When a blood test goes wrong!!!

I know it's par for the course if you are a YouTube follower to see clickbait headlines!   If I knew how they make those outrageous banners to draw people in I'd have a go.

My experience today, October 27th, was a disaster. At the surgery I went in for my appointment.  

I go regularly as I am on active surveillance for prostate cancer. Every three months. The person that usually draws blood has either left or was simply not working on that day.

The nurse couldn't find a vein.  She had two goes in the fold of my left elbow.  Then she went to see if someone else was free to have a go.  No.

"One last try".... No success.

It was suggested I try and get an appointment at one of the hospitals in the area.  One is only five miles and the other twenty.

So with my forearm throbbing I set off and went online to get an appointment.  Both nearby hospitals have full time phlebotomy wards and as long as you have a chit of paper from a doctor or in my case, the cancer specialist, then you can book.  

Gone are the days of turning up and waiting your turn like queuing at the deli counter at the supermarket. You must have a chit!

No just turning up now!

There were quite a few hospitals coming up in the NHS app and most of them had appointments available.... but...... 

Clicking on each one I could see the available dates and the earliest at my local hospital in Folkestone was two weeks away.  Luckily, Canterbury had one that afternoon at 3.50pm. It was now 10.50am. I booked it.

We arrived in good time for the appointment.  You have to pay to park at our hospitals but at Canterbury, if you are in and out in 30 minutes it's free. You still have to mess about with the ANPR screen as it's not able to work out for itself that a car that came in a N o'clock and that is leaving less than 30 minutes later can just drive out....

Anyway, We sit in the waiting area. Actually seats in a corridor.  The lady comes out and calls names. People go in and come out and leave. She does it again. My name doesn't get called. The third time she comes she asks if there is anyone for 3.50pm. I say me. She thinks I am someone else as the system hasn't updated the name on the appointment.

In I go and she checks my arm. She can't use the one already looking like a drug addict, so she opts to go into a vein on the back of my left hand. Success.

I check my watch, we have 8 minutes to escape the car park for free!

I drive us home. My hand is starting to seize up. Luckily we have a right hand drive automatic Nissan. So I don't need my rapidly swelling left hand.

And we do all this again in January....