Druggie

     Sunday was our last regular season volleyball match. We played Katrineholms, which is the 2^nd place team in the league. We lost in three, 11-25, 23-25, 15-25. We did not play well in the first, but we really stepped it up in the second set. I think we played the best in that set that we have since January. It was good to see that we do have the ability to play with a really great team. We still just need to learn how to sustain that level of play for a longer amount of time.

     After the match, a lady came up to our coach and all I heard was “blah blah blah Johannah Bangert blah blah blah.” Our coach then informed me that this lady had picked me to be drug tested, along with my teammate, Sofie (she had no problem and peed right away!). Apparently, there is something about me that just screams DRUGGIE!!! This happened at Illinois too. Every single time people were picked to be drug tested, I was always picked. I was drug tested by the University of Illinois. I was drug tested by the Big Ten. I was drug tested by the NCAA. And now, I was drug tested by the Swedish Sports Confederation. Back in the states, a computer randomized who got picked. Here, the people doing the test picked which two girls they wanted to test. I still don’t understand what it is about me that makes computers and people think I do drugs?!

     This might be too much information so I am sorry, but I have a very small bladder. If you have spent any time with me, you would know that I have to pee all the time. This is not the case when I am drug tested. The first time I was tested, it took me over 2 ½ hours to be able to pee. Once I finally peed for the test, I honestly peed every 5 minutes for an hour because I had drank so much water and Gatorade to be able to pee for the test.

     I told the lady that I was not ready to pee yet and asked if I could shower first. She said that would be fine, and then told me that she would have to come with me! Yes, she had to come and watch me shower! In America, I would find out one afternoon that I was going to be drug tested and then the test would be the next morning. Here, they told you right on the spot and you are not allowed to be out of their sight until you take the test. I drank 2 big water bottles, a bottle of Powerade, and I ate a juicy apple. After an hour and a half, I finally felt like I really needed to pee. It was to the point where my bladder was really starting to hurt because it was so full! But when I sat down, I still couldn’t go. It was a very small bathroom, and I felt like the lady was standing on top of me.

     She said that we could go and walk around some because that helps sometimes. We walked out to where my team was all waiting for me. I ate a few french fries, but I was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t eat. I had to pee so bad! After lots of encouragement from my teammates, I went to try again. She said that we could go to a different bathroom too if there was a bigger one somewhere. We found a handicap bathroom and… I finally peed!!!!! The drug tester lady and I walked out of the bathroom triumphantly, and my whole team started cheering and clapping. I felt victorious. After filling out a little more paper work and properly packaging my sample, I was free to leave. It took my just under 2 hours! Before I could even get on the bus, I had to pee again! I was very worried because our bus had no bathroom. I am very proud to say though that I made it an hour and a half before I had to pee again! It was also the only time that I forced our bus to stop on the three and a half hour drive.

     In school, I always viewed myself as a good test taker. When it comes to drug tests, it is a totally different story!