testing day overwith!

hi arizona! just wanted to give everyone an update. today was testing day! i am so done with being poked at!!! anyways, here was my morning: got up and ready, got my 4 year old ready and off to preschool. drove to st. lukes (that was a biggie all by itself coming from glendale) anyways, got to st. lukes and went up to dr. juarez's office to drop off my FMLA paperwork (thanks for anyone who answered my "paperwork idiot" message) came back down to the admitting area. went to the restroom. went to admitting desk and immediately was greeted and started on paperwork and then was asked to go and pee in the cup (i told her that i just "went" and she said that she just needed a drop or 2 and if i couldn't she would have to do a catheder (sp??)) so i politely obliged. anyways, i did that and brought my sample back up and finished being "entered into the computer" and then went with the blood lady to give my blood samples (those don't bother me at all) then back to the admitting nurse for a long "pep talk" and a lot of questions and "what to do's" i then was sent to the lung/pulmanory people. i am now STARVING and the lady at the "lung desk" is eating a candy bar and i really wanted to hit her and run away with her candy bar but i didn't. i was told to go sit in the waiting area. i did. for a while. finally a lady came to get me. i didn't like this lady from the moment i saw her (call it instinct if you will) anyways, immediately she took me into her little chamber of pain and told me that she was going to test my blood/oxygen something or another (again... i had a baby with no pain meds & i have NO problem with blood drawls i have a pretty good pain tolerance) THIS $%&*&^%&* HURT!! i gasped and whimpered and she poked and prodded at my wrist she missed my artery... and she dug around and i couldn't help it but tears just rolled out of my eyes uncontrollably.. and then she hit finally got what she was digging for and she said "THANK YOU JESUS!" and although i am an agnostic... i said the exact same thing in my head! she bandaged me up.....IT STILL HURT! and i was still crying! she mumbled some apologies.. but i am really good at holding grudges. anyways, then she fumbled around with a little video game like instrument for what seemed like an eternity and then she left the room to get reenforcements i think... and then came back in a few minutes later and had me breath into a little tube as many times as it took for me to get a bit light headed and dizzy and then had me practice with the spirometer and then she said "oh good you already had an EKG"..."so i am done with you. now you go to x-ray" i was very happy to leave her little chamber of pain. my wrist still hurts... and it has a big bruise with a good sized knot. and yes, again, i am good at holding grudges! so, then i went to x-ray and had a series of ultrasounds on my abdomen area. then changed into my unflattering hospital gown and waited...and read...and waited...and read..and waited...and poked my head out and the guy who i now know as "brad" told me that he was coming to get me right now. so he took me into the x-ray room and did some "pictures". and then helped me up on the table for some more x-ray/pictures/MRI? type thingys (i am a hairdresser...ask me anything about hair...but don't ask me about medical terms or paperwork!) and then i ate the crystals (and they DO NOT WANT YOU TO BURP PEOPLE....my new friend Brad told me DO NOT BURP like 15 times!!!) but you pretend you are doing a "shot" of the crystals and chase it with the barium stuff. (it takes like a tums type of drink...not too bad....just chalky and there is a LOT to drink) and then you lay there and you can literally feel your stomach expanding. he took some more "pictures" we will call them and then he went and brought in a doctor who sounded very much like Bela Lugosi in Dracula. and he had me sip more barium as they looked at my "pictures on the t.v." and he said that everything looked perfect and that i cold go. brad told me that the next time he sees me i will be on a magazine cover...i replied, "no not ON the magazine... i will be THE CENTERFOLD!" haha. nice guy. but there's my little story for whoever wants to know about the pre op testing stuff. i got there at about 9:15 and left at 5 minutes till 2. brandy

Wow...what a day you had!! I especially liked the comment about "centerfold". Good for you girl! Now, if I'm taken into the "little chamber of horrors"...I would politely ask for someone else to draw my blood. There is no reason for you to have had to endure that and have her mess up your veins/arteries like that! I too, can hold a grudge! Nope, give me someone that know's what she/he is doing. I'm glad you described in such details your day of testing. You are on your way! Keep us posted!

I can't believe how close together we are in this process!!! I had my testing day today at Good Sam! The order that they did stuff wasn't the same, but the same tests. The tech who did my ABG (blood gas) got it right away, but don't hold it against yours. These are often hard to get even for the most experienced. The arteries are deep and often move when the needle is poked in. I know that they really hurt when they can't be accessed right away, this artery sits right next to a big nerve. Trust me, I've seen hundreds of artery sticks (I'm and ICU nurse, remember) and what you experienced, though painful, was not unusual... Anyway, glad it's over and now we can move on to the next phase...surgery!!!!!!!!! Good luck Bonnie B

hi bonnie...so, now (the next day) i have a nice lump (it has gone down from a half ping pong ball to now a marble sized) and a rather big purple/red/blue bruise. do you think she stuck my nerve? it still HURTS! maybe if she had seemed a little more remorseful or apologetic i wouldn't hold it against her! grrrr. haha. that is kinda neat that we are so close in the process! we'll definately have to keep in touch and report back to each other. good luck to you too. brandy

Hi Brandy, soory to hear that you were poked like that! I had to have an IV put in yesterday...and the guy that did it started on my left arm... well he poked around in there and I about hit the roof...then he started on my left hand...yuk! I had to have a test on my gallblader...they put this stuff in you and then look at it with a machine...it took an hour and a half of me lieing on this very uncomfortable table. They filled up the gallblader to see if it is working properly...and then put in this stuff to make your gallblader empty. After my gallblader empties I get cramping sensations and get the trotts. Yuk!

I know how much that darn blood test can hurt. The first guy missed mine and had to have his supervisor come do it, so I had a bump and bruise on both wrists....... Sure hope I don't have to do that again. Best of luck to you and your upcoming surgery.