June 02, 2009

Glad that's over...

Funny story about the doctor last week:

So being that I am RhD-negative, which I understand is not all that common, I had to get an injection this week. Lets start this story by stating: I HATE NEEDLES. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to this visit, but I knew I needed to be a big girl and take one for the team.

I arrived at the office at 6:20 for a 6:30 appointment and figured I would play a little Bejewled on my phone to pass some time. Three VERY long games later I had to take a bathroom break. Surely, I would be called while in the restroom. Not so mush. Back to the waiting room I went. Boy, is that area named appropriately. My name was finally called at 7:15....yes 45 minutes AFTER my appointment time. Strike one. Strike two occurred at the exact same time, only I did not yet realize it.

You see the "nurse" that called me back was the same "nurse" that waited on us last time. Very sweet girl, soft spoken and full of smiles--Lets call her "Courtney". But, (yes there is always a but...) she was a little flaky. I really did not think much of it at our last appointment when she "miscalculated" how many weeks I was, after all the spinney-wheel-thing that gave the date of your last period and then the due date below it seemed a little confusing. Nor did I think too much of the fact that she had to come back to the room because she realized that she forgot to take my blood pressure...basic task, she must do it a hundred times a day, I could see how she might forget if she took MY blood pressure.

On to the current appointment...into the room I went. Courtney said hello and asked if I was there for and injection of Rhogam. I concurred and told her that I HATE needles so she could avoid letting me see it. Courtney asked if I had it with me (usually the doc. writes a prescription for it and I fill it, but my insurance would not cover it that way) and I told her the story. She left the room and returned with the box in had. Then she starts talking: "So, how often do you have to get this, once a month?"

WHAT?! Why are you asking me, don't you know? "I think just this once, then again after labor I think."

"Hummm, so where does this go? In your arm or in your tushie?"

Did she really just say "tushie" when referring to my hip? No.

"I'd rather put it in your arm, unless you want it in your tushie. Though, I'm not sure where you are supposed to put it."

Yup, she said tushie--twice. And, did she really just say that she is "not sure"????

At this point she pulls out the direction booklet and starts flipping through the pages, looking to see where to put it. "I'm sure you could put it in the arm...do you remember where they said it would go?"

SERIOUSLY!!?! DID YOU JUST PULL OUT THE DIRECTION BOOKLET???? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? At this point I am getting more than a little nervous, I am starting to freak out. "Um, they didn't say..."

"Well, maybe I will go as a nurse." Flip, flip, flip. "Hummm, I guess I am just wasting time with this." Flip, flip, flip. "It says here you put it in the muscle, but it doesn't say if it is supposed to be in the arm or tushie..."

Did you not study this in nursing school...wait a minute...you said you were going to go as a NURSE...what does that make you??!? I am starting to wonder if I should ask for someone else to do this.

"Well, I'll be back, guess I will go ask the nurse."

Maybe the nurse will be the one to come back, maybe the nurse will come, maybe the nurse will come...

In walks Courtney. "Well, she said to put it in your tushie, well really it is your hip."

Two points for Courtney--she knows where it goes and what it is really called. Surly, the worst is over. Up I stand and lower my pants a bit.

Meanwhile, Courtney is prepping the needle. "Oh, gee. I hate this, all this air is in it and I will have to push out some of the liquid because the air is what really hurts. See all that air."

And with that, she puts the syringe up to my face for me to see all the air that is going to hurt me if she does not let it out!! Thanks Courtney--I HATE needles REMEMBER?!?! I turn my head as fast as I can to avoid seeing it--Strike three.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot!" and she hugs me and offers me a back rub to make up for it.

Not going to happen. Get it over with lady. "No worries." With that she pokes me and I wonder if I should have let her or if I should have asked for someone else as soon as she called my name. Next time, I'm asking for someone different...

2 comments:

marisa said...

shouldn't nurses give shots, and if she isn't a nurse, what is she??

Kristi said...

Pretty sure the second she said she didn't know where it went I would have demanded someone else...yikes!