This post is not wedding-related, but I thought I'd use this blog to vent about other issues as well. A few weeks ago I went to the doctor because my back was hurting me again. I was told to get an MRI, but of course my insurance declined it and we've been in a battle with the insurance company ever since.
Anyway, my doctor also wanted me to get blood work done for vitamins and thyroid. I finally got around to it this week. Now, if any of you know me, you might know that I have the smallest veins in the world. B likes to try and check my pulse on my wrist & is fascinated every time because he can never find it. The only place to really get my pulse is on my neck. I dread getting blood work done as it usually involves lots of poking & pain. I always warn the nurse before they begin; somehow it makes me think that this time will be different & I'll have an expert on small veins. Of course, this is never the case.
I finally gathered up enough courage today to get the blood work done. I warned the nurse as usual, and she asked me if I had a preference of which arm to use. I told her it really didn't matter and that she would have trouble on both sides. So we started with the left...make a fist and straighten your arm, ah I think I found a vein. Poke...poke...poke...stab...OW! As I'm cringing in pain she says I know you must be in a bit of pain right now. A bit? It feels like somebody just stabbed me in the arm! The next thing I hear is Darn, I thought this vein would work. Great. So she takes the needle out, gives me a band-aid, and starts on the right arm. This time he's more cautious. She taps around my arm trying to get a vein. Now she says she needs to get another nurse to try. So I wait until the next nurse arrives. This nurse taps around and also can't find a vein, so she calls in another nurse. I'm assuming that there is some sort of hierarchy of nurses in this office. So the next nurse arrives and she thinks that she can find a vein on the right arm. She asks me do you want me to try to find the vein on the right arm? well, this is what I came here for, so sure, why not? make a fist and straighten your arm, here we go. Poke...poke...poke...stab...this one didn't hurt as much because she didn't put the needle in very far when she realized that it wasn't going to work. So she too gave up and told me that I'd need to go to a lab to get the blood drawn. Boy, this is my lucky day.
So I head over to the lab. I recognized the building and quickly remember that I've been here before. I must have had blood work done here before. I have better memories of this place and I'm immediately calmed. So I walked in, got helped right away and start telling the nurse about my ordeal at the doctor's office. The look on her face was priceless. So she asks me which arm I prefer, I say it doesn't matter, she asks if I'm a lefty or a righty...right arm it is. A few seconds after looking at the arm, she turns to the left arm. make a fist and straighten your arm. Poke...Poke...stab..OW...but, SUCCESS!!! The blood is finally coming out! My long ordeal is finally over. I asked her if there was anything I could do to make my future blood work drawing better and all she said was for me to tell the nurse to use the left arm & make the tourniquet really tight. Well, if I'd only known that for the 22 years I've been alive maybe my blood work trips wouldn't be nearly as dreadful....of course, that doesn't alleviate the slight fear of needles, oh well, can't have it all I guess.
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