Punctured

[kiya]

Had my doctor's appointment today at last; thus prescription renewal is managed, I have evaluated the doctor, been poked and prodded, I have a form requesting an immunization update that could not be managed due to personnel absence, and I have had blood drawn for miscellaneous tests.


So I got myself settled in the chair and all locked in and such, and warned the nurse that I had skittish veins.

I asked her which arm she preferred. I honestly don't recall which one she started with; I think it may have been the right. The following ensued:

Nurse: *cinches arm* *tap tap tap* *pause* *tap tap* *pause* *tap?*
Me: *removes glasses, because paying too much attention to the blood draw has a history of inducing poor physical responses*
Nurse: *tap?* *gives up, uncinches arm*

Nurse: *cinches left arm* *tap tap tap*
Me: That one tends to work better.
Nurse: *tap tap tap*

Eventually this progressed to:

Nurse: *cinches left arm* Squeeze hand.
Me: *obediently makes a fist*
Nurse: *tap?* *tap tap tap* *tap?*
Me: *continues making fist, counting spots on ceiling*
Nurse: *poke*
Me: ...
Nurse: *poke?*
Me: ...
Nurse: *poke poke*
Me: ?
Nurse: *removes needle, coils it up and throws it in the biohazard bin*
Me (after a little bit): I'm getting a little lightheaded.
Nurse: *uncinches arm* Have you ever had blood drawn from the back of your hand?
Me: Once. The time I blacked out, they had me lie down and drew it from there.
Nurse (whimsically): Well, I don't want you to faint, then I can't go home.
Me: I can agree with that.
Nurse: Do you want to go lie down?
Me: That might be a good idea.

We wander off and pick a vacant exam room.

Me: *lies down*
Nurse: *pulls out bit of examining table that I can rest my legs on*
Me: *counting spots on the ceiling*
Nurse: *swabs down arm with grave determination*
Me: *still counting spots*
Nurse: *JAB*
Me: Ow. *counting counting counting* Did that work?
Nurse: She may be being good this time, yes.
Me: *counting, listening to the snap sounds of the vials being added to and removed from the little tube*
My vein: That's enough of that thank you. *spits out needle*
Nurse: *studying the two vials she has and the third that is entirely empty* These ... can share.
Doctor, outside the room: Did you faint?
Me: No, no, my veins are hiding, we're being careful.
Doctor: Okay.
Me: Are we all good? You have everything you need?
Nurse: *shuffles forms* Yes, all done.

I asked for directions to some water, and wandered off.


I think that's the least well-behaved my veins have been, ever.

Comments

[kightp.livejournal.com]

*sympathy* I am needle phobic (it's about the invasion, not the pain), and my veins are slippery little bastards that roll away when the phlebotomist tries to chase them down. One of the things that made a recent minor procedure an unqualified success, in my mind, was that, having been warned about that, the vampire took extra steps to make sure he could tap me on the first try. I wanted to propose to him.

[kiya]

Usually I just have the "slippery little bastards" problem.

As opposed to, apparently, "I left my circulatory system at home."