMV (prospective marriage visa); the other being my police clearance. I had carefully booked my appointments for
this day, scheduling it around my work schedule. I had everything mapped out and planned; that
was until my jeep decided it needed to go in for service. I brought it in 2 days before I had to make
the 3.5 hour trip to the approved visa panel doctor; it was later that day that
I got the call from the shop that the parts needed were going to take an extra
day to come in; therefore leaving me car-less for my trip. This was not an appointment that I could just
reschedule as I had waited months to get this one; so this left me having to
get a rental.
The morning that I left for my appointment it was pouring
down, so much so that when I walked into my kitchen to get a coffee there was a
puddle on the floor from a leak in the ceiling.
So this was the way that my day was going to begin; a ceiling leak,
driving 3.5 hours in a downpour in a rental car. So after I got ready to leave and after
telling my landlord about the leak, I headed down the highway, barely able to
see the road in front of me.
While on my drive down I got the call from the mechanic
telling me about my jeep, it seems that there was more going on with it; and it
was going to cost me royally. I felt my
anxiety rise with each mile I covered and my temper going with it. I was losing control of my emotions and
thoughts, to me at that precise moment the world was coming to an end; how the
hell was I going to afford all this? The
medical, the rental car, the repairs to my jeep and the potential damage to my
home; I seriously thought that I would come home and see the ceiling on the
floor; as ludicrous as this sounds now.
I even called my mom and my fiancé to rage out my frustrations; causing
them hurt in the process and feeling frustrated with me.
And my day was getting even better, as I got into the city
and was trying to find my way around, the exit I needed off the highway had an
accident at the ramp; therefore I was stuck in traffic and when I finally got
through the traffic and made my way to the doctor’s office it was to find that
I was in the middle of Chinatown at lunchtime.
There was no parking to be found and I had to walk in the rain blocks
away from where I needed to go. The
doctor’s office was located in a mall that just so happened to be closed and
locked for a lunch break; which had me sit outside the office in the halls of
the mall, with passer-bys and children screaming. By this point I was done, I was ready to call
the whole thing off and go home, I was beyond frustrated. And when I finally got into see this special
panel doctor to approve my medical for my visa, I was insulted further. It was the first time in my life that a
doctor actually said to me that I was “FAT”.
Yes I know that I am, and I have had doctors mention that I should start
a weight loss program, it is something that I have had issues with my entire
life, but to be told that I am fat by a professional. That was it, that was the final straw for me
that day; I had to pay $300 for this treatment.
And I wasn’t even done for the day yet, I was then on my way
to the next appointment for the x-rays that was also needed for this visa
medical. A lot of hoop jumping for one
little piece of paper to allow me into a country that I had already
visited. It was at the next office that
I found out that the third part of the medical would need to be done at yet
another office and which they only do by appointments. It was for my blood work; the receptionist
there said that I may get lucky on a walk in and since I was out already and it
was nearby that I decided to try it.
Besides if I decided to go back to my own doctor for the blood work, it
would take 2 weeks for the tests to get back to the panel doctor and then sent
to immigration. At this point what did I
have to lose? When I got to the lab the
receptionist there said that they were closing shortly and for visa medicals
the blood work needed to be done by appointment only. I guess it was the look on my face and
despair I felt that had the receptionist take pity on me; she said that since
it was currently quiet that she will slip me in. That was when all the frustrations of the day
finally burst through my eyes and I started crying, I couldn’t believe that I
had finally caught a break in the day.
The sun had finally come out.
Now was the time that I had long awaited, time to go home,
to make the long drive home, made twice as long since I was now leaving during
rush hour traffic which came with accidents at almost every exit that I needed
to take to get on the highway. Looking
at the time I knew that I was not going to get the rental car back before they
close for the day. I made the call to
find if they had an after-hours drop, which I was informed that they did BUT it
would still cost me an extra day rental since the drop wouldn’t be recorded til
the next day. GREAT …WONDERFUL ….
Another charge to an already expensive day.
I did finally make it home and to no damage to my home and everything
did dry up.
What started as a day that I believe was the worse day, as a
day where I believed the world hated me and karma was definitely not on my
side. Today I look back at it that it
was just a bump in this journey to get me where I am today. Here with my husband, loving and living in
Australia. Was it worth it? Yes because I’m where I belong. Did this experience teach me anything? Most definitely, I do survive and get through
anything that sets up roadblocks in my life.
And it was this day too that taught me that overreacting and getting
angry and frustrated and screaming and hurting those that I love with my
frustrated words doesn’t change the things that are actually happening but it
does impact and hurts the people around me and most importantly it impacts and
hurts myself.
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