Monday, December 22, 2008

Getting Labs done

So being the health care person I am I find that having a baby here is completely fascinating. So at our 4 month visit the Dr. told us he wanted to check some blood work. I immediately think hes talking about the test for downs and I tell him I don't want that or the amniocentesis. We would keep the baby no matter what. He looks at me kinda strange and explains he just wants to check my sugar and iron levels. Then out of curiosity he asks if they make you do that test in the States. I say they cant make you but they all seem to push it pretty hard. Oh well not here. Mexico is all about necessity, and I for one think that's great. Seriously the only labs you need done are your iron, sugar and a urine test to check for infection. And that's what he wrote on the script. So like in the states where some doctors have you go to an out based lab that's what you do here. Believe it or not doctors don't have nurses in their offices. I know its nuts but the doctor actually takes your vitals and weighs you. OMG you mean its not bellow them. Sorry Im getting on a nursing kick. So he gives us a script and again suggests the Lab/clinic up the street from his office. This is the same one we went to the night my gallbladder went haywire.
This is a 24hour Lab/Clinic but prices go up after regular business hours. When I say up its still not a lot compared to the States. All together we spent about the equivalent of $30usd. So the morning of our 12noon appointment we go into the clinic which is actually really nice inside, I should take a picture sometime because I have a feeling your picturing something that its not. And we get called back into a room, where I think the equivalent of a Resident physician takes my blood, and sends me to the bathroom with a paper cup. Yes I mean a Dixie cup. I find this unsanitary at first but then I think you know why does it have to be a pre-wraped cup if they don't get a sterile specimen anyway. This makes me curious to what they use when the cath someone and do need a sterile speci. But the blood drawing procedure was exactly like the states same needle products and blood vials. After peeing in the Dixie cup I come out to them mixing something tea colored in a clear plastic cup. Its a simple cup of water in the cheapest plastic cup you can get and they have put 5 packets of pure cane sugar in it. Yes this is my glucose tolerance test. Let me tell you this was a lot easier to drink than that nasty cola or orange drink that you pay out the wazoo for in the States. No wonder its so cheep they are actually practical about this kind of stuff. So I down it and they tell us to come back in an hour. You know the drill we go back in an hour (which was around 9am) and they draw blood again. But there was no wait it was wonderful. We told them or appointment with the dr. was at noon and they said they would have the results at the front window ready for us. We went back 10min before noon and there was our results we paid and were on our way to our dr. appointment.
So what do you think of that.

1 comment:

  1. I also find it refreshing that in Mexico the approach is what is needed not what is possible.

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