Just had a doctor appt

So I just had a doctor appt to get my cough checked out. I just realized that I hate being at a doctor's office! The girl before me looked like death. I had to ask the nurse if she had anything contagious because I was afraid to sit in the same room that she was just in. She wasn't contagious. Thank goodness! Then I had to get blood drawn. The woman had the worst technique ever! Didn't wash her hands, touched everything w her bare hands, THEN put on gloves, put gauze on my vein that she had touched with her bare hands. I started to say something then stopped. Ugh, now I'm freaking out that she just inoculated me w whatever was on her hands. I should have just toughed it out and not gone in.

MG,

You're not crazy...I can totally relate!

The nurse/tech likely washed her hands before coming in to do your draw....but it is good protocol to do so in front of the patient!

I am sure that you will be fine...and are better off going in than not getting seen...to be on the safe side.:)

I hope that you get the help that you need to feel better soon! Did you present with signs of bronchitis, or other secondary infection? If not, then you will probably not need abx...

Let us know how you feel soon, okay?

S.C.

Feel better soon Miss.

Now I'm getting worried that they might find something else wrong with me on my blood test. Ugh!!!! I hate worrying about this stuff!

To make sure* what the hell. Teach me to type on my phone while I'm holding a baby.

I agree with S.C. that it's generally considered proper protocol to wash hands in front of the patient both before and after. To put on gloves. Even to use the gel pumps.

Now, just so you don't get too freaked out, there are also things to keep in mind. The gloves they use are not sterile. (Those are reserved for surgery). They're disposable, and used just for you, but....a lot of stuff is done without contact with risk factors.

What I tend to keep an eye on is even after they put gloves on,...what are they touching? If they're touching things like lamps, tables, etc., then returning to touch me? That's wiggy.

If you feel uncomfortable or that you were compromised, I'd definitely encourage you to discuss this with her supervisor. It's hard to tell if this may be her being inappropriate, or if it's part of our reaction. When I'd get blood drawn, that tube of gauze squares gets touched by every tech, they're taken out in bunches, handled with fingers as well as gloves....

A lot of what they do don't technically require gloves because it doesn't compromise your body.

But in the big picture, as S.C. mentioned, the biggest thing to address is if you do not feel safe, then to say something.....It's better to ask and find out information than to wonder.

Finally, I've lived with episodes of bronchitis and bouts of pneumonia (and other lung problems) since I was a child, so I can sympathize with you....





M.

Thinking of you MG! Just try to think in the bright side. The sooner your test results come back, the sooner you can put this behind you!

Gigi,

I took your advice I'm in the waiting room at the lab waiting to get my blood drawn. I'm freaking out. But I guess I gotta get it over with. AHHHH

It's not the going in part that freaks me out. It's the waiting for the results and then it saying my platelets are even higher that gets me. Please be back to normal.

Yes I had a csection July 28. I left the hospital midly anemic. So I went from being too low to being high. Hopefully they were just trying to even themselves out. Ugh.

My last blood test was aug 15. I still felt like crap so she wanted to check everything. She said of nothing to worry about but I'm sending you to hematology. I'm like great! They said retest in 1-2 months. I was putting it off. I should find out tomorrow. Kaiser emails me when my results are in. I'm impatiently waiting.