About 4 weeks ago a lab tech came to my house to draw my blood (for life insurance purposes).
The tech was an hour late and he was visibly sick (excessive coughing, sniffling, etc.)
From the get go, everything just didn't feel good. He forgot to swab my arm down, didn't give me a paper for my records, etc. Everything he did was just sloppy, rushed, and "unprofessional."
After he drew my blood and left, that's when the panic slowly crept into my mind. He was sick and hadn't washed his hands.
So all of these thoughts flooded into my brain. What if he had pricked his hand by accident and then used it to draw my blood?
Perhaps the above is maybe my anxiety speaking.
Couple days after I start experiencing a tightness in my chest and feeling very winded.
But a week after I had the blood draw, I started getting nausea.
The nausea is better now. I had bad nausea for about 3 weeks.
I also had severe headaches about a 1 1/2 weeks after the draw. The headaches seemed to last for about 2 weeks. The headaches have subsided now.
I'm scared now because are these possible seroconversion symptoms? They came for 2-3 weeks and now they went away.
Hi, I can sympathise with what you are going through as I worry about the same type scenarios. I have learned to take immediate action, if things don't seem right. At the point where I noticed he looked sick - I would have said NO ! we are not doing this today. He would say why, and I'd tell him the obvious - Your Sick ! -- I learned my lesson when a cook at a famous breakfast restaurant with initials (W.H.) - looked pale and sick and I ate the food he prepaired - it was the worst flu I ever had.
Anyhow - the symptoms you have described are most likely from the extreme stress you are experiencing from your phlebotomist encounter.. AND you may have also picked up the same bug he had.
Your concern with the "what if's" and that he may have infected you with HIV, could be possible, but Not Very Likely. (and further it could only be possible, if he in fact has the virus himself - you cant get it from someone that doesn't have it.)
However - Just to be sure, it may be a good idea to be tested at the 90 day mark, so you can put it out of your mind. Good luck - and remember - never be shy to take control, partcularly when your health is concerned. Stay in touch, I would like to hear the outcome - and try not to worry..
It doesn't help that this morning I started noticing some white spots inside my mouth.
What are the chances he pricked himself or used a dirty needle?
I had a 4th gen duo test at the 26th day mark and the results came back negative.
I was in a good mood until I was looking at the other results of my bloodwork. The bloodwork stated that my total protein was slightly high (8.3 g/dL). I did some researching and saw that elevated total protein could be a sign of infection i.e. hiv/aids. Then I started getting worried again.
Would a 4th gen duo test at 26 days be conclusive? Also, even though my total protein is slightly high, wouldn't the 4th gen duo test have found anything?
Doesn't help that the roof of my mouth started hurting today.