Thoughts from Her

I knew that the year 2013 was going to be the year that I took my health seriously.  No more putting off doctor’s and dentist’s appointments that I just couldn’t muster up the fortitude to attend. {Nevermind the fact that I would much rather clean the toilet than sit in a dentist’s chair.}  So in addition to all the healthy eating and workouts I’ve been doing, I made it a point to make a few medical appointments as well.

I’ll first start of by disclosing that I have never been to the doctor’s office for a regular physical before. Ever.  The only doctor that has seen me as an adult has been an OB/GYN.  I’ve always lived by my own rule that whenever I get sick, I take a Tylenol. Or some NyQuil. Or Pepto.  Whatever over-the-counter drug I can get my hands on that promises to fix my ailment.  Since I now find myself hurdling over the mid-thirties hump, I figured that one day I’m probably going to need a doctor.  Something that my gynecologist isn’t going to be able to fix.

Hence, the doctor’s visit.

I found a local doctor that I really liked.  I attended my first appointment and got a clean bill of health {so now if I get sick I’ll know who to call}.  At the end of the appointment, she scheduled me to come in after a 12-hour fast to get some routine blood work done.  You know, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.  Nothing major.

I get to the office at 8:00am on a Saturday – coffee mug in hand to drink the second it was over – and the place was completely empty. {Awesome! I hate waiting around.} A young girl looked to be the only one in the office and said she’d be right out.  A couple minutes later, I was sitting in the chair.

I should point out that getting blood drawn for any reason comes pretty close to torture for me.  I should count my lucky stars that I was never introduced to heroin because I’d be the worst addict.  If you took a look at my arms, there’s not a big, fat, juicy, blood-pumping vein in sight.  Thankfully, the girl told me that I wouldn’t have to do any of that.  Just a pinprick and I’d be outta there!  I started to think that this was the best doctor’s visit ever!

I should’ve known that, historically, luck has never been on my side.

The first, and then second round of blood taken from my fingers couldn’t be read on their machines.  {I later found out that by not ingesting anything, not even water, for the last 13+ hours dehydrated me, not allowing for an accurate reading.}  Eh, looks like she’ll need to fill a vial after all.

Right before she stuck the needle in my arm, I did tell her that nurses always have trouble finding a good vein.  She slapped the rubber band on my arm and said, “Nope. I’ve got one right here.”

Baffled, I looked away (because I can’t stand to see the needle) and she got what she needed.  Wasn’t too bad.  Was I dreading getting blood drawn all these years for nothing?  {I’ll add that the girl was pretty proud of herself for being able to get it done so quickly.  She’s only been doing this for a year, she tells me.}

I leave the office, feeling relieved that it was over, and head home.  Then, my arm starts to hurt, I start having difficulty moving it, and I notice a giant bump at the point of insertion.  This can’t be good.

Trust me when I say that I don’t know much about medicine, or even biology for that matter, but I’m pretty sure that my arm is not supposed to look like this:

Or this (closer-up, just in case you can’t tell how bad it was):

This was 3 days post-needle.  Again, I’m no professional, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t supposed to happen.  I definitely shouldn’t be left with a giant bruise after blood work.  Oh, and did I fail to mention that the girl was listening to rap music on her laptop while I was there?!  I was so pissed.

I’m not one to stir the pot and try to get anyone in trouble while on the job, but this was one case that I just couldn’t let slide.  I put a call in to the office manager real quick.  She actually thanked me numerous times for letting her know.  You can’t rectify a situation you know nothing about.

Moral of the story:  If you can drink water before a cholesterol screening, please do.  And if something fishy goes on while you’re there, you have to tell someone in charge.  I’m glad I did.

Tags: bad doctor visit , bruise after blood test , bruise after giving blood , dehydrated , doctor's visit done wrong