Poked, Bled, and Ran Around ~for nothing... Transfusion.
Ran into some issues when I went to have a blood transfusion today ~
Ok so I wasn't supposed to have my next doctors appointment until Thursday morning, but I saw a little blood on my tissue when I peed today and the nurse told me to come on it early so she can get a urine sample (in case of a UTI).
So I go in and she pricks my finger (routine as you all know lol). Tells me my hemoglobin (sp?) levels are REALLY low. I've been struggling to keep my iron levels right since my second trimester, so I've been on iron supplements 3x daily. Well apparently, despite the iron pills and my prenatal vitamins, things were still not right.
So my doctor tells me I'm going to need a transfusion
I've never received blood before so I was pretty scared. So my fiance calls in to work so he can drive me to the hospital and so I won't be alone there (apparently it's going to take a while).
FIRST OFF, when I get there, nobody has any idea what my doctor is wanting to happen. Idk if he didn't write it on the paperwork right or what happened but it took them like 45 min just to figure out where to send me first. So they sent me to Labor and Delivery where a nurse at the desk told me that I was supposed to go to the Lab to get blood drawn first so they could crossmatch me, but to stop at the front desk first because I wasn't in the system yet (after 45 min apparently they didn't register me...wtf).
SOOO I waddle alllll the way back to patient registration and they tell me to sit down and wait for a minute. I wait and then I'm told to go to the lab. Go to the lab (I HATE bloodwork!!! Needles make my soul die a little) have a tube of blood taken. K so back to L&D to wait around for the blood to be matched and for them to get everything ready.
The head nurse in L&D goes ahead and inserts the IV so we'll be all set when the blood is ready (which friggin hurts btw). So I'm sitting there with a needle the size of a matchstick jammed into my arm waiting around for my transfusion. Well, about an hour later the woman from the lab comes to our room and tells me she needs more blood. WTF. So my bandage is removed and she gets another tube of blood. (If I didn't need a transfusion, by this point I've lost enough that I probably do)
K~ Another hour goes by. They bring me a supper tray. By about the 3 1/2 - 4 hour mark, the head nurse comes back and tells me she's got good and bad news. GOOD NEWS: I don't need blood after all. My hemoglobin levels are fine and normal. Apparently the machine at my doctor's office wasn't accurate or something. BAD NEWS: Both my arms are sore. I've been poked, stabbed, jabbed, bled, and ran around the hospital for no reason. My fiance missed a whole day of work when we need the money.
Strangely... I'm not mad. I mean, it was aggrivating. But the nurses in L&D were so nice. Like... in a way, I'm kinda glad that I had to go back there. I got to see all the rooms (the head nurse gave me a tour before I left) and I got to meet some of the staff and they were really nice women. I left feeling a lot better about having my baby there. Not much faith in patient registration... but I'm feeling better about L&D.
I guess everything has a reason. Go figure.