Thursday, January 19, 2006

Lab Technicians and Other Para Professionals Make a Big Difference

This morning I read reports on a couple of different list servs that I belong to about parents having trouble with their children pariticipating in lab tests. I thought of how fortunate we are to have had Jeff to get us started on the right attitude about lab work because it has been so necessary for Billy Ray.

When Billy Ray came to us at 15 months old he had chronic ear infections and malnutrition. It took his developmental pediatirican a long time to get the infections stable enough to have tubes put in his ears. Then he grew and developed so fast they kept falling out. Each time he had to have surgery he had to have blood work.

Jeff was one of the lab techs at Kaiser Permanente. He was always so gentle and made it fun for Billy Ray even when he still sat on my lap with a bottle in his mouth.

Later Billy Ray had to have medication that was blood level for his bipolar so we had to do frequent blood tests. We worked them around Jeff's days off because it made such a difference in how it went for us.

We are in a different area now. However, the lab technician at LaPine Clinic, Dan (BR pronounces it "Damn" but Dan is a good sport about it) and Billy Ray have become buds like Jeff and BR were. It helps so much when he is comfortable. He is the only kid I know who wants to go to the lab.

Until tomorrow,
Peggy Lou Morgan
www.parentingyourcomplexchild.com
www.lighthouseparents.com

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