[lspencer534]

In the never-ending battle to find the cause of my stomach pain, I had another CT Scan today, and blood drawing was next. Not know which test was first I sprayed my right arm veins with Dermaplast before going into the building. I don't like getting "stuck."

Turns out the CT scan was first and the tech had to insert an IV for the dye; I told him to use my right arm since it had been numbed. The CT Scan was quick, and I asked the tech if he could leave the needle in my arm since I had to have blood drawn.

That seemed to have struck a nerve with him: He said, "Of course I can, but the lab will just pull it out and insert another one."

"That's stupid," I said.

"Yep," he replied. "I've tried it,. and the lab won't do it."

I should say at this point that getting stuck with needles makes me feel sick and/or faint.

I proceeded to the lab where I asked them why I had to be stuck again. "Because the radiology department isn't allowed to let you walk out of its lab with a needle in you." WTF?

I've been in the hospital before and they used the inserted needle for everything: drips, IVs, medicine, etc. I wrote my doctor to tell him what happened and that unless this idiotic procedure is changed he can use his own blood for tests.

Tell me who's right, you doctors, med techs, nurses.