It was the most uncomfortable experience ever!
Wondering how it feels like to have a PCR swab test? Well, let me tell you my experience and how it was.
My first test was done as I was not feeling well and had a sore throat. So for prevention measures, my company sent me to go and have myself tested to make sure that I am just okay and to ensure the safety of the entire company plus my workmates. Just to confirm, I tested negative.
I was so confident that it will be fine. As a healthcare professional, I know diagnostic tests are more than often uncomfortable. Even the simplest prick is causing someone to feel uncomfortable.
So for me, in the beginning, I was like, what can go wrong right? I know how it works, I have done it with patients before, so this should be just alright. That was what I thought given the confidence that it is not going to hurt or what.
Well, I was wrong about that. The nasal swab is one of the most uncomfortable tests I ever experienced in my life. I would say one of the most painful as well. You know that feeling that there is a stick with a cotton bud at the end being pushed down in your nostril so deep that it reaches something you can’t even explain.
So here are my tips to aid you during the entire test:
- Stay still – moving your head will only make it worst, so try not to move.
- Hold your breath – by holding your breath for a second or two, it will be easier for you to concentrate and easier for the healthcare professional to do his or her job
- Close your eyes – while the test is being done, try to close your eyes to prevent you from seeing anything to lessen anxiety
- Condition your mind – before you do the test, accept that there will be a time you will feel uncomfortable for you not to be surprised when it happens
- Clean your nose – prior to the test make sure you cleaned your nostrils and removed any dried nasal mucus or booger as serves as an obstruction
It is never easy to undergo such kind of test but given the current situation we are in right now, we need to always remember that it is important for us to know that these kind of tests will determine your safety and the people around you.
If you do feel anything and you feel like you need to be tested, have yourself checked. The only way for us to be safe is to be mindful and responsible.