So I've been admitted to Papworth sleep centre for my three way sleep study, and I asked the nurse about ABG's - yes, I had to have them done. After five hours of sweating about it (not an emergency) the nurse asked the doctor to come and do them, as I was getting really stressed and my hubby needed to go home. He promptly arrived and was FAB. Really confident and reassuring, did it immediately, successful in mere seconds and I barely felt anything! I could have kissed him
All previous attempts have involved a doctor 'digging around' in my wrist for ten mins and the most horrific pain, they were clearly butchers. So, it doesn't have to hurt if done properly :))
I'm so relieved its unreal, I would even let him do it again if need be!
I think there should be some sort of GPS tracking system for fantastic doctors. Even one to help us keep away from nightmare ones would be a start!
LOL! What a superb idea
WOW!! What an amazing experience!! I officially HATE ABGs, just the thought makes me feel funny!!!
I must admit the one who did mine the other day did a great job, she was very reassuring and told me what to expect. Though she terrified me when she said that she wasn't going to use a local anaesthetic before doing it as it would mean 2 injections and just to be brave. She talked through it (first time its been done). I wish I could remember her name so I could write to say thankyou!! She even came and told me what the receipt style print out analysis thing said and explained what each thing meant
I love the GPS tracking device hehe
I had a gp take a blood sample once and he was amazing, better than any phlebotomist or blood donor nurse, I barely felt a thing and had no bruise afterwards, shame the lid fell off the bottle and they had to be re-done by a butcher nurse!
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I had a gp take a blood sample once and he was amazing, better than any phlebotomist or blood donor nurse, I barely felt a thing and had no bruise afterwards, shame the lid fell off the bottle and they had to be re-done by a butcher nurse!
Oh wow, I had no idea GP's and nurses did ABG's! Pretty impressive that he was good at it, since they wont do them very often
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I had a gp take a blood sample once and he was amazing, better than any phlebotomist or blood donor nurse, I barely felt a thing and had no bruise afterwards, shame the lid fell off the bottle and they had to be re-done by a butcher nurse!
Oh wow, I had no idea GP's and nurses did ABG's! Pretty impressive that he was good at it, since they wont do them very often
Ah, its wasn't an ABG fortunately, just a routine blood test, but still amazed that a) he did it himself and that b) he was good at it, like you say they don't get much practice!
Omg GP's take arterial bloods? And nurses? I didn't know that...
Such a shame they had to do an ABG - at my local they only do ABGs in A&E, on the wards (unless its a proper emergency) they always do cap gases from your ears! much nicers!!
Good that you had a good one. I find they are better when my HR is slower, they always think its going to be easy coz i have a strong radial pulse, but apparently when im tachy the needle just wont stay in the artery, or something like that. then i end up getting them done rom my elbow which apparently most people prefer but i find much worse
we need a team of docs that are amazing at ABGs, i have had them before where i have felt irtually nothing, and othertimes where they dig around for ages and end up getting a venous sample!! ugh!
I'm very lucky, that like soph, unless I'm acute in A&E, I can get away with cap gases. So much easier and less painful. And thankfully the Night Pracs can do them cause they are the most lovely nurses in the hospital!
I'm feeling less happy and more murderous now... 3am not a wink of sleep and absolutely exhausted. Not much of a sleep assessment eh, what's the point of putting you in a bay full of NIV machines and expecting you to sleep!? I imagine they will have to keep me in to try again now
How rubbish! you'd have thought in a sleep clinic they'd try to mimic a normal bedroom as far as humanely possible!! surely the point is they need you to get a 'normal'nights sleep! Hope you get a bit later and they get enough info to not need you in again! hopefully next time you'll be so tired you will drop off anyway!! Have you got earplugs?? good luck xxx
Ahh no!! More of a *no* sleep clinic then?! When do you escape? Cos it's more than 1 night hopefully you won't have to do an extra one?
You never sleep properly in hosp anyway!! Argh!
*hugs*
Still awake at quarter to five :(( I feel like puking I'm so tired. Think I got so frustrated laying there for almost five hours that I've gone past the point of being able to sleep and of course now it's daylight too... You're right Soph, how ridiculous it is if you want someone to sleep to put them in a room with two darth vader machines (the noisiest I have ever heard!), and very loud alarms going off constantly. Not to mention the old dear chatting loudly to the nurse every hour when she needs the loo... Argh. They gave me earplugs at 2am but they were totally hopeless.
I'm not even wired up now so they have no assessment at all, apart from baseline from ABG. This room they have moved me to has t got the equipment in, but they moved me as I was starting to lose the plot. I can see why noise is used as a form of torture!
Am guessing they will keep me in to try again Laura, will find out later x
*hasnt got
Laura and Soph are you both up cos of stroppy lungs? :/ x
Oh how annoying can't even think of what to say other than that !! I got no sleep on Thursday night in my own room when things calmed a little, seriously annoying!!
Yep, awake because of lungs not behaving - you'd think after the 3 night/4day zstint in hospital they've just put me through that they would behave don't want to go back in
Hope you have got *some* sleep
Laura x
Oh bless you - you must feel so fed up and tired by now
Nope, no sleep at all. Not a wink... Im hoping they will keep me in tonight in a side room, as it needs doing and I dont feel fit for a 2hr drive! x
Do you know if they're keeping you yet? Is this the 3 day one you spoke about? Soo annoying. Hope they keep you in the side room!! For the whole of my admission I was in my own room and it made a difference, though coming out into the ""real world"" was weird lol!!
It sucks that you dont feel upto the journey home you're probably in the best place!!
Thanks for the sympathy lol. Yep very tired and fed up!! My lungs need to learn to behave!! I know they have decided they want to be brittle, but I am sure they can stop being such a pain!! Think they have a mind of their own and a different agenda to mine!! I just worry about work - not fair with my absences at the min, and the scares I give when there lol.
Laura x
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Hi Laura,
I just managed the 2hr journey home which took me at least an hour extra as I had to keep stopping to sleep! After talking to the consultant, they are going to readmit me for the full polysomnography, which is the gold standard apparently (last night was just ABG's, C02 and 02 monitoring). That one is in a soundproof room, so at least I should get some sleep, even if I have got a head covered in wires! More waiting... Im off to have some sleep so Im not so grumpy when hubby comes home LOL.
I understand what you mean about the work thing, it was SO disruptive to my patients when I was back and forwards like a yo yo, at least I dont have that stress to worry about now. I really do hope you start to feel better soon... x
nursefurby - how annoying! I hate lying awake esp with lots of noise. Hope next time is better.
All the GPs in my surgery are actually really good at blood tests and will happily do them themselves - very handy as it's quick and means you don't have to see the nurse if they know you need one. My surgery in London said you had to see the nurse for bloods, but here the drs will quite happily stick needles in me hehe (my usual one did my flu jab once as well just during an appt). Though there is one who while really good says stuff like 'oh dear I'm not very good at this' before she does it - err a) yes you are, and b) regardless don't say stuff like that before you do it!
Did you eventually get everything sorted? Have you had the sleep study done?
I meant to reply at the time, but over the last month my lungs have been seriously annoying and seem to think that the only think that will make them happy is a stint on lock down I am hoping that they will calm down ...
Laura xxx
Hi Laura, I didn't sleep at all the night of the sleep study, not even for five mins they put me in a room with two people on ventilators and the noise drove me nuts, I'm used to total silence. They are redoing it on 18th and doing the full polysomnography in a soundproof room this time.
Hope you're feeling better soon, my lungs aren't enjoying this weather either, had to get the scooter out yesterday.
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