My nurse just lied to me!

[jlw617]

Okay let me just preface and tell you that this is going to be rather long so if you read it all thanks so about a week ago I had all my routine bloodwork done for the pregnancy everything came back great except they ran a glucose blood test on me without telling me which is fine except for The fact that the type of test they ran you are supposed to fast for which of course not knowing I did not fast for, plus I have really bad veins and have always been told to eat before getting my blood drawn to make it easier to get blood so that's exactly what I did, I ate literally right before I went and had my lab work done.

For those of you that don't know (I know I didn't before all of this mess happened) a fasting range or a normal fasting range is between 65 and 99 which was stated right on my lab work, my results were 147 which of course is going to be high because I had just eaten! a normal range up to an hour of eating is up to 180 so I was still within range. Well long story short the doctor ordered me to have a glucose test with a nasty glucola drink even though I'm only 10 weeks along now and then I was only nine weeks along with a couple other blood tests which I'm totally fine to get the other ones done but I do not feel it's necessary for me to have the glucola one done right now.

So the nurse told me that I wasn't supposed to fast for this test even though they had the fasting range on there so she's either lying or confused which I think she's just lying, second of all for people not familiar with gestational diabetes, it is rarely diagnosed before 16 weeks, and she again tried to argue with me and be rude and tell me that I was wrong and that it wasn't rare. either way I told her well at this time I don't feel like I need that other test done and she said ultimately it's up to the doctor I didn't say anything else because I was so upset but I should've told her that no it's my decision so next time she calls if they try to force me I'm just going to tell them no. I am so angry, I like the practice I'm seeing, and I just kind of got stuck with this dr my first couple of appointments because my preferred ob was booked, but this is making me think about switching to a totally different practice!

 

[pinkpassion]

Gosh , I'm sorry!!! Sometimes I think medical professionals think they know all and that we know nothing.. but sometimes we really know what we are talking about and are right, I had that happen with my mmc.. But anyway, I would switch if they give you anymore grief!! Or ask them to rerun the first test with you fasting, that would be easier than the glucose test! Sorry you are dealing with that!! Sometimes I feel like when I have a disagreement with a certain nurse we will never see eye to eye because that nurses gets a stick up their hind end about me.. but that's just my personal experience and hasn't happened every time!!

 

[jlw617]

Yeah it's crazy, I have a friend who used to work in the ER and at one point worked in a high risk maternity office, she is very naturally minded now but has told me that when she worked in the medical field they thought people that questioned or wanted more natural alternatives were literally just stupid and uneducated, it's just the way they're taught I guess, it's just really frustrating especially since it's not like I'm completely declining everything all together and told her I'd repeat the the test as well as do the a1c and even offered to keep a log and use a blood sugar monitor if my numbers seemed off after that!

 

[pinkpassion]

wow good for you to offer all that stuff.. I work in the veterinary medical field and I'm sad to say when I first started I was kind of like that, if someone didn't do what I wanted them to do I just shut them down, in time I got more relaxed about it and learned to work with people and not against people, try to work with what fit for people.. I do think it is how you are taught *the standard of medicine* and you care so much you want that for everyone or what you think should be the standard for everyone!! Anyway, I hope it all gets worked out for you!! Hopefully you can talk to your doctor and let her/him know where you are coming from and that you aren't unwilling , just would like to try repeat tests/monitoring first.. That always seems to please them I think!!

 

[mzimm1]

Terrible! Is there a way you can talk to your OB without going through the nurse?

 

[jlw617]

Well I didn't have to, though that was going to be my next step or I was just going to decline it at the lab but I got a call today and they said ok for now let's just do the a1c and this time it was a different nurse and she was really nice about it

 

[CelticNiamh]

depending on where you are they do two types of test one you do not need to be fasting for and then the normal GTT not sure why they do the first one as GD is hormonal based so it is the fasting levels that really need to be watched

your right though I say you are ok and do not have GD but she is right that it can for some come on as early as 10 weeks in pregnancy as it does for me (thanks hormones ) I was on insulin at 16 weeks in my last pregnancy as soon as I get close to the placenta taking over I show signs and my morning fasting levels begin to rise.

I am thankfully being monitored closely but I do not mind I know I need it!

the A1C is a great idea and suggest a fasting blood sugar test if needed

 

[jlw617]

Thanks Celtic, yeah I know the test they used should have technically been a fasting one because the range they had right next to my results were for a fasting range (65-99) oh well though this lady was much nicer to me so I'm not as upset anymore

I know it's possible to be diagnosed before the 16 week mark, but it is more rare right? Plus I was only 9 weeks at the time of testing so it was really early and with no previous history I just felt like she was jumping the gun.

 

[CelticNiamh]

Thanks Celtic, yeah I know the test they used should have technically been a fasting one because the range they had right next to my results were for a fasting range (65-99) oh well though this lady was much nicer to me so I'm not as upset anymore

I know it's possible to be diagnosed before the 16 week mark, but it is more rare right? Plus I was only 9 weeks at the time of testing so it was really early and with no previous history I just felt like she was jumping the gun.

it would be rare for someone with no previous history but not for someone with previous history like me

I am 9 weeks and it is back all ready

 

[jlw617]

Thanks Celtic, yeah I know the test they used should have technically been a fasting one because the range they had right next to my results were for a fasting range (65-99) oh well though this lady was much nicer to me so I'm not as upset anymore

I know it's possible to be diagnosed before the 16 week mark, but it is more rare right? Plus I was only 9 weeks at the time of testing so it was really early and with no previous history I just felt like she was jumping the gun.

it would be rare for someone with no previous history but not for someone with previous history like me


I am 9 weeks and it is back all ready

Oh no, I'm sorry! That's part of the reason I felt like they were jumping the gun, I had no prior history! I hope you have a great pregnancy!

 

[MrsB72]

I think it's weird that they want to do fasting tests on pregnant women anyway... As well as having them drink that sugary syrup crap.

 

[RubyRedLips]

My hospital tests/screens for GD early if you have risk factors like a high BMI. I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's always best to catch problems as soon as possible so they can be managed.

 

[jlw617]

My hospital tests/screens for GD early if you have risk factors like a high BMI. I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's always best to catch problems as soon as possible so they can be managed.

I agree but think that other tests should be done first (like a normal blood test they did on me except didn't tell me I needed to fast beforehand) before taking a test like that.

 

[MrsStutler]

Sounds like the lab and the office were getting themselves confused, it happens a lot. For a regular just blood glucose test you do have to fast and the lab SHOULD ask you if you are fasting before the draw you and if you say no they should send you away to come back the next day and draw you then.

The glucose tolerance test doesn't necessarily have to be fasting. Different labs and doctors have different ideas on how to do the test. Some look more at the curve of how the blood sugar changes regardless of the numbers and others look more at the actual numbers (ie if your 1hr blood sugar is below 180)

At any rate it's pretty abnormal for a definitive diagnosis to be made on either of those tests, they are just a screening tool and not meant to 100% diagnose GD without any further investigation. If you have previous history or lots of risk factors then it wouldn't be unheard of to be screened/tested and then diagnosed early in pregnancy but it would probably be more related to your health history than the pregnancy. The A1C gives you the most accurate picture and is the standard test used to diagnose diabetes, gestational or not.

Your nurse probably didn't lie to you but assumed one testing protocol and the lab used another.

 

[CelticNiamh]

It's ok I expected it as long as it's controlled now thats more important it will be worth it in the end with a healthy baby and it will go then

 

[jlw617]

Sounds like the lab and the office were getting themselves confused, it happens a lot. For a regular just blood glucose test you do have to fast and the lab SHOULD ask you if you are fasting before the draw you and if you say no they should send you away to come back the next day and draw you then.

The glucose tolerance test doesn't necessarily have to be fasting. Different labs and doctors have different ideas on how to do the test. Some look more at the curve of how the blood sugar changes regardless of the numbers and others look more at the actual numbers (ie if your 1hr blood sugar is below 180)

At any rate it's pretty abnormal for a definitive diagnosis to be made on either of those tests, they are just a screening tool and not meant to 100% diagnose GD without any further investigation. If you have previous history or lots of risk factors then it wouldn't be unheard of to be screened/tested and then diagnosed early in pregnancy but it would probably be more related to your health history than the pregnancy. The A1C gives you the most accurate picture and is the standard test used to diagnose diabetes, gestational or not.

Your nurse probably didn't lie to you but assumed one testing protocol and the lab used another.

Maybe she didn't "knowingly" lie if that makes sense but I was being overly nice because I knew they weren't going to be happy that I was "challenging" them, but it's pretty hard to be that oblivious when the labs themselves state the type of test it is based off of fasting range numbers, Kwim? I was discussing this with a couple people and the idea of "blindly" sending me in for that sort of test was not very smart, for example, what if they sent me in for a 3 hr blood glucose and I didn't know it, my numbers again would have been off quite a bit because I may or may not have just eaten...I just feel like this particular dr and nurse were not being up front and the nurse was very very defensive and argumentative, I have rights as a patient and she was acting like I didn't.