Navigating a Blood Test Ordeal
A few years back, I had to get my blood results done. I was in Bidar then.
There aren't many modern diagnostic centers in that city. I went to the one the doctor recommended. It looked barely managed when I entered the premises. The technicians looked inexperienced. They tried to prick me to draw blood, and they failed miserably. They tried thrice, and on the third attempt, I fainted.
Now, in Bengaluru, whenever I need blood tests done, I book a slot through Orange Health Labs. Every time someone comes from their company to the house, they are extremely professional and do a fabulous job. They are well-trained. I highly recommend using their services in Bengaluru.
A few days back, we had to get blood tests done for Mudra, my four-year-old, and this was the first time she would get pricked. She had signs of a viral infection, and the doctor wanted to check the blood reports to be sure we were not dealing with anything else.
He recommended a hospital where he practices; this should have been a red flag. He then said I could get the reports in an hour, and we could take further action immediately. Using fear and urgency. This clearly should have been a second red flag. I would have been okay avoiding the blood test, but Mudra hasn't been well for 5+ days, so it made sense to get it done.
We went to the hospital, and it looked decent enough. It had the facilities you'd expect from a modern hospital. We got billed for the tests costing 3.5K. It seemed a little high, but then the Doctor had ordered three different tests. This is, at best, an amber flag.
The receptionist asked us if Mudra would cooperate during the sample collection. We were confident that we could manage. A rookie mistake from us. They recommended we go to the emergency department, as they could collect a blood sample without delay. I then asked them, aren't the people working here experienced? She said they are. A big mistake on my end, believing a line the receptionist said without thinking for a second.
Then one of the senior technicians asked the other guy if he could prick a four-year-old. A BIG RED FLAG. This should have rung alarm bells, and I should have left. They tried and failed twice. Mudra was understandably crying fervently. They were doing it right, but they couldn't hold Mudra stable while drawing blood. They blamed Mudra, saying she was shaking after they found the vein. Finding excuses when you can't do the work because of your own incompetence.
We then went to the emergency room, and it became an event. They were able to draw blood using the same technique the technicians tried earlier. This whole ordeal was traumatic. Mudra came through, but I did not. My entire decision-making process was riddled with errors.
Why did I believe the Doctor and go to the hospital he recommended? Could I have ordered a consultation using Orange Labs?
Why didn't I take Mudra to the Emergency room, based on their recommendation, and give people a chance when they themselves weren't sure if they could?
Maybe parental emotions engulfed me, and I couldn't think clearly, but this was a lapse in judgment and poor decision-making.
Preeti, my wife, asked me to take Mudra to the nearby Manipal Hospitals. I didn't feel this fever required us to go to Manipal. They charge a little more than the clinics but do a good job. I should have just listened to Preeti and gone to Manipal.