[Faith-talk] Colonoscopy Aborted!
Peter Donahue
pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net
Fri Feb 27 19:01:42 UTC 2009
Good morning everyone,
Looks like we've had our glitch for today. This morning I was scheduled
for a colonoscopy upon the recommendation of our primary care physician. We
went for the procedure this morning with hopes that it would be successful
and that nothing bad would be found. All went well until it was time for the
nurse to start the I.V. That's when the bottom fell out of everything.
Some of you know about some previous occasions I described when I was
stuck multiple times for bloodwork or begin I.VS. Today wasn't going to be
one of them! After examining my arms and hands the nurse attempted to start
the I.V., but without success. He decided to have his co-worker start the
I.V. all the while boasting about, "How good the G.I. Lab's Staff are at
finding patients veins and that they would get it next time!" That fellow
will leave work with his tail tucked between his legs today. I've had
medical personnel do the same on numerous occasions. Every time they
over-estimated their confidence and I left their facility with painful arms
and on edge.
The nurse also went on and on about how he had to prepare four patients for
various procedures in a hour and was one of only two nurses in the place. I
decided to make his job easier, called it a day, and Mary and I enjoyed a
wonderful breakfast in the hospital cafeteria. None of these individuals
treated me last year when I had my ulcer surgery at that same hospital. My
prep nurse for that procedure, a lady named Gloria was able to find a vein
in my left arm without any trouble and successfully started the I.V. without
any boasting or fanfare. It's too bad she wasn't there this morning.
I've been saying for a while with the need to find veins quickly and
with such technology as infrared, ultrasound, and Doppler available it's too
bad that someone hasn't developed a device to help medical personnel and
patients guide needles to the precise location of veins making blood work
and I.V. establishment a far more pleasant and safer procedure. It would
ensure that procedures requiring the use of medications given I.V. can occur
reducing instances of undiagnosed cancer and other conditions. If such a
needle guidance system included audio feedback it could possibly create new
employment opportunities for the blind as phlebotomists for example. It
could also benefit patients with deep veins who must inject medication I.V.
themselves. I was in no mood to talk tech with this crew after that.
I'm home nursing a somewhat sore right arm. Taking a suggestion from a
member of the NFB Writers' Division if they want me to undergo a colonoscopy
they'll have to do it via the pill, (Video Colonoscopy)), or put me in an
MRI Scanner, (Virtual Colonoscopy.) This was a waste of my time and that of
my doctor and the hospital. Sorry to be long-winded. I'll be in better
spirits after a good night's sleep. I'll refrain from saying any more about
this on list. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers and thoughts. Talk to
you all soon.
Peter Donahue
"Given a chance to dream it can be done.
The promise of tomorrow is real.
Children of Spaceship Earth the future belongs to us all."
Flying for Me,
John Denver
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