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Bloods, Where to start!

Cancer patients quickly get used to all manner of indignity.
Any PSA problems should be responded to promptly.
If captured whilst within the organ you should be fine but the little beggars do like to escape and infect your bones.
That’s when the trouble really begins.
Get it done. I think my first rectal was with a surgeon with hands like a labourer.Women’s hands and fingers by choice.
 
my PSA was 17.5.

I had a full blood test (not nice; still painful and red 2 weeks later) a couple of months ago, testing all sorts of things, incl. PSA. I have a memory that the doc said that my PSA was a little high at 11.5. Unfortunately I didn't ask what the norm was.

However, whilst having my 6th Covid booster on Monday, I mentioned this to the very knowledgeable pharmacist. She said my memory must be faulty as 4 is the norm !!!! Think I need to get some info.. from my surgery, though the doc. advised another blood test at a later date. I don't have any of the physical (urinary) symptoms, have a good stream and only occasionally need to empty a full bladder between 5 and 6 in the morning.

Your figure above seems to suggest my memory's not so shot (on this, at least).
 
Have had the following (in order of appearance)

Upper Endoscopy
Colonoscopy
Cystoscopy

Of the three my choice would be the bumcam as softest option - would have one any day in preference to the others - even with the required superstrength laxative event :D

Least favourite by a very long length - the Cystoscopy, which I got to enjoy at the end of April ....

Currently waiting for the results of a biopsy with some trepidation following a bladder tumour shaving escapade last week.

And yes - you get used to indignity very quickly with anything downstairs related but thankfully I can look forward to a catheter-free existence as of Monday next .... bliss :)

As to bloods, I have had so many done at Hospital since February that I've lost count - seemed to be compulsory every time I walked in the place.
 
A PSA result of below 4.5 is considered ok, one of 11.5 should result in further investigation. My two brothers had PSA's of 5.5 and 12, both had prostate cancer, one had the prostate removed the other brachytherapy.
 
I won’t go into my prostate - what’s the point, 80% of members here will have high PSA and enlarged prostate - but as for bloods: get them taken by someone who does it all the time and never by a junior doctor.

Oh yeah . . . I can vouch for this advice. ;)

John
 
Women’s hands and fingers by choice.

If having a Nuffield or BUPA type health check that includes a prostate check, a female doctor is often an option and one that I always choose for that very reason. The annual medical at work was never looked forward to, for the reasons you describe.
 
Oh yeah . . . I can vouch for this advice. ;)

John
I was in Guys 20 years ago for something unrelated, but related in as much as I'm awaiting the dreaded cystoscopy. I was virtually stabbed to death by various junior doctor attempts to drain me of blood.
 
I was in Guys 20 years ago for something unrelated, but related in as much as I'm awaiting the dreaded cystoscopy. I was virtually stabbed to death by various junior doctor attempts to drain me of blood.

It is unfortunate that many patients don’t have the confidence to challenge an inexperienced or inept medic when other options may be available.

Patients are not there for medics to practice on, certainly not without consent.
 
Unfortunately, I was nearly dead at the time.

:)

Aye. Bin there done that.

I had a crap doctor trying to reinsert a nasogastric tube ( tube up the nose which should go down the food pipe for feeding) into my nose when I was blind - she had very poor technique and I was screaming…
The Wife arrived at that moment and went ape! The medic tried to put up an argument, but The Wife was a true advocate and wouldn’t let the doc near me.
This caused all kinds of rumpus, with The Wife having forthright conversations in the privacy of the ward manager’s office with apologetic staff.
I was soo pleased and proud to have Wife on my side.

A decent Nurse would be that advocate in ideal circumstances.
 
Yes, I have a very real fear of hospitals. One tried its absolute best to kill me and a lot of people seem to die in one. (No reflection on nearly all staff who are magnificent, including my sister).
 
It is unfortunate that many patients don’t have the confidence to challenge an inexperienced or inept medic when other options may be available.

Patients are not there for medics to practice on, certainly not without consent.

Of course, all of those experienced and competent doctors got there by practicing!
 
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Of course, all of those experienced and competent doctors got there by practicing!

There is training, part of which I was part of (cannulation) and there is being aware of the clinical situation and the anxiety state of the patient.
And there is the fact that many were simply ineffectual at completing certain tasks that required dexterity and compassion at the same time.
Medics can of course, practice on each other.

The biggest point, is Consent.
Practicing is fine if the patient consents. They can only consent if allowed the opportunity.
 
I think there’s ‘learning on the job’, which is what you’re describing, and practicing which is something different.

In my experience doctors don’t ‘practice’ inserting IV cannulas into patients i.e. putting them in when they are not necessary. There’s so many opportunities to insert them when they are needed that just ‘practising’ is not necessary.
 
I think there’s ‘learning on the job’, which is what you’re describing, and practicing which is something different.

In my experience doctors don’t ‘practice’ inserting IV cannulas into patients i.e. putting them in when they are not necessary. There’s so many opportunities to insert them when they are needed that just ‘practising’ is not necessary.

semantics.

until competent, I would say practicing.
conveniently you ignore my point re consent.

Also I have seen many unnecessary procedures carried out such as cannulation.
I feel that my experience may differ to your experience, so I will leave that there.
 
I believe you work/worked in healthcare as do I (over 30 years now as a nurse in critical care environments).

Semantics? Maybe. But it’s not ‘practising’ in the sense that someone is getting themselves ready for when they will need to do this for real.

I didn’t ignore your point about consent. It just wasn’t the aspect of the debate I was addressing.

The flip side is that patients will also suffer if they have to wait for an experienced practitioner, as their treatment will be delayed and they may deteriorate as a consequence.
 
The flip side is that patients will also suffer if they have to wait for an experienced practitioner, as their treatment will be delayed and they may deteriorate as a consequence.

If it is critical, then any ‘port in a storm.’
Competent is preferable over experienced I reckon.
Our discussion is illustrative of how Medical and Nursing care is not always linear!
and treatment pathways may have more than one route.
 
It's not hard to draw blood, a trained chimp could do it.

I've been regularly pin-cushioned over the last 2 years, and have now found out, that (my) blood won't flow if you are not hydrated enough.

If it's a planned blood test rather than an emergency, then try drinking a litre of water before you set off for the test.

If I thought the extraction might be a few hours away, then I took a bottle of water with me to top-up before the test. This is worth a try for anyone who experiences multiple attempts at extraction.

And it's in my own interests to let medical students have a bash whenever possible.
 
I've been regularly pin-cushioned over the last 2 years, and have now found out, that (my) blood won't flow if you are not hydrated enough.

If it's a planned blood test rather than an emergency, then try drinking a litre of water before you set off for the test.

If I thought the extraction might be a few hours away, then I took a bottle of water with me to top-up before the test. This is worth a try for anyone who experiences multiple attempts at extraction.

+1 on the water bottle ... also had to learn the hard way when a rather curmudgeonly sister had a right go at me for drinking too much coffee (she guessed right)
 


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