no. 650 - This One Might Take You All Weekend to Get Through

Why hasn't any one ever blogged about how much the glucose tolerance test sucks, and mightily?

While no one little moment was awful, it was a culmination of sucktitude, like flies. One fly I can cope with 100? Not so much.

The auspicious beginning included me waking at 5:00 a.m. and being so worried about over-sleeping, I couldn't get back to sleep. Instead I catnapped off and on for the next hour.

I did remember to bring along my laptop, cell phone and a novel in case the laptop ended up useless (which it did).

I was one of three other women in the draw room for the GTT, so I thought about trying to strike up a conversation on commiserating, but it just didn't happen. One woman brought her daughter, who was about five, and her Mom. After the base draw to make sure we had sufficiently fasted, I expected Grandma to take Granddaughter somewhere - anywhere - so the girl wouldn't become whiney. Instead? They stayed the entire three four hours.

I was asked how I felt when they did the first blood draw post gluconate consumption (the second actual draw) and when I told the phlebo I felt woozy, she walked me over to the ICU waiting room...with recliners! and a couch! and the option to shut off the lights! and a TV all to myself!

For the second blood draw (are you keeping count? the third poke) I felt a little guilty walking past the other two ladies waiting out their GTT in the overly-bright draw waiting room (actually one had to sit in the hallway chairs with no TV b/c the patient who brought her Mom and daughter took up the only three seats in the waiting room), while I was "enjoying" some relative peace and comfort.

The final draw was at 10:45 a.m. The first was at 7:05 a.m. Basically four hours. The trio was gone when I walked by, but the third patient was still waiting. She was told about the ICU waiting room, but she decided to stick it out there even though she said that she had to spend the last half hour listening to the other woman talk on her cell phone WHILE ON SPEAKER! Who does that??

I felt pretty crappy after that, and even when I finally got something to eat. I slept for a couple of hours and now I'm finally feel up to updating. Now even if you don't care so much about glucose tolerance tests, maybe someone looking for info will. All I can say to them is dress comfortably and bring something to occupy yourself. Also, don't assume you'll feel up to returning to work afterward.

And no, they don't place a port for the draws. I add that because my husband asked. It's four separate pokes...if you're lucky...since you will be dehydrated as well. My last draw was done with a butterfly because my veins had shrunken so much.

Really, I'm sorry this was so dull. I'm still out of it. I can only hope the results are conclusive, even if I failed. I don't want to go through that again.

Comments

[Becky]

Poor you. That sounds just awful.

[Tuesday]

I never failed the one hour but that sucked enough. I hate waiting in for the rude techs jsut so they can torture me even after I tell them I am a "hard stick". They never listen and they all stink at taking blood. Irony.

I hope you pass!

[Summer]

After all that the results better be good. Hope your weekend goes way better.

[Michelle]

I've heard that test really sucks - sorry you had to do it. There aren't many perks to being diabetic so I'll claim that one.

[Katrina]

Oh gosh, the flashbacks! Failed at 16 weeks though so 21 weeks of sugar free HELL! (But I did have the occasional Dr. Pepper and cake once in a while.) I hate they had to stick ya a zillion times, it SUCKS.

[Christine]

I felt so freaking pukey for the whole day afterwards. I think it is the whole empty stomach then downing gobs of syrup..yuk it makes me want to puke just remembering it!

[karen]

Sounds sucky, indeed. My veins roll and it takes a very skilled tech to draw blood from me, so I may have been suicidal by the end of four hours and four pokes.

[Aurelia]

Tsk tsk I DID blog about how awful it was and even left some advice on my blog for women doing the one hour GTT so they don't fail it by one point....but sniff sniff, I guess you just don't love me anymore...sniff sniff.

Seriously, you will pass this, just fine.

[kati]

Yeah, I remember. I failed the three hour one horribly (I think only my fasting one was normal). BUT: I think I also failed the screening with a much higher number than you.

So, good luck!

[Jennifer]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you. When do you get the results?

[Heather]

I've only been through the one hour one and it sucked. It took them (two different people) over forty minutes to get my blood after the hour. And I had been drinking water the whole time.

The actual drink (which I have always heard people bitch about) wasn't that bad. Sugary, God yes - but not thick like syrup which to me made it bearable.

The blood draws...well, they always suck.

I'm sorry.

[Tracy]

I was apparently clueless when I had mine. I had to drink the yucky orange liquid, then go to the doc at the right time and get blood drawn, and apparently I passed because I didn't have to go through all of that. Wow. You deserve a break today. Or Mcdonald's. Whichever your pregnant heart desires.

[Geohde]

I only hope I get to experience the suckitude!

Fingers crossed you pass,

J

[Nico]

I'm sorry, that does sound really miserable. I hope that you do pass though!!!

[Vicky]

I was borderline for the 3 hour and they made me do it again, even though I told them I would rather just be on the diet than go through that again. That was a year ago and the other day someone had an orange pop with no ice and I almost threw up because it brought memories back of how bad the drink tasted.

[MsPrufrock]

Ew, you poor thing. They don't do those here, so I managed to avoid it, thank god. It sounds positively abysmal.

I hope it's good news!