Well I got my MMH finger prick test on Tuesday, I had stopped my B supplements five days previously, made sure I was well hydrated , didn't take my T4 & T3 in the morning etc. everything all prepared and ready to go and I just couldn't bring myself to push the lancet into my finger right at the last minute and didn't ask hubby to do it as by then I had made myself feel sick! I feel such a wimp and a failure.
I have my NHS blood test booked in less than two weeks time, I thought I would ask the nurse when I have my blood taken if she can squirt a bit of blood in the tubes from my MMH test kit, does anyone know if that is possible and could I have spoilt my tests as I took the lids of the tubes ready for blood collection, I put them straight back on as soon as I realised I couldn't do it, so only off about 5 minutes. I hope I haven't wasted £60 on a kit that I can't use.
Looks like in future I will just have to stick with paying extra for the phlebotomy service 🙃
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Gymbuni
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Gymbuni, I get you on 'I bottled it', you are not alone there. I've been doing these on and off for years and still have to be in the right frame of mind to stab my finger with a lancet. I can have a test sitting around for weeks and keep putting it off!
I suggest contacting MMH about the open tube issue. I'm sure they'll understand. info@monitormyhealth.org.uk
That's reassuring that I am not the only one, so many people on here seem to do their own tests. I should have known really that I wouldn't have been able to do it as I am not great with blood tests. It's just the MMH test is cheaper and their phlebotomy service is too far away for me to get to for a early morning test. I best stick to Medichecks in future as they use my local hospital for phlebotomy.
Why don't you find out if you can still use the tubes and then ask your husband to do it for you and pick a fresh day to do it. It really doesn't hurt more than a quick little sting, but it can be hard to do it yourself sometimes. I do them regularly and I've done one on my mum and she was fine with me doing it. It's no worse than the nurse at the surgery if you get your husband to do it. You aren't "stabbing" anything. It's just a blood test. And it's really very handy to be able to do those at home in your own time, so have husband as the nurse and you are ready to go.
I have found MMH are very good, if test fails as there is not enough blood, they send a free fresh bottle to try again. ( My mum failed on both though)
I am sure if you email them as above they will help you out.
I agree it is difficult to knowingly hurt yourself ... good luck
You are definitely not alone, I used 3 lancets to jab my fingers, I still couldn’t get enough blood into the tube despite doing everything right and had to give up because I ran out of lancets. They sent me a replacement venous sample kit but now I can’t find anyone who can actually draw it and I don’t think I will be able to do it myself 🤦🏻♀️ I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone and even if you had been able to lancet your finger that is only half the battle to getting enough in the tube. Hope you can find someone who can help x
Awww that would be me! Took me ages before I could self inject but to me making myself bleed on purpose would be a much harder task. You are not being a wimp at all. 💕
Oh no, this I something that I have also worried about, as, so far, I've managed to 'survive' on yearly NHS draws. But really, I need to get to doing more home tests. It's something I have been kind of putting off... My Gran used to do it all the time for diabetes insulin testing, and she didn't have a care in the world! I'm not squeamish, but there is something very inherently unnatural about willingly stabbing yourself, however you look at it. I agree!
I usually rely on just my NHS blood tests which I am having about every 3 months whilst getting on the right level of T3, but vitamins etc are not tested and as I feel awful and suffering hair loss I thought it about time I got my vitamins, ferritin etc tested. They haven;t been tested for at least 18 months.
I got my mate to do my first one for me then I done the 2nd one on my own my bed ended up looking like a scene from chainsaw massacre lol slight exaggeration lol but I did end up getting quite a lot over my duvet I was all fingers and thumbs.It does sting a little I would compare it to a bee sting pain, I diddnt think I had put enough blood in but they managed to get results.
Me too! I ended up with a bathroom littered with wasted kit. Should have known, as I was turned away by the BTS at 25 after it took 40 minutes to get half the required donation! ( Yet if I cut my finger or scratch myself in the garden, it’s like a Hammer movie!). Ended up going to private hospital for a draw.
As others have said you are certainly not alone. Maybe leave it for a week and try and have another go?
I've got a stash of unused home tests that I've been unable to fill and return. Of the ones that I did actually manage to complete the build up is mentally draining and took me a few days to get over. To say I felt a failure is an understatement.
The last one I did I only managed to half fill the tube and couldn't face using another lancet but luckily there was enough blood for them to process my sample.
After this I decided that I would book a venous sample as the whole finger prick process is just too stressful and I was wasting tests. So I booked Medichecks and a local pharmacist was able to take my blood. It was a much better experience and glad I've done it.
I'm seeing booking venous blood tests as an investment in myself and my health. There is life after failed finger prick tests 😊
Hi GymbuniI can't do them myself. I did the first one and I think it must've traumatised me because when it came to the second one I physically could not get my hand to bring that lancet on top of my finger. It just wouldn't go. I have to get my husband to hold my hand down while he stabs it. Even then I snatch it back about 5 times then he has to take me by surprise and stab me quickly!!! But as others say getting the blood in the tube is another matter altogether!!!
Hi there, i get you… i can do it but i recently did my vit d test and have had a sore finger for almost a week🤷♀️. How about your local pharmacy? I think some pharmacies or maybe a lloyds pharmacy offer some testing?.
Thank you for your reply, I will look into this and I will also ask my GP surgery if they do private testing, I saw on here that someone said their surgery did it for a small fee.
The nurse won't be able to squirt blood into an MMH finger prick tube. In Scotland (don't know if same in rest of UK), they are not allowed to use a needle and syringe. It is some kind of vacu thing, that they use.
I was due bloods for kidney function back at the end of January and was required to make a doctor's appointment to ask a doctor if they could fill my MMH tube at the same visit. A friend has previously used a needle and syringe to fill my MMH tube.
The doctor said that the nurse could use the vacu thing to draw the blood and use a yellow-topped tube. She would give me the tube to fill my MMH tube. I said I was squeamish with blood and would probably faint if I had to transfer the blood myself. Nevertheless, it was left that I would have to transfer the blood.
On the day, the nurse transferred the blood from one tube to another for me.
The blood couldn't be used by MMH. They said it had clotted.
What a carry on. I had not seen a G.P. face to face since before Covid, but had to have a face to face appointment to ask if they would draw blood for MMH at the same time as my kidney function bloods were being done.
Whilst speaking to the G.P. he said it wouldn't be a problem to get the NHS to test - TSH,FT4 and FT3- he just had to tick various boxes on his request form.
In 2020, 3 attempts to get this done failed when I had been under range twice for FT4, and had been told to get FT4 rechecked after 3 months. Each time I insisted the nurse had to make clear that FT4 be done , she said that she just had to tick a certain box and the lab ALWAYS do it. They did TSH only each time. She came to my home, as it was the start of Covid. It was like talking to a brick wall. The G.P. kept marking the TSH only result- no action required, when it was being done specifically for FT4. When I spoke to the G.P.about it I was shouted at and told there was nothing wrong with my thyroid and not to ask again for it to be tested.
When I insisted it be tested in 2022, FT4 was 5.5 (12-22). I felt like death.
Needless to say , I didn't comment when the G.P. said there would be no problem getting TSH, FT4 and FT3 in January, other than to say that he was welcome to run his own test in addition to mine. I have the t-shirt on that one.The G.P. s and nurses will insist they can routinely obtain these, when they can't. It is beyond infuriating!
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