Who knew an Advanced Imaging Center, including a Blood Work Lab, was in this building? Not me.
My Cardiologist, who sees patients at Fort Norfolk Medical Plaza & this Sentara Building in Chesapeake, regularly sends me for Blood Work. I've always gone to Sentara Leigh, which I prefer to any other Lab.
Last week I saw his Nurse Practitioner, who also ordered Blood Work. She told me, much to my surprise, I could just go downstairs & get it done now.
I found the Advanced Imaging Center at the back of the building, down a long hall. So I'm not surprised that I had never seen it.
Walk in to a large waiting room that was almost empty. I'm sure that I must have come in close to closing time.
The one thing I didn't like was having to check in on a computer touch screen. My mind went in the direction of who might have touched it with what germs. When you're on strong immunosuppressants, germs are a frightening thing. It seems that it would have been just as easy to walk to the employee at the empty counter.
But everyone was helpful & friendly. I apologized to the Lab Technician that I had worn a long sleeved top that wouldn't push up. I had not been aware that there was a Sentara Lab in the facility. She said she could use my hand. That wasn't a problem for me since I have all my infusions in my hand. She took the blood, put several strips of medical tape over cotton on my hand & sent me on my way. It was really nice to get more covering than a bandaid.
Stopping at the door I took advantage of the hand sanitizer on the wall. Walking to the car I thought the hand sanitizer must have gotten really liquid. I then felt the bandage coming off my hand on one side. It wasn't until I got in the car & commented to my friend who drove me that it felt like the bandage was coming off.
We both looked at my hand. It wasn't hand sanitizer. It was blood pouring out of my hand & dripping on my clothes. My friend said I had to go back in. I agreed & really hoped they hadn't locked the door.
As I walked in, dripping blood, the person behind the counter jumped up & exclaimed something that I don't remember. I heard someone in the back say, "I heard. I'm coming."
It was my Lab Technician. She knew just what to do. She took my friend & I to her lab, sent me to a sink & had me soap my hands over and over again. That finally stopped the bleeding. She bandaged my entire hand as if it had suffered a trauma. The helpful lady even gave advice as to what to use to get the blood from my clothing. I felt safe & well taken care of.
And no, I don't feel the excess bleeding was because of my Lab Technician. I suspect a new drug I'm taking. This was the first "stick" since I started it.
I was very impressed with the way the Advanced Imaging Center took care of me at a time when they must have been closing for the day.
The location is in the Sentara building on Volvo Parkway. Exit I-64 towards Greenbrier. Take a right on Volvo. The building sits back from the road on the east side. Once inside the building, go straight down the first floor hall until you dead end into the Advanced Imaging Center.
Don't expect the results to show up on MyChart until the next day, since I'm pretty certain it must be sent to a hospital for processing. But if you are seeing a physician whose office is in the same building, it sure beats going to a hospital the next day. And they were really nice & caring to me. read more