Needles, Blood Tests and Shots... OH MY

You know growing up I had to have blood test once a week for almost a year because I had the symptoms of Rheumatic fever. One time, at the age of 5, I went to sit in the seat and a beginning phlebotomist was given the job of sticking me with the needle to take my blood. I have horrible veins, did then and they are worse now… this phlebotomist couldn’t find the vein and decided to just stick the needle in my arm and then find the vein. I still remember the scream I let out, I remember my mother running into the testing room and being very upset with the doctor who put this girl in charge. To this day every time I go to have a blood test I cringe.

You know when you have a baby, maybe you don’t know, but when you have a baby you have to get stuck with more times, with more kinds of needles then you care to count. A few weeks ago I went to get another blood test, this time to see if I had gestational diabetes. I sat in the chair and waited for the phlebotomists to take my blood. A week before I had been in the same office and the tech that day listened to me when I told her I had bad veins, listened when I told her what arm to use, and wham bam she found a vein and I was in and out of the office. This week however… I GOT THE NEW GIRL!!!! She didn’t listen to me. She took that rubber band and put it on one arm poked and poked and poked. Then she put it on the other arm and poked and poked and poked. FINALLY she found a vein. Instead of leaving her finger on the vein, leaving the rubber band on my arm, BEING READY TO JUST TAKE THE DAMN BLOOD… she takes the band off and then gets ready. After putting the band back on she can’t find the vein. Go figure idiot. So what does she do??? You guessed it… she sticks the needle in my arm and then searches for the vein. I could have kicked her. I was sooooooo mad! A blood test that should take only a few minutes, I had been in this room about 10 minutes.

She finally gets the blood and begins to write on the label, while she is doing this I am waiting for the stinking band-aid so that I can leave the room. As I’m waiting I hear her say, “hmmmmm”, she takes the vial and leaves the room. I hear her talking to one of the other phlebotomists... SHE USED THE WRONG VIAL!!! What the heck is that all about??? What are they going to do now?

As I sat there I thought… do I ask for a new tech? Do I want to make this girl feel bad? Everyone needs to learn sometime? But it’s MY ARM!!!! So they come back in the room tell me what happened, and I say just get it done. So I’m thinking that she will find the vein in the other arm, yes it takes a minute but it’s there… NO she gets out the dreaded butterfly needle and say, “If you don’t mind I’m going to stick you in you hand.” What am I to say… YES I MIND!!!! I did ask her to look for the vein in the arm, but I could tell she was having trouble. In the mean time I hear my husband in my daughter in the waiting room. Grace is a good girl but 15 minutes in a little waiting room with a water dispenser… she was pretty wet by the time I got out to them again… Anyway I digress. The girl cannot find my vein, so I just say, “Do the hand.” She could tell that I was getting frustrated and did as I asked.

She apologized a million times, but you know when you have been traumatized over the years from blood tests any amount of apologizing does not help. I said, “Well we all have to learn.” I took a sticker to give to Grace and was out the door.

I just hate needles. I hate shots. But you know when you have to do things for your child you will do what every you have to do. As a result of that last blood test I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and three times a day I have to give myself a shot in the stomach. I remember telling my husband on the way to the doctor, “If I have to do shots you are going to have to do them for me. I just won’t be able to do it.” To this day Don has not given me a shot. I have done every shot, dealt with the few bruises I have given myself because I didn’t do it quite right, and will continue to count the days until this baby gets here so that I can quit with the needles, blood tests, and shots… OH MY.