Daniel got his thyroid re-checked yesterday. Guidelines from the Down syndrome gurus say that he needs it checked every 6 months for the first year of his life, and then yearly after that.
I was not anticipating this…
At our local hospital, the phlebotomists seem to be really scared of drawing blood on babies. So they go for the feet instead. Really, are three pokes and 20 minutes (I kid you not!) of squeezing a tiny little foot any better for the baby than TRYING to get a vein?!?? I think not!! All the while, the phlebotomist (who looked like he couldn’t have possibly been a day older than 15!!) was complaining about Daniel’s ability to bleed, making comments like, “OK mister, an 18-hour-old baby bleeds more than you do!” I really felt like punching the guy, and I’m contemplating making a complaint to the higher-ups (whoever they may be).
The good news – and thankfully there is good news – is that Daniel’s thyroid function looks beautiful! And that is what we wanted to hear.
Come April, if I see Mr. Teeny Bopper Phlebotomist around the lab, I’ll be grabbing Daniel and running as fast as I can for the nearest exit!
Heather, I would make a complaint. I had an experience (actually more than one, but the first one was the worst) with a nurse at our ped's office. I should have filed a complaint because I was so angry about what happened, but I never did. Finally, I just switched to a different practice when our ped started using that particular nurse all the time. So, anyway, I think it is best to let people know when they don't meet your expectations for care.
ReplyDeleteThanks Liz! You inspired me to act, so I sent in my complaint. Hopefully there will be other babies who are spared from a 20-minute foot squeezing and multiple foot pokes!
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