getting my labs done

So I got my labs drawn today and while it was no problem to get my PCP to order them for me, the rest of the process was ridiculously annoying.

I usually have the blood drawn at my PCPs office.  It always takes them a really long time to get ready to do it because there are so many tests, a number of which they hardly ever draw, so it takes forever for them to figure out what tube to use for which test and which ones have to be light protected and everything.  Finally someone came and told me they were  missing the tube they needed to draw blood to test my copper level.

So they printed out an order for all the tests and gave it to me to take over the hospital and get my labs drawn there.  I went out to my car and decided I should review the order just to make sure they didn't miss anything.  Good thing I looked because I saw they had ordered the wrong vitamin D test.  We need the vitamin D 25 hydroxy but they had put vitamin D 125 dihydroxy.

So I went back in a explained the problem to the receptionist.  She looked at the order and tried to tell me it did not say vitamin D 125 dihydroxy, but said vitamin D1 25 dihydroxy, and that it said what I wanted it to say.  She said it said vitamin D1, just like vitamin B1 and pointed to vitamin B1 on my order.  I said no, there is no vitamin D1.  There is B1, B2, B3, etc, but vitamin D is not like that.  After arguing with me for a while, she said she'd have the  MA come out and talk to me.

So after a long wait the MA comes out and I explain the problem.  She says well, this is the test my doctor wanted me to have.  I said no, it's not the test I need, it's a mistake.  After arguing for a few minutes, she sighs and says she can go ask the doc to order the 25 hydroxy in addition to everything else but that the doc still wanted me to have the D 125 dihydroxy.  

I said no, I don't think so, but regardless, I don't want that one because it does not give me any useful information.  And I knew it wasn't a matter of my doctor thinking I should have it, because she ordered what I asked for and I did not ask for that.  It was a mistake.

So finally the MA when and got the doc to correct iy.  Then I had to go to the hospital to get the blood drawn.  I left my house at 10:15 this morning and did not get home until 1:30 this afternoon.  That's how long that all took.

And guess what?  I have to go get one more lab drawn tomorrow,.  My psychiatrist wanted a nortryptiline level and I specifically asked if I had to do anything special before having it drawn and he said no.  But the lab, when I gave them the order, said it had to be at least 12 hours since my last dose and it had not been nearly that long.  Argh!

Bless your heart...what an ordeal!  Good thing you are on top of things and could get the correct labs straightened out.  Can you imagine how many of us (RNYers) are ignorant to which tests we need !  (Me included, but I'm learning!)

How frustrating, but thank goodness that you know exactly which tests you need so you could get it corrected!

Great idea to check the order. I didn't check mine and had to get extra labs done 2 weeks later... even my doc was surprised that they did not do that... But luckily for me - their lab is just by my doc office so I did not have to drive anywhere else. And once they had the results - they faxed them to me ASAP.