Taking blood and Tim Horton's

[cindybubbles]

I was waiting for my time to them to take my blood. Now my blood test was a fasting test for things like cholesterol and the like, so I had to stop eating after dinner the night before and not eat breakfast until I got home. I took a number and sat down, waiting for the call when I saw this.

A woman came into the waiting area with a Tim Horton's beverage (I think coffee) and some food (I think bagel). She handed her test form to the receptionist, and that's when things went downhill for her.

See, she also had a fasting test, which meant that she should not have eaten before the test. The receptionist took one look at her food and told her that she wasn't supposed to eat it before the test. The woman raised HOLY HELL! She said that (and I'm paraphrasing as I can't remember), she took time off work (?) to get the test and drove a long way, she wasn't told that it was a fasting test, etc.

She was definitely angry, but I was left wondering, who was at fault here? The woman for not looking at her form and then yelling at the poor receptionist, or the people who she said did not tell her about the test? I'm thinking, they should have told her, but she also could have asked them if they didn't tell her.

Your thoughts?

[Flyndaran]

Yelling is never a good thing unless it's, "Watch out! That truck is coming right at you!"
Also, it should be habit to ask if any test has unusual requirements.
My surgery required that I use an OTC enema the night before, and fast.
Also, we don't know if she wasn't told, forgot, or considers reality something to bend to her preferences.
Either way, the receptionist was innocent.

[MaggieTheCat]

I was once scheduled for a test (not a blood test) that required I fast beforehand. When I made the appointment, I asked the person who was setting it up for me if I had to fast or do anything else to prep for it. She said not to eat solid food after midnight the night before (the test as at 8am so no problem) and that water was still fine. She said that was it. She did not give me any kind of information form or hand-out, saying it would be mailed to me and I'd get it before the test.

The day before the test, I realized I had not received the forms so I called the office and asked if they could fax or email it to me. I was told I would have to come pick the forms up personally (an inconvenience since the office was only open until 6pm, my husband and I only have 1 vehicle which he uses to get to work, and he normally works until 5:30 or later so he ended up leaving work early so we could get there before the office closed.) When I got there, the receptionist had no idea what I was talking about. They did not have me scheduled for the test the next day or at any other time, and even if they did, I needed to fast for 24 hours, not just the night before. Since I hadn't fasted the whole day, even if they could fit me in they couldn't do the test.

So...it is entirely possible that the clinic screwed right up and did not give this woman the info she needed. I agree it does not warrant her yelling at the receptionist. When I had to deal with this, I was angry but did not yell at her (I did raise my voice and had some stern words to say to the department supervisor, though.)

[Catwoman2965]

I think it behooves the patient to find out what they need to do before any test. Sure, it would be nice if the dr. or office scheduling them tells them, but ultimately, its your responsiblity. I know in the past I've tried to schedule bloodwork and have been told if i want later in the day, you have to fast, so that might not be a good idea

[Dadeo]

The patient can't be responsible for "finding out" what's required for a test. It's protocol to inform the patient of any requirements integral to the test, such as fasting. For most medical staff it's a matter of rote, they just rattle it off without even thinking about it. It will also be on any paperwork associated with the test. People, being people, just tune it out and/or not bother to read.

[Moirae]

The woman is just an idiot. Its her own fault.

[Cia]

Fast for 24 hours? Sorry but I start dry heaving if I don't eat after 12 hours.

[Sapphire Silk]

The patient is an SC. Even if she wasn't informed (and she probably was), that is no excuse to yell at a receptionist who has nothing to do with handing out instructions.

[Miss Maple Leaf]

Your thoughts?

My thoughts are that I find it weird that the SC didn't automatically assume that she had to fast for at least 8 hours. I always thought that a fast was a normal part of getting blood work done.

I know that every time I've ever had to get blood drawn I've had to fast for at least 8 hours, so I thought it was just standard procedure. My doctor never even tells me that I have to fast, he just fills out the blood work sheet and gives it to me.

I find it strange that the woman apparently didn't even look at her sheet to see what was being tested for. I always look as soon as I'm home, just out of curiosity, which is how I know I have to fast.
At least one of the things on the sheet that are check-marked will have an asterisk next to it, and on the top of the page the words "8-hour fast" next to an asterisk.

One time though, I had to fast for 12 hours instead of 8, and my doctor didn't mention that. I'm glad that I read the sheet and saw the double asterisks that indicated the 12-hour fast. Otherwise, the test results would've been screwed up.

I'm not blaming my doctor for not mentioning the longer fast. I'm sure he knew that I would read the sheet over and see that I had to do the longer fast, since I always read over the sheets in the past.

With this woman though, total suck on her part. Even if her doctor didn't mention that she had to fast and she didn't look at her sheet and see that she had to fast, she had no business taking it out on the poor receptionist, like Sapphire Silk said.
What would she have preferred the receptionist do? Keep quiet, let her get the blood drawn, and have the results come back wrong?

[MistressOfTangents]

[QUOTE=Miss Maple Leaf;1098411]My thoughts are that I find it weird that the SC didn't automatically assume that she had to fast for at least 8 hours. I always thought that a fast was a normal part of getting blood work done.

Odd, I would never have thought to fast at all prior to having a blood test and I have to have them regularly, (every 3-4 months) to check on my medication levels. It's just never been mentioned to me as something I need to do.

As far as yelling at the receptionist goes though, I think that was unreasonable.

[Seshat]

My thoughts are that I find it weird that the SC didn't automatically assume that she had to fast for at least 8 hours. I always thought that a fast was a normal part of getting blood work done.

My guess is that you (like me) have a condition that needs to be monitored, that requires something like a blood glucose test. (I'm insulin resistant, so they want to track just how resistant I am, or something.)

People without such conditions don't have fasts as a standard part of blood draws.

[Miss Maple Leaf]

My guess is that you (like me) have a condition that needs to be monitored, that requires something like a blood glucose test. (I'm insulin resistant, so they want to track just how resistant I am, or something.)

People without such conditions don't have fasts as a standard part of blood draws.

Actually, since you mention it, my doctor does always put the check mark to have a glucose test done. I don't have any glucose or insulin-related conditions myself, but diabetes does run in my father's family, so that must be why he does it.

I never thought of it that way before. Any time I had to get blood work done glucose was always tested for, ever since I was a kid. I guess that seeing that check mark and having to do the fast every time I needed blood done just seemed normal to me and I never thought to question it. I just assumed it was a standard thing that was tested for, along with any other specific thing that the doctor might have been trying to find. Now I know.

Thanks for the info Seshat.

[Seshat]

You're quite welcome.

And if they track your blood glucose, they can catch diabetes while you can correct it with simple lifestyle changes; rather than only once its way advanced.

In fact, you can probably come close to preventing it with lifestyle changes: check with your doctor, tell him you want to know what's involved.

Note that it's not possible to completely prevent it: A's father is as exercise-nut and healthy-eating nut as any doctor could want, and still ended up diabetic. But early tracking still has meant minimal problems.

That said, I'm keeping my blood glucose happy without being extreme, diet-wise. Just making sure I have some veggies and meat and rice (basmati) with my massaman thai sauce.

[AccountingDrone]

You're quite welcome.

And if they track your blood glucose, they can catch diabetes while you can correct it with simple lifestyle changes; rather than only once its way advanced.

I kept mine at bay for about 20 years with stringent diet control, I only started needing metformon about 12 years ago, and insulin about 5 years ago. [started with gestational back in 1981]

And no retinopathies or neuropathies yet!

[but then again I examine my feet twice a day, and am careful with testing, medication, diets and doctors visits.]

[cindybubbles]

I had to fast because they were testing my cholesterol. I don't know why the SC had to fast, but there had to be a good reason.

She could have eaten at the Tim Horton's and no one would have noticed, but no. She had to bring her food over to the waiting area, I'm assuming, because she had no time to eat.