Waiting for an ultrasound

This past Tuesday I was told they were ordering an abdominal ultrasound. I wondered if the mobile x-ray company would do it. I wondered how long it would take and when they would schedule it.

This morning while I was riding down the hallway. I heard the assistant director of nursing tell my nurse she had a call about my ultrasound. I never thought to ask my nurse what that call was about..

I rode up and down the hallway to keep myself occupied until lunchtime. I was very chilly because it was cooler out today.

When it was 11:30 a.m., I headed to the dining room to get my lunch. When I got there it looked like everyone had been served. I wondered why no one was looking for me to make sure I came to lunch. It almost seemed like the aides were ignoring me.

I went over to an empty chair, but when no one came to move it, I lingered a bit, and left the dining room. I came back in and asked where they wanted me to sit. One of the aides took me to an empty spot.

As I sat there, my nurse walked in and told me I was having an abdominal ultrasound at 2 PM and could not have any lunch. She said I was allowed to have water. She apologized for getting to tell me. My nurse was on orientation and today there was no other nurse right beside her to oversee what she was doing. Therefore, she was behind and befuddled.

Even though I was hungry, and wanted to cancel the ultrasound, I went to my aide and asked if she would set me up at my desktop PC so I'd have something to do until 2 PM. I was also told not to go to the bathroom because my bladder need to be full for the ultrasound.

After I was at my desktop PC, and I started working on some tasks.

When I got to be 2:15 p.m and no mobile x-ray tech had shown, I called the facility's number to find out if the mobile x-ray unit was still coming. Since I was put on hold the first time and got no answer, I called and talked to another staffer who said she would check up about the ultrasound. I also advised her it had been over five hours since I went to the bathroom.

I sat there, in front of my desktop and wondered if someone could find out what was happening.

Finally, sometime after 2:30 p.m the assistant business manager said I could go to the bathroom. She said I needed to get in bed because the mobile x-ray tech was on her way. By the time I got into bed, and got ready, the ultrasound tech was knocking on the door.

I was surprised the abdominal ultrasound took one and one half hours to complete.