Medical Phobias Redux

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A while ago I posted THIS, to which thise topic will be an update.

I never got the biopsy, and other things took precedent. I've this coughing issue that finally got serious enough for the doctors to really look into. Part of that included a baseline blood test. Evidently my state of mind on the situation had changed, as I was quite calm and confident walking into our usual clinic, which is always very fast. About an hour later, I was was twitching nervously in my chair, still waiting. I was finally called into the room, though I hit the head first.

The nurse put the tourniquet on my left arm and looked for a vein. Then she tried the right. Then she went back to the left. I had my ipod with me to calm me down, but I didn't use that or any drugs. I started talking myself through it... after a while i stopped, and opened my eyes to see her removing the needle from it's package.

So basically, I did it, unaided and against all odds. We'll see where it goes from here.

good for you
you aimed high with high intentions.
you should see me when they bring the needle around a stretcher nearby would be handy for me.

I'm the world's biggest sissy with needles. I always demand that the person doing a blood draw on me use a "butterfly" needle for the procedure (the same type used to start an IV with). This alone takes away much of the pain and anxiety. Sometimes the lab tech will claim they don't have the experience to draw with anything else besides the routine lab vial in which case I'll insist they find somebody else who can do it with the IV needle IF they plan on getting my blood. This has only happened a couple of times in the past and not at the Kaiser lipid clinic where I go nowdays for my cholesterol problem. In addition I know I have the right to request a private area or room to be drawn in just like pediatric patients and I also take along my pacifier to wear in my mouth during the stick. All hospital personnel are required to keep patient confidentiality so they can't say anything about me to outsiders. I've found where I currantly go they're pretty understanding about my phobia, and usually tell me despite my screaming and cussing that I behaved better than a lot of the "macho men" that they've done.

Don't get me wrong, I was pretty upset about the whole thing. But I REFUSED to pull my arm away like I had previously. I actually held my left arm down with my right. I think that the more I do it, the less of an issue it will be.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy type of thing. You're afraid of needles, sure they'll have a hard time, and nervousness makes your veins retreat from the surface and be hard to find.

As often happens in big hospitals, they arrive to give you the pre-op tranquilizers 2 minutes before the scheduled time, so when they then try starting an IV, there's no sedation and no veins in sight.