I'm just saying. Not a good idea. Last time I showed up to the Medical Center ill, I received a police escort out of Harris County. I had taken Jessie to see a Pediatric Ob/Gyn and sometime during our visit, the elevators malfunctioned and hoofing it was the only way down from the 15th floor. Jessie does not like to take stairs, is very awkward at it and the swift flowing crowd of people surrounding us was not helping. I basically lifted / dragged her down all 15 flights. At the bottom, I left the building and promptly passed out. This does not go down so well surrounded by nurses and doctors - thus the police escort - to make sure I could drive ... but since they had let me get behind the wheel of a suburban, I'm thinking this was a formality.
So my MRI yesterday was to be taken 'downstairs' where I get my labs drawn up - a mini hospital labeled an Emergency Room. I was feeling like I had the flu - but then, I very often feel like I have the flu (that CFIDS stuff) and they took me to a back room. It looked like an ER. The doctor starts in on the questions and it comes out I am not feeling so hot. Then I start getting nauseated - never good. I mention this and he says they are going to draw my labs first. Whatever.
The nurse comes back in and tells me that she has a personal motto - only prick a patient 3 times then get the phlebotomist. I tell her I am a 'hard stick' (hard to find my veins) and maybe we could forgo the motto and head straight to the guy who does this in his sleep. She smiles sweetly (almost, but not quite clucking her tongue and shaking her head) - says it will be fine.
"There will be a little prick" she says ... then "darn" and then the probing begins. I can handle the stick - it is the probing that I really don't enjoy. "Well, that didn't go well, now did it?" she says. I look down at the crook of my arm and it is bleeding - this, I think is a first.
I say: "I see you have a butterfly needle, most can get a spot on the top of my hand with that" as she is putting the really tight rubber tourniquet on my other arm. "Well, this will work, no problem, I will be able to find it. Again - there will be a small prick ... hmmmmm". More probing, more bleeding.
She looks at the back of my hand and exclaims "Oh, well I should have listened to you, these veins are great - we should have started here". Tourniquet on my wrist now, cleaning the top of my hand with an alcohol swab. "Um, they normally don't go for that vein ..." I am quickly trying to explain as she wields her long needle ... "There will be a bit more of a stick this time" she is saying as I quickly get out: "It rolls" ... "Well, now it rolled" she exclaimed as she starts probing a third time.
By now the nausea is pretty intense and I am not feeling so hot. When I need to barf - I cannot talk - it makes me puke. Thinking this is not the sharpest needle in the room, though, I begin to tell the nurse that I need something to vomit into.
"Well, I don't think we have anything here ..." she says. IT'S AN EMERGENCY ROOM!! Where are all those cute kidney shaped bowls that totally don't work with projectile vomiting? "A bag" I get out. "Hmmmmm" she says.
I walk over to the sink and throw up. "You just threw up in the sink!" she exclaims. So many things to say, but I just said "Sorry".
Got the blood drawn, three shots in my butt, 2 prescriptions and rescheduled the MRI for next Tuesday.
I can't wait ...
So my MRI yesterday was to be taken 'downstairs' where I get my labs drawn up - a mini hospital labeled an Emergency Room. I was feeling like I had the flu - but then, I very often feel like I have the flu (that CFIDS stuff) and they took me to a back room. It looked like an ER. The doctor starts in on the questions and it comes out I am not feeling so hot. Then I start getting nauseated - never good. I mention this and he says they are going to draw my labs first. Whatever.
The nurse comes back in and tells me that she has a personal motto - only prick a patient 3 times then get the phlebotomist. I tell her I am a 'hard stick' (hard to find my veins) and maybe we could forgo the motto and head straight to the guy who does this in his sleep. She smiles sweetly (almost, but not quite clucking her tongue and shaking her head) - says it will be fine.
"There will be a little prick" she says ... then "darn" and then the probing begins. I can handle the stick - it is the probing that I really don't enjoy. "Well, that didn't go well, now did it?" she says. I look down at the crook of my arm and it is bleeding - this, I think is a first.
I say: "I see you have a butterfly needle, most can get a spot on the top of my hand with that" as she is putting the really tight rubber tourniquet on my other arm. "Well, this will work, no problem, I will be able to find it. Again - there will be a small prick ... hmmmmm". More probing, more bleeding.
She looks at the back of my hand and exclaims "Oh, well I should have listened to you, these veins are great - we should have started here". Tourniquet on my wrist now, cleaning the top of my hand with an alcohol swab. "Um, they normally don't go for that vein ..." I am quickly trying to explain as she wields her long needle ... "There will be a bit more of a stick this time" she is saying as I quickly get out: "It rolls" ... "Well, now it rolled" she exclaimed as she starts probing a third time.
By now the nausea is pretty intense and I am not feeling so hot. When I need to barf - I cannot talk - it makes me puke. Thinking this is not the sharpest needle in the room, though, I begin to tell the nurse that I need something to vomit into.
"Well, I don't think we have anything here ..." she says. IT'S AN EMERGENCY ROOM!! Where are all those cute kidney shaped bowls that totally don't work with projectile vomiting? "A bag" I get out. "Hmmmmm" she says.
I walk over to the sink and throw up. "You just threw up in the sink!" she exclaims. So many things to say, but I just said "Sorry".
Got the blood drawn, three shots in my butt, 2 prescriptions and rescheduled the MRI for next Tuesday.
I can't wait ...
3 comments:
WHAT?!? That is completely unacceptable!! What a miserable experience. I'm sorry you had to deal with that Lori. The medical world never ceases to amaze me and rarely in a good way.
Have blood drawn STINKS! I also have difficult veins to find, and have had the "probing". NOT FUN!
I'm sorry you had such a horrible time, but I think throwing up in their sink was a little payback!
Feel better soon. Let me know if you need anything.
Sarah always has the perfect words--to borrow hers, I will add...This is RIDICULOUS.
I'm impressed you made it to the sink.
And since it's been a week...I hope you fared better at your MRI.
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