Power Trippers

Per the pediatrician’s order, we added another full dose of Depakote into the Doodle’s repertoire of pharmaceuticals he endures daily. I’m trying my hardest to be positive about this and hoping it’s going to make all the difference in the world and stop the seizures while not causing liver damage.

The blood test was brutal yesterday.

We arrived at LABCORP and we were the only patients in the building, it was just after lunch. My lucky day!!! There were 3 women behind the counter reading magazines and talking about Target. They had me sign in and take a seat. Uhm, OK, I thought, kind of strange since we were the only one’s in there. So I signed us in. Then, I walked over and sat down with Dom a couple of feet away. Just as I sat down, one of the women picked up the clip board and called our name. Hmph. OK, I looked around the waiting room to make sure there were no other Doodle Bugs and yup, she was calling us. I walked back up to the counter and presented our insurance card. She told me to have a seat. OK, so I had a seat. She made a copy of my card and then 15 seconds later called me back up to the counter. She took our lab requisition, told me to have a seat again and there was some hush-hush conversation. We sat back down and waited. And waited. And waited. At this point, the Doodle got pretty restless and began squirming, wanting down. He didn’t have his helmet on so I had to hold him. He screamed. And screamed. And screamed. After 10 long minutes of screaming I asked the lady on the power-trip behind the counter what the hold up was since there were no other visible patients. She said that our Doctor filled out the requisition incorrectly and that they were trying to figure out the codes. So we waited some more. 20 minutes of Doodle screaming, he was now in the un-calmable stage of a full blown conniption and they hadn’t even began taking his blood yet.

I asked the power-tripper in my snarkiest voice if they wanted me to look up the code because I think I could go a little faster…she just bit her tongue. So I said, “Hey, I have an idea, why don’t you call the Doctor and get the clarification you need before my son has another seizure?” Of course I had to say this in one of my loudest voices in order for her to hear me over the screaming.

She told me, “no, that they were very capable”. That’s when I asked her, “compared to what?”

The Doodle kept screaming and now I made no attempt to quiet him. The louder the better I thought. It was perfect timing when the Lab’s phone rang and the power-tripper behind the counter couldn’t hear the person on the other line because of the screaming. People who were walking by on the other side of the window were compelled to look inside because I don't think they have heard such screaming before.

This seemed to do the trick. They finally took us back and now I had visions of the blood drawer lady taking out my sarcastic comments on the Doodle’s bad veins.

Once the rubber band went around his arm, he knew what was coming next. He’s done this blood test thing a lot and is familiar with the poke. 7 vials later, we were finished. The screaming never stopped. He was so exhausted from screaming, he fell fast asleep in the car.

Just another day in Doodleville.