Pennsylvania, December 2018 - present
I have been very distracted and overwhelmed lately, mainly due to my 15 y/o son who has recently become chronically ill. With all of what's been going on, it seems to be the reason I had managed to block out much of the trauma he experienced at our last visit to the LabCorp office last month. However, with our doctor's orders for new blood work to be drawn this week, those memories of what happened came rushing back with a vengeance.
Since that visit, my son has developed a sense of dread when visiting his regular doctors, let alone going to have his blood drawn. He is terribly afraid of another painful incident and has been extraordinarily reluctant, protesting, crying and vociferously stating that he won't go. A procedure that used to be considered normal or that caused a reasonable level of discomfort has become a situation that fills my son with paralyzing trepidation.
Frankly, he's scared to death. My anger over what happened has been reignited. I have never sued anybody for anything before. I also have never been treated as poorly as my son was by LabCorp's employees. I think we are due to be recompensed for the trauma he suffered that day, and that continues to impact our lives.
One would hope that any of the professional phlebotomists working with my son that day would have considered the potential impact and negative effects caused by drawing 9 adult-sized vials of blood from a sickly 80 pound boy (who had been under strict orders to fast for 12 hours prior to the donation).
As one might reasonably expect, about 3/4 o the way through the donor procedure, the color drained from my son's face and he turned ashen. He remarked that he had started feeling nauseous. As the phlebotomist began to fill another vial, my son started jabbering incoherently, and then passed out cold in the chair. Why wasn't he laying down for such a substantial donation of his blood?! Why were there no other precautions taken or suggested by LabCorp staff?
What made things even worse is that when my son began to regain consciousness, the staff refused to give the boy any kind of juice, crackers, water, or any form of sustenance that would help him to bounce back. So he passed out once again. Throughout my entire life I have either personally experienced or I have watched others showing the effects of giving blood. Every single time the nurse or phlebotomist quickly provided some form of sustenance and encouraged it to be eaten or imbibed, in order to help offset the blood loss.
I was stunned at being told it was Lab Corps policy to not provide any kind of food or beverage to patients (even when in distress!). So with my son slipping in and out of consciousness, crying, foolishly babbling and exhibiting the obvious symptoms of blood-loss, I was forced to leave him by himself. Worse, I had to leave him while he was being jostled and lightly slapped while being yelled at to WAKE UP and SIT UP! I then had to run across a busy 4-lane highway, through the morning rush hour, to go to the closest store to buy something for my son to eat and drink.
All told, it took me about 15 minutes to get back to my son's side. All the time i was gone that he was under the care of LabCorps staff (supposedly), my son was dry heaving and suffering alone, in substantial distress, while laying against the side of the toilet and disgustingly on the floor of the public bathroom. Within minutes of taking a couple of sips of orange juice he began to improve. After further stabilizing the boy an feeding him a little bit of a muffin, he was described as well-enough to finish up, and LabCorp staff filled the rest of the remaining tubules.
The topper of the day was the obnoxious and ill-timed parting advice that was given to me by LabCorp's front desk staff person as I was walking through the crowded waiting room for all to hear. I had to endure the ignominy of being told that I should have taken my son to a location where they offer the option to lay while donating. It was clearly stated as if it's common knowledge, implying I had been remiss in not thinking of that obvious precaution.
My son was nauseous and complained of feeling horrible for that day and the next, missing two full days of classes. Coupled with the trauma induced issues that have presented and persisted since the original incident, I feel that LabCorp bears some responsibility.
Was should i do?
I have been very distracted and overwhelmed lately, mainly due to my 15 y/o son who has recently become chronically ill. With all of what's been going on, it seems to be the reason I had managed to block out much of the trauma he experienced at our last visit to the LabCorp office last month. However, with our doctor's orders for new blood work to be drawn this week, those memories of what happened came rushing back with a vengeance.
Since that visit, my son has developed a sense of dread when visiting his regular doctors, let alone going to have his blood drawn. He is terribly afraid of another painful incident and has been extraordinarily reluctant, protesting, crying and vociferously stating that he won't go. A procedure that used to be considered normal or that caused a reasonable level of discomfort has become a situation that fills my son with paralyzing trepidation.
Frankly, he's scared to death. My anger over what happened has been reignited. I have never sued anybody for anything before. I also have never been treated as poorly as my son was by LabCorp's employees. I think we are due to be recompensed for the trauma he suffered that day, and that continues to impact our lives.
One would hope that any of the professional phlebotomists working with my son that day would have considered the potential impact and negative effects caused by drawing 9 adult-sized vials of blood from a sickly 80 pound boy (who had been under strict orders to fast for 12 hours prior to the donation).
As one might reasonably expect, about 3/4 o the way through the donor procedure, the color drained from my son's face and he turned ashen. He remarked that he had started feeling nauseous. As the phlebotomist began to fill another vial, my son started jabbering incoherently, and then passed out cold in the chair. Why wasn't he laying down for such a substantial donation of his blood?! Why were there no other precautions taken or suggested by LabCorp staff?
What made things even worse is that when my son began to regain consciousness, the staff refused to give the boy any kind of juice, crackers, water, or any form of sustenance that would help him to bounce back. So he passed out once again. Throughout my entire life I have either personally experienced or I have watched others showing the effects of giving blood. Every single time the nurse or phlebotomist quickly provided some form of sustenance and encouraged it to be eaten or imbibed, in order to help offset the blood loss.
I was stunned at being told it was Lab Corps policy to not provide any kind of food or beverage to patients (even when in distress!). So with my son slipping in and out of consciousness, crying, foolishly babbling and exhibiting the obvious symptoms of blood-loss, I was forced to leave him by himself. Worse, I had to leave him while he was being jostled and lightly slapped while being yelled at to WAKE UP and SIT UP! I then had to run across a busy 4-lane highway, through the morning rush hour, to go to the closest store to buy something for my son to eat and drink.
All told, it took me about 15 minutes to get back to my son's side. All the time i was gone that he was under the care of LabCorps staff (supposedly), my son was dry heaving and suffering alone, in substantial distress, while laying against the side of the toilet and disgustingly on the floor of the public bathroom. Within minutes of taking a couple of sips of orange juice he began to improve. After further stabilizing the boy an feeding him a little bit of a muffin, he was described as well-enough to finish up, and LabCorp staff filled the rest of the remaining tubules.
The topper of the day was the obnoxious and ill-timed parting advice that was given to me by LabCorp's front desk staff person as I was walking through the crowded waiting room for all to hear. I had to endure the ignominy of being told that I should have taken my son to a location where they offer the option to lay while donating. It was clearly stated as if it's common knowledge, implying I had been remiss in not thinking of that obvious precaution.
My son was nauseous and complained of feeling horrible for that day and the next, missing two full days of classes. Coupled with the trauma induced issues that have presented and persisted since the original incident, I feel that LabCorp bears some responsibility.
Was should i do?