I was kicked out of the PRACS study.
Before you decide that I'm some crazy bad-ass... it wasn't really my fault. Here's a closer look.
Saturday 2:30 arrive -- have my bags searched
have blood drawn to make sure I'm not pregnant
select a bed in the women's dorm room... all the bottom bunks are taken.
Saturday 6:00 pm -- eat a low cal meal and am forced to drink all the liquids provided... a cup of lukewarm water (I can handle that) and then ...... a carton of MILK... Gulp. No one mentioned there would be milk required. Sure, take my blood 40 times... but don't make me drink milk, for the love of God.
The rest of the evening was "our time" hanging out there until light's out at 11:00 pm. Of course I already felt sick from no caffeine (I had to quit all caffeine, alcohol, grapefruit prodcuts, chocolate on the previous Thursday) and the damn milk. I finally just went to bed.
Sunday 5:45 am -- we were awakened and told we'd need to be ready by 6:30 (since the 66 participants had been divided into two groups and I was in group 2). for a blood pressure reading and to drink a glass of water and to have my blood drawn.... From this point on and for the five hours after the drug is administered we are not allowed to leave the tables in the common room where we sat in order for easy organized blood draws and blood pressure checks. Movies were playing: She's the Man, Failure to Launch, Screwed, The Family Stone, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Varsity Blues. I read my book, watched Alias on my laptop until the battery died (didn't have an extension cord to reach the outlet from my seat). It was freezing in that room. I was huddled under my big blanket and still in my pajamas.
Sunday 7:45 am -- drug was administered in a timed fashion. Had to drink another 8 fl. oz. of water and have my mouth checked to be sure I swallowed the pill. Felt like I was in a mental institution.
Sunday 8:00 am -- blood was drawn.
Sunday 8:15 am -- blood was drawn.
Sunday 8:45 am -- drank a glass of lukewarm water and blood was drawn.
Sunday 9:15 am -- blood was drawn.
Sunday 9:45 am -- struggled to drink the water on my churning empty stomach... begged for food.... could tell I was getting all hypoglycemic.... my blood was drawn and I puked halfway through the blood draw. I still had to finish my water and had my blood redrawn. I felt much better.
Sunday 10:15 am -- blood was drawn.
Sunday 10:45 am -- drank a glass of water and my blood was drawn.
Sunday 11:45 am -- blood was drawn.
Sunday Noon -- Low-cal lunch served. More milk.
Sunday 12:45 pm -- blood was drawn and now I am free to move about the facility. I return to the dorm and sitting cross-legged on the floor lest I give in to temptation and lie down (we must remain "upright" for 12 hours after dosing) I watch Alias episodes from season two. This continues for the afternoon.
Sunday 1:45 pm -- drank a glass of water and my blood was drawn. Take a shower and change clothes.
Sunday 3:45 pm -- blood was drawn.
Sunday 5:45 pm -- blood was drawn.
Sunday 6:00 pm -- Dinner is served. Guess what, more milk.
Sunday 7:45 pm -- drank a glass of water and blood was drawn and am now allowed to lie flat. Ahhhh...
Sunday 10:00 pm -- go to sleep on the top bunk.
Monday 6:30 am -- they woke us up to prepare for blood draw.
Monday 7:45 am -- blood was drawn and I was free to leave.
Monday 7:25 pm -- return to the center to have my vitals taken and blood drawn and was told that the drug company decided not to use my data because they felt my results were unreliable since I may have thrown up some of the drug when I threw up my half cup of water. No need for me to have my blood drawn or to return for any more (two more returns were scheduled) OR to return for the next weekend. I was really disappointed. I had been chanting the dollar amount in my mind in order to make it through this hell... and now I didn't know what would happen.
Tuesday 10:00 am -- received a phone call asking me for an exit physical later in the day and the study leader assured me that she did some checking and I'd get the FULL AMOUNT for the aborted study since I was already accounted for and I did nothing to willingly violate the results. Incredible.
2 comments:
That's a winner. Nice one getting the cash and not having to do the whole study! Now don't do any more please madam, or I'll come over there and slap you.
I was already looking to see if they had any upcoming studies that would work with my schedule... sorry, chica, but this is like a goldmine! It's not like these are experimental drugs that haven't been tested... these are generic versions of existing drugs... I'm not too worried.
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