I never knew how ignorant people were about bed bugs or the stigma surrounding these insects until I visited my physician to get some prescription cream to ward off the bed bugs. The minute I tell the doctor that I got bed bugs from a friend's home, she rushes out of the examining room...for 20 minutes.
When the doctor returns she is wearing like some kind of biohazard suit, her face hidden behind a clear plastic veil and her body covered in the jumpsuit from head to toe. She then continues to ask me questions about the infestation and writes me a prescription in her little outfit. I found her little costume change to be overdramatic, insulting and a real exhibition of her personal ignorance. I'm not radioactive, and I'm not a leper. The only way she could've gotten bed bugs from me is if she comes to my home. And this is a person with a medical degree.
It was then that I realized how ignorant people could be of bed bugs. I also decided right there and then that I would mention my problem to as few people as possible. I don't want people pre-judging me because of bed bugs in my room. As a result, I am often reluctant to tell people that I have bed bugs. That is also why this blog can really help people who have bed bugs but are too embarassed to look for support in the offline world. This blog really facilitates anonymity, and I hope people use it.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Stigma
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2 comments:
I'm frickin famous for gods sake! And I discovered bed bugs this morning after they "attacked" me about an hour before dawn. I think I got them from the old lady who lives in the condo next to me. I had seen one of the creepy crawlers crawling around in my drain, but thought nothing of it. Boy was I wrong! 2 months later I am living in a nightmare. And I do not live in the "ghetto" as some people would think. I live in high rise building in Miami Beach that I paid over a million dollars for. I'm throwing out my old damn mattress and getting a new one. Effing Bed bugs!! aghhhhhhhhhhhh!
Ummmm..."The only way she could've gotten bed bugs from me is if she comes to my home." Uh no. If you had a bug on you, then you brought that bug to the doctor's office. That is how is spreads. You know that. Don't overreact because you feel the precautious doctor didn't want to bring home a bug on her clothing to her family.
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