Quest Lab for a Fainter

[Anonymous]

I faint when I have lab work. It is really unpleasant for me, and many of the labs in the D.C. area have not been particularly sympathetic. They'll let me lie down but typically make at least one snotty remark about it after I wake up from fainting. It just makes the whole thing less palatable. I need to have more labs done at a Quest lab. Any locations with a particularly compassionate tech or am I setting the bar too high?

[Anonymous]

I'm a fainter, too, and I don't think any lab is particularly sympathetic (I have to use Lab Corp). The only place I feel treated well is at my usual doctor's office (and sometimes they can do blood draws there).

I always end up irritated when I have to go to a lab. I tell them in advance that I faint and need to lie down. Sometimes, they won't even let me lie down. Once, the girl had me in a normal chair, drew the blood and then left me alone. I passed out while she was out of the room and she found me on the floor. Then her manager came in and lectured me about how I should have told them I usually faint. I told her I DID!!!

It was horrible.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Ugh, but I'm not surprised. I once could hear them laughing about me and discussing how funny it was as I passed out. I find fainting terrifying, so suffice it to say, I was unamused.

[Anonymous]

My 8 year old ds fainted after his last two blood draws. The last time, he was shaking really hard and totally freaked out the nurses at the peds office. They suggested that he lie down in the future. Does that prevent fainting, or just make it safer? I'm not sure I can make it through another episode. There is nothing like watching your child's eyes roll back and have them go unconscious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year old ds fainted after his last two blood draws. The last time, he was shaking really hard and totally freaked out the nurses at the peds office. They suggested that he lie down in the future. Does that prevent fainting, or just make it safer? I'm not sure I can make it through another episode. There is nothing like watching your child's eyes roll back and have them go unconscious.

OP here. Lying down does reduce the odds of fainting (increasing blood flow to the brain), and, if you do faint, it makes it safer. Be careful when he gets up, though, as I frequently faint once I get up, even if I felt fine lying down. Make sure he stays lying down for a few minutes and have some juice for when he sits up, and then have him sit and drink for a few minutes before standing. That would've helped prevent the unfortunate skirt-over-head fainting incident in the middle of K street, which probably wouldn't have happened for your son,