All the hospitals seem to have volunteers. I see them lurking around when I’m there. They wear these teal coloured vests with a Volunteer patch on them and some have badges on lanyards around their necks. I’m not sure what their purpose is. Twice while I’m waiting for radiation they’ve asked me if I want a glass of water or a warm blanket. Today I was alone in the waiting room and again a volunteer who looked about 20 asked if I wanted a warm blanket or glass of water. I said no thanks, then she sat down beside me.
She asked me about my nails, lots of questions about my nails. She mentioned it was supposed to snow, I said I hoped not because I have to drive so far. Then the questions really started. “Where do you live?” “How long have you lived there?” “Where did you move from?” (She thought Campbell River was back east) “Are you married?” “Have any kids?” “Any roommates?” “Why did you move here?” “Is your sister married, does she have kids, how long as she lived here, why did she move there, where were you born….” It was about here that the tech came out and said they were ready for me but no rush. I rushed…LOL When the tech laughingly said I must really wanna get the radiation done, I told her why I’d rushed.
My point I guess is don’t they have courses for volunteers? Aren’t they taught what is and is not appropriate? This girl’s questions were a tad too personal for my taste. I probably should have stopped her but that would have been mean and frankly, it’s hard to feel aggressive enough to do something like then when I’m sitting in a hospital gown.
The tech said next time I’m alone in the waiting room I should talk to myself or make weird faces to keep people away. She said I may end up with the waiting room all to myself more often that way. The techs are too funny! At the end of my appointment she said she’d told the volunteer to leave..LOL I don’t know if she really did that or not.