I 29M recently started a new medication which was causing bloating and constipation. I went to a clinic nearby and saw a general practitioner and based on my medical history he recommended that I do a stool(poo) test. I’ve never done it before so had no clue how it worked and was a bit embarrassed, prior to my appointment I had to wait at the GP for about forty minutes because of delays I had parked my car a couple of streets away and had only one hour parking so was in a rush to move it.
My gut issues were also causing brain fog and anxiety and as a result I made a blunder and did not collect the stool sample kit. I was not even aware that I was supposed to do this and didn’t know what a stool sample kit was.
I managed to move my car on time without copping a fine and continued with my day. I made sure that I ate plenty of fruits and vegetables and drank lots of water.
The next morning I took a new 2L tupperware container and filled it with poo closed the lid, put the container in a paper bag and put in an envelope and drove to the
laboratory, I went to the desk gave them the paperwork from the doctor and when asked for the sample took out the tupperware and kept it on desk. The attendant a lady in her late forties was shocked and had a look of horror on her face and said you are supposed to collect the sample kit from the lab and bring it back to us she showed me the sample kit and it was container size of my finger with a tiny spoon. I was standing there like an idiot with this tupperware full of poo, the attendant started laughing. I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life! but it gets worse as one of the lab assistants show up which turns out to be a girl from my crossfit class. As the attendant was trying to explain her what happened I stormed out.
I ended up submitting my sample at a location 20 km away from my house at a different branch and haven’t been to crossfit class for a week, I have this feeling that everyone knows and it’s driving me crazy.
TLDR; I was asked to do a stool test, did not collect the stool sample kit and submitted a kilogram of poo in a 2 litre tupperware container.
Comments
I know this is hard emotionally, but none of the people at that clinic woke up one day and decided “I’m going to play with samples for a living!”. They’re medical professionals who went to school/got training for this and honestly you probably made everyone’s week in an otherwise pretty monotonous job with a lot of paperwork.
I promise, it’ll never come up if you see the woman from your CrossFit class again. If it does, there’s boards you can rightfully report her to for breaching confidentiality; she can’t even legally acknowledge she’s seen you at work unless you do first.
I’m sorry OP but that is amazingly hilarious. I wouldn’t even be embarrassed if that happened to me I would genuinely be telling all my friends about it
I’m thinking maybe the real story here isn’t just the oversized sample, but how incredibly resourceful someone was to transport that much… material, and I guess I just hope they found a way to laugh it off eventually because I would really be mortified, and that cat of mine would probably be judging me extra hard if I pulled a stunt like that.
Well, shit…
I’m still picturing the lab tech’s face, it was probably a mix of shock and laughter., and I’m trying not to laugh too hard myself, because, wow, that’s quite the story, and a friend of mine told me that happens sometimes when people are tired, and I think I will remember that forever.
Don’t be embarrassed. My dad brought in a stool sample in a zip lock bag and plopped it right on the desk for the nurse.
So, uh, did you just run that Tupperware through the dishwasher, or what?
2kg of poo and your wondering why you’re bloated?
You are not the first or the last person to bring in a stool sample this way.
Try to laugh it off. The staff did.
Hopefully the results of the test were negative.
Thank you for the post and the humor you generated because that was positive.
I was 18 and told to pee in a cup at a clinic. They didn’t tell me to leave it in there, so I was walking around with my little Dixie cup full of pee, to give back to the nurse lady. When I found her, her eyes bugged out of her head and she yelled at me for walking around with my pee cup. 🤦♀️ so that was embarrassing, and now every time someone tells me to pee in a cup, I make sure to ask for specific instructions on what to do with it when I’m done.
I found a video of his stool being examined.
Holy shit.
TWO liters?!?!
The way I burst out laughing when you said Tupperware 😂😂😂. OP I know this is so embarrassing for you but 1. Amazing job as a late 20s man to actually prioritize his healthcare and follow through with this test because I assure you, most would not and 2. In the words of the great Forrest Gump “shit happens “
I’ve worked in a lab for 10+ years, we’ve received worse (wrapped in toilet paper in a zip lock bag). I’m not actually surprised that you thought to use your own container not knowing there was a correct one.
It was completely unprofessional that they laughed at you, we would normally reserve that for behind closed doors with no patients in hearing range, like the time someone brought in a sperm sample in a zip lock bag from home. We had to straight face tell them it had to be fresh and in a sterile container..
The job is often very stressful and it’s important to have comedic relief when we can, but never where it would make someone feel bad.
I know it doesn’t feel like it, but it’s not nearly as big of a deal as you think it is. I am a nurse and we all know that our jobs are somewhat strange and we ask people to do strange things, like collecting a stool sample. It makes for some surprising interpretations of instructions, but things get lost in translation/interpretation all the time.
We get a lot of difficult, angry people in our jobs. Someone who is easy going about these sorts of things makes our day/jobs a lot easier. Sure, you interpreted this one thing incorrectly, but you were onboard with whatever your doctor needed and just did it. Cool.
Just try to have a good sense of humor about it and laugh at yourself if it ever comes up in conversation. No need to hide.
I done this before and they give me the proper kit to take home so I could cut up my own turd and put it in the test tub for the instead of a tub with poo 😀 lol
I work in a medical office and people have brought many different bodily fluids/solids into the clinic in various containers. Tupperware, ziploc baggies, plastic bottles, styrofoam cups, you name it.
I can almost guarantee you’re not the first and you won’t be the last.
My friend had to have an operation on his nuts when he was 19 and was told to ‘shave the left hand side’. He shaved the entire left hand side of his body. He’s 52 now. Your story is genuinely hilarious and i think you’ll find a lot of people agree and sympathise!
My mother worked at a medical lab on Long Island. One of the patients submitted a stool sample on a matchbook. I can only imagine the look on her face when he handed it to her.
10/10 TIFU. This is what I come to the sub for.
Wear a poop emoji shirt to cross fit!
Dude this is hilarious.
You didn’t bring a sample, you brought the entire load.
“This should be enough” slaps tupperware container
i am a lab tech and have gotten stool samples in medicine bottles before
dont be embarrassed
we’ve seen it all
I work in a medical lab, this happens all the time, we truly don’t care 🙂 Shitty that you have to do another collection, though….
I was getting a medical for a job. Had to provide a urine sample. I found out later from a guy who got hired the same day as I did. We both did medical and urine sample same day/time.
Apparently nurse told home he didn’t need to fill the bottle to the top. She said while gesturing to me “don’t be like that guy and fill it all the way up… 1/3-1/2 is all we need”
I managed a lab for many years; believe me when I tell you, this is NOT uncommon. 😆
People brought in their poo is weirder containers; don’t sweat it!
Thank you for posting this! It makes me feel better about when I was living in Boston MA (Boston proper) and had to take my samples in on the orange line.
The lab tech when your dropped off your poo bag