If you read my long rant post ten days ago "How I wasted a perfectly good Tuesday morning..." , it is time for an update! This time it won't be a rant, but it does leave me a bit uneasy...
So, to go back to my story, the following day I arrived at the clinic to get my blood drawn between 2 and 3 pm. The technician lets me sit down in the chair, and then gives me a funny look. Not again, I think..This is a different technician than the day before, so she doesn't know my story. She does tell me that she is sorry but is not able to complete the whole test requested. The first part she can do and have it delivered, but the second blood test requires freezing and she doesn't have a freezer. My jaw just drops. She continues to explain that I need to go to to the city and get my blood work done at the lab there. WHAT??
I didn't know what to say, so I think I might have been just starring at her for a few awkward moments, because she started repeating the instructions and giving me the address of the lab. I asked her if she had a minute so she could hear my story. She did, so I went on! She felt really sorry for me by the end, and called the lab to find out when the best time would be for me to come in, without having to wait too long. Now was the perfect time. Great, I drove over to the lab, found it, and got the blood work taken all within about five minutes. I was so glad to have this done and over with, I forgot to feel dizzy!!
The three days it took for my blood work to get properly done (can't those lab people/nurses just read the whole requisition and advise their patient properly the fist time..grrr) and this past week waiting for the results have been stressful to say the least.
Yesterday, I was scheduled to see my doctor for the rest of my yearly physical, I am a huge wimp when it comes to that, but I thought at least I might find out the results of this blood test. Our family doctor is new to us, but I like her already, she is just an easy to talk to type of person. Anyway, she comes in and starts prepping her stuff for the physical and I ask her if she received results from the second blood test. She looks at her paperwork and says ...
"ah yes! you know I think there is something wrong with this."
Oh great I think..what is wrong??
"you know" she keeps going "I really think they made a mistake on your first test, from the clinic. Your platelets were very low, around 30 (I think she said), which would mean that me poking my finger on your arm would basically cause you to bruise, and which is why I sent you for further tests, because that is way too low. But the second test, at the lab, shows your platelets around 170, which is perfect. There can't be such a difference in the levels between only a couple of days"
I asked her which test she thinks is the right one, and she didn't even hesitate to say the second one.
I have perfect platelets. It was a medical error. Don't get me wrong, I am relieved there is nothing wrong with me, but it doesn't make me very confident in the medical world..which I never was to start with...(but that's another story).
Showing posts with label medical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical. Show all posts
Friday, 15 May 2009
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
How I wasted a perfectly good Tuesday morning..
Warning: this post is completely for the sole purpose of me ranting. If you would like to continue reading, thank you, if not, then don't worry! I don't usually do this on my blog, but this time I just felt I had to.
So here we go...
Last week, after my yearly check-up appointment with the doctor, I went to the lab to do some routine blood work. Getting blood taken isn't any body's favourite thing to do I am sure, but on top of it, I am told I have very tiny veins, and it required 2 nurses to poke me to get blood out of me. I didn't faint this time, so all was somewhat good.
On Friday, my doctor called and informed me that my platelets count was low and that she needed to run some more blood tests to find out why. She asked me to please get the blood work done on Monday, and to be careful over the weekend "no roller blading or anything crazy" she said....huh?? ok...
I have always been a healthy, no medical problems type person, so I had no clue what this meant. A quick search on the internet didn't really help, and of course I wasn't looking forward to another round of poking!
Monday came and I made my way to the same clinic to get the blood work done. When I arrived, I handed in my health card, and explained the reason of my visit, I was told that "sorry, the technician called in sick today, you need to come back tomorrow". Fine.
Tuesday morning (today), back again to the clinic. I arrived around 9:30 and handed in my health card, explaining why I was here, that the doctor had requested me to come in, but that I didn't have paperwork from her. I had called earlier to make sure the lab technician was in. I waited for about 1 hour and half before they called my name. The receptionist tells me she noticed I didn't have a requisition form. I explained to her that I had already mentioned that when I first gave my card, an hour and half earlier. She tells me that there is nothing they can do without a form. I asked if they could please give me my doctor's phone number or call and ask to have the form faxed. At this point, she wasn't too impressed with me, but told me to sit down and wait to see what she could do. Another ten minutes later, she informs me that she called the office but that they didn't have a form.
I leave the clinic and decide to call the doctor myself. Of course I forgot to take our cell phone and I don't carry cash either! I have to go the store, buy a drink, get some cash back, and call at the payphone. The doctor's secretary tells me that she has the form now, but isn't sure exactly where to send it to, which fax the clinic would be using, blah blah blah ... she says it would be easier to just come to the office. To make things simple, I tell her I am on my way. There is a lab in the same building as the office, so off I go.
The medical building where my doctor is has a paying parking lot. I have about 3 dollars change left with me. I know that the first hour of parking is 2 dollars, every 15 minutes after that costs 25 cents. I make my way to the doctor's office and have to wait for my turn about 20 minutes to speak to the secretary. I know, sounds weird, but that's how they work. She hands me the requisition form. I ask where the lab is and she tells me it is at the walk in clinic downstairs. I am actually happy and thinking that this is almost over!!
I have to take a number at the clinic and wait to just give my health card and explain why I am here. Another 15 minutes goes by. When it is my turn, I am told that the lab is across the pharmacy. Fine, I make my way there, take another number and wait. There is at least 10 people before me. I wait another 15 minutes and realize that I probably won't have enough cash to pay for parking if I sit here until my turn. So I leave, and decide to make my way back to the first clinic.
Another twenty minutes later, I am back at the original clinic, proudly giving my piece of paper to the receptionist. I wait another 30 minutes or so, and finally I am called in. I honestly felt happy going in the little room to get my blood taken! The girl looks at me with one of those funny looks and starts talking..."I am so sorry, I can't do all this blood work on you right now. You can choose to do part of it now, but the other part you will need to come back. The one blood test requires to be sent right away to the lab, within the hour and my driver is already gone. He won't come back until 3 today....You can come back tomorrow between 10 and 11 am, or in the afternoon around 2:30". My face just drops! I can't make it later in the afternoon, even though it's close to 1pm by then, because my husband has to work and needs the car. She looks at my chart and notices the 9:35 am, and asks me if I have been waiting all this time. I tell her my sad story and she feels even worse...
So there is my wasted Tuesday morning..............GRRRRRR !
Guess what I am doing tomorrow morning?
So here we go...
Last week, after my yearly check-up appointment with the doctor, I went to the lab to do some routine blood work. Getting blood taken isn't any body's favourite thing to do I am sure, but on top of it, I am told I have very tiny veins, and it required 2 nurses to poke me to get blood out of me. I didn't faint this time, so all was somewhat good.
On Friday, my doctor called and informed me that my platelets count was low and that she needed to run some more blood tests to find out why. She asked me to please get the blood work done on Monday, and to be careful over the weekend "no roller blading or anything crazy" she said....huh?? ok...
I have always been a healthy, no medical problems type person, so I had no clue what this meant. A quick search on the internet didn't really help, and of course I wasn't looking forward to another round of poking!
Monday came and I made my way to the same clinic to get the blood work done. When I arrived, I handed in my health card, and explained the reason of my visit, I was told that "sorry, the technician called in sick today, you need to come back tomorrow". Fine.
Tuesday morning (today), back again to the clinic. I arrived around 9:30 and handed in my health card, explaining why I was here, that the doctor had requested me to come in, but that I didn't have paperwork from her. I had called earlier to make sure the lab technician was in. I waited for about 1 hour and half before they called my name. The receptionist tells me she noticed I didn't have a requisition form. I explained to her that I had already mentioned that when I first gave my card, an hour and half earlier. She tells me that there is nothing they can do without a form. I asked if they could please give me my doctor's phone number or call and ask to have the form faxed. At this point, she wasn't too impressed with me, but told me to sit down and wait to see what she could do. Another ten minutes later, she informs me that she called the office but that they didn't have a form.
I leave the clinic and decide to call the doctor myself. Of course I forgot to take our cell phone and I don't carry cash either! I have to go the store, buy a drink, get some cash back, and call at the payphone. The doctor's secretary tells me that she has the form now, but isn't sure exactly where to send it to, which fax the clinic would be using, blah blah blah ... she says it would be easier to just come to the office. To make things simple, I tell her I am on my way. There is a lab in the same building as the office, so off I go.
The medical building where my doctor is has a paying parking lot. I have about 3 dollars change left with me. I know that the first hour of parking is 2 dollars, every 15 minutes after that costs 25 cents. I make my way to the doctor's office and have to wait for my turn about 20 minutes to speak to the secretary. I know, sounds weird, but that's how they work. She hands me the requisition form. I ask where the lab is and she tells me it is at the walk in clinic downstairs. I am actually happy and thinking that this is almost over!!
I have to take a number at the clinic and wait to just give my health card and explain why I am here. Another 15 minutes goes by. When it is my turn, I am told that the lab is across the pharmacy. Fine, I make my way there, take another number and wait. There is at least 10 people before me. I wait another 15 minutes and realize that I probably won't have enough cash to pay for parking if I sit here until my turn. So I leave, and decide to make my way back to the first clinic.
Another twenty minutes later, I am back at the original clinic, proudly giving my piece of paper to the receptionist. I wait another 30 minutes or so, and finally I am called in. I honestly felt happy going in the little room to get my blood taken! The girl looks at me with one of those funny looks and starts talking..."I am so sorry, I can't do all this blood work on you right now. You can choose to do part of it now, but the other part you will need to come back. The one blood test requires to be sent right away to the lab, within the hour and my driver is already gone. He won't come back until 3 today....You can come back tomorrow between 10 and 11 am, or in the afternoon around 2:30". My face just drops! I can't make it later in the afternoon, even though it's close to 1pm by then, because my husband has to work and needs the car. She looks at my chart and notices the 9:35 am, and asks me if I have been waiting all this time. I tell her my sad story and she feels even worse...
So there is my wasted Tuesday morning..............GRRRRRR !
Guess what I am doing tomorrow morning?
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