Sunday, August 19

The CAT Scan

Last Thursday I stopped by the imaging center to pick up 2 "favorable drinks" that I needed to drink before my CAT scan on Friday. I put them in the refrigerator hoping they would go down better cold. Actually, they tasted better than I anticipated. On Friday, I arrived precisely on time. I certainly didn't want to sit around the waiting room speculating what they would be doing to me. Only after a few minutes my name was called. A receptionist took back into another room asked me to undress and put on the wonderful hospital gown and pants and to have a seat in another waiting room. There I had to fill out more paperwork. This was to authorize the center to inject me with dye. WHAT????? A NEEDLE??? I thought a CAT scan was just x-rays. My particular orders called for the dye to be injected so there would be better contrast. It was only a few minutes until my name was called again. This time a nurse took me into a room with the CAT scan machine. After asking me to lay down she approached me with a NEEDLE. At least I didn't have to sit in the waiting room agonizing over the stick.

The nurse began looking for a good vein. Well, I don't have any!! They all go into hiding when they know one will be stuck with a needle. The nurse first tried to get one in my hand. Not only did she stick me, but then began to dig around trying to hit the vein. I finally said STOP!!!!! She pulled the needle out and held pressure on my hand for about 5 minutes. I was bleeding all over the bed. She then cleaned my hand and put a bandage over the puncture.

Since she did enough damage to my right hand, she moved around to my left side and began looking for veins in my arm. I sat up and asked her if there was someone else that could possibly do this. By this time I was feeling nauseous. She said she thought she could hit this vein in my arm. I politely told her if she didn't get it on the first try, just stop and we would find someone else. She said she only stuck me once, but boy did it feel like it was more. It took more time to get the IV into my arm than it did to take the series of pictures. After the scan the nurse hugged me and said she was sorry she hurt me and that she is the same way when she is stuck.

Half of my right hand has a bruise and my left arm is also bruised from the stick and IV. I look like someone has been beating on m
e.

I am suppose to hear the results tomorrow. I'm hoping nothing was found and the internal exam of my bladder will not be necessary.


4 comments:

Mary said...

Linda, I hope you have good news!

Ouch! I was once in a hospital and the nurse couldn't find my vein also. However, instead of poking around, she sent me down to the hospital's methadone clinic because as she said, "they're pros at finding veins."

Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess said...

WOW!! I can just sit here and feel your pain..My hand even hurts for you too!! That is awful!! I think we should just tell them that is enough and ask for someone that can hit a vein better!! I know our daughter is an RN and she knows all about this. I hate it when they use my hand. OUCH!! Please let us know about the results. i will check back for sure..Blessings to you..Sandy

Linda said...

Mary
I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm being poked.

Sandy
I would prefer them to stick me in the hand instead of the arm, but this time it was awful.

This just shows everyone, I could never be a drug addict.

Talk..to..Grams said...

Oh My!! Nancy is the same way!! They can't find her veins either...

At St Mary's they finally went after who they call the IV Queen and she got it on one stick!!

Sounds like you needed the IV Queen for sure!!!
Karen just called me from work and I was telling her and she said OUCH!!
she has a story about this, too.

Be sure to let us know what the lab report is....
Love and Hugs