Scary Stuff

So last week there was a botched up scenario at work: A patient's blood was sent to the laboratory and then someone called the lab tech testing the blood to ask "Is there a turn around time for Ebola testing?"  Yeah...  no bueno not warning the laboratory about a hot specimen.  Really though, people at Mayo aren't happy about any aspect of the whole Ebola thing.  My one coworker spends her free moment browsing the latest Ebola details.  Drama ensued as someone suggested they send techs from my department into the BioSafety Level 3 area to stain slides (which is ridiculous because the staining procedure isn't hard and there is no point in doubling the number of people potentially exposed).

I read the book the Hotzone a few years ago and it was pretty scary (I even blogged about it http://jillschuler.blogspot.com/2012/11/viruses-and-such.html).  I have been realizing just how terrifying the whole Ebola outbreak really is especially since I spend 40+ hours a week working in a specialty hospital.  A rational side of me goes "Jill, you wear gloves and other personal protective equipment and Ebola doesn't spread as quickly as some other diseases.  You've spent years working with Hepatitis and HIV cases.  This isn't that big of a deal".  Then the irrational side of me goes "The death rate is 25-90% with no cure...  AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

I know in the BIG picture I have nothing to fear (God has a plan afterall) but I do have stuff I do find genuinely scary.  In the spirit of Halloween I've crated my own total hierarchy of fears (not as good as Four but not bad...)...  Here is my unofficial list in no particular order.

1.  Ebola

2.  Cockroaches-

I'm fine with most bugs and spiders and crawly things but no...  I don't do cockroaches.  They haven't shown their faces recently but they have broken into my home since I moved to AZ.  I face my fear and let out the cry of a medieval warrior as I mash them with a shoe.  Still, I miss my bug catching net because I used to have a nice buffer zone....

3.  My sister's psycho ex-husband-

Yeah...  Won't go in to details there.  If I ever get custody of my nephews I will be getting a gun...  just FYI.

4.  Heights-

I die watching this video.  So...  I try to conquer this one.  I'm going hang gliding next weekend.  This doesn't change the fact that my body still has a strong self preservation reflex that makes me REALLY uncomfortable going to high places.

5.  Realizing my whole life has slipped away from me-  I hate the idea of looking back at my life and realizing I wasted it on a couch or dreaming of things but not making them happen.  This is irrational and unlikely since I have my bucket list, but yeah, I need to live for a long time and check at least a good portion of my bucketlist off...  preferably all of it.

To end on a lighter note, here is a delightful video of Tim Curry as the Worst Witch.  Because who doesn't appreciate a poorly made 80's film with ridiculously cheesy lyrics?