Saturday, February 23, 2013

OMG girl strikes again.

Sorry for getting behind again; it's been an unexpected kind of week. I'll try to catch up a bit soon.

Does anyone remember this girl from my glucose test? If not, take a second and refresh your memory on how my glucose test ended up being a little more involved and far less professionally-handled than anticipated.

I'll wait.

Remember her now? Good. Fast forward to Wednesday of this week. I had a doctor's appointment/weekly check up. My doctor wanted to run a few tests (nobody panic...things are under observation and I'm being taken good care of) and sent me down to the lab. I was going down to have blood taken and be given supplies to take home for a 24-hour urine collection (I realize that's not very glamorous or ladylike, but it's necessary to the story. I really don't try to overshare the medical stuff).

I gave the phlebotomist my orders, and she took my blood without incident (that I know of...), had me sign the paperwork, and told me I could go. Here's the conversation that ensued*:

Me: Oh, my doctor also mentioned I would need supplies for a 24-hour urine collection.

OMGGirl: (blank stare) Uh...well, I have four different kinds of jugs for that. Which one do you need?

Me: (thinking: I don't know! Isn't that what they pay you for?) Um, I'm not sure. She wants to check for protein.

OMGGirl: (picks up a couple different kinds of the collection jugs and holds them out to me) Well, we have this one that has thus-in-so in it and this one that has such-and-such chemical in it and this other one with this-other-substance and this one that's plain. Which one do you want?

Me: (thinking: um, I don't particularly WANT any of them, and I definitely don't KNOW which I need. Seriously...that's YOUR job!) I have no idea. Is it not on my orders? 

OMGGirl: Um, no. Do you think your doctor will put it in the computer?

Me: I don't know...

OMGGirl: Hmm...(mutters to herself, weighing different jugs in her hands)...I'll just give you this one. 

*If I hadn't been rather shaken by the information my doctor had just given me and if my mom hadn't been on the phone with my dad, explaining the situation, one of us would have said, "Why don't you call my doctor or check with a lab supervisor about the proper container?" Unfortunately, I was sort of shocked and wasn't thinking as clearly as hindsight later allowed. 

Later that night, Brad and I ended up in Labor and Delivery to have a few additional tests done, and before sending me home, the nurse asked me if I'd been given the proper equipment for my urine test. I told her my story about the lab experience. She rolled her eyes, made a few choice comments about people who don't know what they're doing, and gave me the proper equipment, including a hat, which had not been given to me previously. Not sure how OMGGirl was planning on my accuracy of collection without the hat...I had no idea I was supposed to have one.

Here's hoping any future lab visits are on her day off.

1 comment:

Karen Tidwell said...

All I could think of was: ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I do believe I would call ahead to the lab if there is a next time. I do appreciate you writing about your experiences, both good and bad. I'm looking forward with great excitement to the one called: She's here!
Love,
Karen Tidwell

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