Dr. Terracina wrote me an order for an EKG... No problem I think... I show up at the hospital and check in and wait my turn. Pretty soon some old man comes out pulling along an EKG machine. He takes me to a room and tells me to have a seat. Weird I think but ok. I sit down and he tells me to pull up my shirt. I had on one of those really tight (sort of like a compression garment) shirts that I usually wear under a regular shirt. I told him I didn't think I could pull it up, but I could pull it down. I sat there waitng for him to offer me a hospital gown... nothing happened... ok I think I will stand up and he will pull one out and hand it to me and leave the room. He just stands there. He says I need to get to your chest and the area below the chest. I take off my outer shirt and think .. ok now he will offer me something to cover with.... nothing .... oh well I think... I pulled my shirt down while this idiot is staring at me. I guess he liked my 40DDs. Well he says, at least you have a bra on. Most people who come in here don't have one on. This whole experience kinda left me with the creeps. Afterwards it is off to my PCP to pick up the prescription for my ADD meds. I arrive at the office and the secretary says... you have to give us a urine sample first... What? You must have me mixed with someone else. Secretary: No... We have to have a urine sample... Me: What for? Secretary: The doctor wants to make sure you are taking your meds right... Me:( Blood pressure starts to rise but decide I will play along for a moment). Oh.. well I talked to her about that about 2 months ago. She knows how I take it. Secretary: Well she wants to make sure you are doing it right. Me: (Loses it) I am not senile and I know how I am supposed to take my meds. Further more, I am not abusing it. I do not even get my prescrition filled right on time because sometimes I do not take it on weekends because I am not working. Secretary: well she needs to make sure. Me: What ? Is she that paranoid or is she trying to earn extra money? Secretary: No not at all. Me: then what? Secretary: NO urine sample no prescription...

Needless to say...I am now shopping for a new PCP... And thinking about who is the appropriate person to complain to at the hospital.

Khy

Well I don't know about the urine sample thing...that seems rather odd. I would be asking a whole lot of questions on that one!

But for the EGK, for my pre-op, they just leaned me back in a chair and the gal had me lift my shirt and she stuck all the little stickies with wires all over my chest/abdomen and the little machine took it's readings. I've had 3 EKG's in my life and they were all like that. So I don't think you are going to get much privacy there. Except your bra.

My EKG was the same way. A little side room with a recliner. The anesthesiologist even came in during my EKG and was looking in my mouth and asking me questions as I sat there, reclined, with my shirt pulled up under my chin. I consider it this way: a lot of those same people are going to see me layed out nekkid on a surgical table, girl parts and all. That makes me not so shy about a fat, pale abdomen.

I have no idea about urine testing for ADD meds. I'm not on any prescriptions, but I've never heard of having to provide a urine sample to get a rx filled. Maybe it's something specific to the medication?

The urine sample would have been testing to see if you had an effective dosage in your system. Therapeutic drug monitoring is the term that should have been used by your PCP's office.

Or another scenario could be to see if you are taking the medication. I think doctors are having to cover their butts due to some scammers out there and so everyone has to be tested to make sure they are validly prescribing the medication.

Well it felt really odd to pull down my shirt with the old man just standing there and staring at me while I did it. Called the hospital and complained. They said it seems they need to do a bit more training and it should have never happened like that.

As for the ADD meds... an effective dose for one person is not an effective dose for another. With adderal...doseages vary widely. I take 30mg a day but I know people who weigh less than I do that take 60mg. Asking the patient if the meds are doing what they are supposed to is a much better way of determining if you have an effective amount in your system. I was a Med. tech for years before I became a teacher. What she was looking for was evidence of abuse or evidence that the drug was being sold on the street. I Have never abused it. I often don't take the meds on weekends because I don't need it. That does not mean I sell it on the street. I just don't ask for the prescription to be filled until I run out. What she is doing is covering her butt and I get charged for it. I don't appreciate that. If she wants to cover her butt then she needs to pay for it. Needless to say, I am looking for a new PCP.

Khy

The dude with EKG was a total creep, and the secretary had no manners or common sense whatsoever.