It's hypocondria when you think you are sick all the time. . .

[jbeany]

So what is when you think someone else is sick all the time?

I just had my one-year check up at my transplant hospital.  During my very first check-up, the lab tech doing the EKG insisted I needed to take the results to my regular doc ASAP - that I showed signs of heart damage and a possible heart attack.  I left the center thinking I wouldn't be able to get on the list because of heart problems.  I took the results to my doc, and he couldn't see any major problems.  All diabetic patients have to have yearly stress echos done to stay on the list anyhow, so my doc here scheduled it, and I did the test.  It all came back perfectly normal.
I did the same last year - EKG at the transplant hospital, and a stress echo done locally - all normal results.  Fast forward to this year.  I did the stress echo 2 days before I went to the transplant check up this time.  When I went for the EKG at the transplant hospital, oh goodie, it's the same tech as the first year I went - the one who scared me half to death.  Here we go again.  I laid on the table, got my EKG and she started in the minute she finished.  "Don't sit up.  Are you feeling okay?  Do you have any chest pains?  I'm going to check my results with a doctor.  Stay right here, don't move.. . . .blah, blah, blah. . "  She ran off with the print out to another tech, who shrugged off whatever she thought she was seeing.  "When was your last echo?"  When I said two days ago, she threw a bigger fit.  "They let you leave?  How could they do that?"  Then she ran off to find a doctor.  The doc looked at the scan, said it showed a slight abnormality, and said to send me home. (I had stood up and followed her out into the hall so I could hear his answer. I already know I have a slight heart murmur - so do a lot of other people - it's not that serious.)  She finally dragged herself back into the hall where I was waiting, and tried to convince me I needed to be pushed out to my car in a wheelchair.  I'd already walked at least 5 miles that day, just wandering around campus looking at museums, so I refused.  She asked me again if I felt okay.  Umm, yes.  (Other than the overwhelming urge to slap her, that is.)  So off I went to drive home, with her panting and whining behind me like a dog locked up by its master.
I got the official results of my echo from my local doc in the mail today - all normal, perfectly healthy.
I just wonder how many a people she panics in a week.

[kellyt]

Complain to her Superior.  That's ridiculous. She's ridiculous.

[Chris]

Yes, complain about her. Report her to her superiors. Some of the center has a questionairs about their service, use those to and state her name, what happened, and how you feel. Luckily I never had that problem with my heat murmur.

Of course, I would have had to say something to her since I would have had a test done as you had prior to that visit to shut her up. She doesn't need to be scarring off people like that. That's bad for the center also what she does.

[aharris2]

What's up with this? The techs aren't allowed to tell you anything because they're not trained. Ultrasound techs, ekg techs, even x-ray techs have told us that they cannot say anything.  I remember the x-ray tech when Rolando had broken his leg - that's two bones splintered, something even I could read.. The x-ray tech was quite clear that only a trained radiologist could read it and give us the results. What's up with yours?

[Sluff]

Get a rope! 

[okarol]

Tell her if you have a heart attack you are going to hold her personally responsible. What an idiot!
               
 
        Dumbass tech      JBeany

[Lucinda]

I definitely would be reporting her.  You should never have to go through that.  Having tests done is stressful enough without that kind of added pressure.  She is just pissed that she wasn't smart enough to do medicine so she reckons she'll behave like a doctor anyhow.  There are a lot of those around. Over-reactive pessimistic wannabe grim reapers who flunked med school and had to be satisfied with a tech alternative.  Not saying all techs are like her.....but there are a lot of "hers" out there! Sorry you had to go through that Jbeany. xx 

[monrein]

I think I would have been tempted to respond with my personal diagnosis of her pathological anxiety, clearly requiring an immediate prescription for a powerful anti-anxiety medication to help her through her days and of course those long long nights.   

[paris]

Very unprofessional.   How many people a day is she terrifying?   And she gets paid to frighten the wits out of people?   I am not dealing with stupid people very well right now.   

[kellyt]

Whenever I've had x-rays, vein mapping, sonograms, whatever - especially during my testing to the on "the list" - I aways asked the tech if everything looked okay (curiosity gets the best of me) and all of them pretty much followed the same routine.  They would smile as they were wrapping up and say "The doctor will be back in a moment."  And they would leave or I would leave.  NEVER has a tech told me the results of my testings.  Never.

After transplant before I discharged they had me do a sonogram of my new kidney.  I asked the tech if this was normal and if everything looked okay.  He just said "We're almost done.  You'll talk to the doctor before you're discharged".

[kitkatz]

Techs cannot say anything to you about test results.  What is with her?     I would get someone else next time.

[Chris]

Better yet, if you get her the next time, tell her you want someone with more experience/conduct/ insert your own words here.

[G-Ma]

Yes, what Chris said.  I don't want *&*&&*& as my technician and reason if needed.  I did that with a mammogram tech who hurt me...I was black and blue when she was done.

[jbeany]

Hmm. . . I hadn't thought of that - lab techs aren't supposed to discuss results, are they?  I'm going to send a note to my transplant coordinator, I think, see if she's had any other complaints about this flake.

[Zach]

I remember when I was first diagnosed with CKD my GP sent me to have a sonogram of my kidneys. After it was completed, the tech turned to me and said that my kidneys looked fine and I shouldn't be worried.

[mikey07840]

I remember when I had the ultrasound on my cancerous kidney, the tech said nothing, called in a another tech to look and then a doctor to look and verify the scan. I found out later that day from my doctor that I had a stage 4 tumor on my kidney. The tech told me nothing.