Thursday, February 26, 2009

Enough Excitement for One Day

Well, I'm done for the day.
I had to go get blood drawn today, so John came home early for lunch to watch Erik so I could go. I have been to this particular lab once before, and the woman in charge is a nutcase. Seriously. She talks to herself, laughs at thin air, and is just one of those characters that will draw weird looks wherever she goes. As the person about to draw your blood she does not inspire confidence. Truly, the idea of giving her sharp objects to wield at innocent, unsuspecting people is a cause for more than mild alarm. Having been in her clutches once, I was not enthusiastic to be thus vulnerable again. I prayed that someone else might be working today.
Fate was not with me.
At our last encounter, she declared that a freckle I had over one of my veins was the best spot because "Moles never lie." I spent the next week and a half with an inch-long bruise because she had to really dig for that vein to prove her point. Today was different only in that it was much, much worse.
She dug, she wiggled that needle, she explained again why this was the best spot, (even after I refreshed her memory in how badly it had gone last time), and she was going to prove it. It was horrific. She dug for at least thirty seconds. To anyone as accomplished as I am at getting blood drawn, this is definitely more than excessive. It's torturous. Not comfortable to begin with, being stuck is okay, as long as they don't dig. You can imagine what it's like to be stuck with a needle, and then to have that needle moved side to side, and in and out like someone was doing needle point...! This on top of the fact that I had been fasting since dinner the night before, and it was now noon, was too much for me. I fainted.
I was out a good five minutes too. She was truly alarmed when I came to.
My arm is still sore. I expect it will be for a few days, curse that woman. I'll take pictures of the bruise I can feel forming, but hasn't flowered to the surface yet. I'm sure it will be one of my most spectacular, even taking into the account some of the beauties I had after I fell down the stairs at our extra house a couple of weeks ago.
I came home understandably shaky, and John made my lunch for me. I must have looked a bit pinched still. He went to work when he was satisfied that I wasn't going to immediately keel over, and I settled Erik in for his nap, and then gratefully, finally!, settled myself in for a much deserved slumber of my own.
It was short lived.
Jonni's school called to tell me she had puked during computer lab, and could I please come get her? Immediately? I could have...if my car battery wasn't dead! So I had to call John out of a meeting at work to go get his sick daughter from school. She's still lying down, and I'm thinking a movie might be the order of business tonight, since John will have to work late due to his extended lunch, and his dash to save Jonni.
At least we don't have to drive three and a half hours north to take care of some uber disaster. There is something in that.
The Almighty Liz

9 comments:

timpani76 said...

You fainted? Have you ever fainted before? For five minutes???? I would have called an ambulance. They got the blood though right?

Digging=bad

I always insist they use my left arm because they ALWAYS have to dig on my right arm. My left arm the vein pops up right away, and says "hello, get the blood here!"

lizS said...

i have almost fainted while blood was being drawn once when i was eighteen. i was giving blood to the red cross for the first time ever, and i didn't actually go under, the walls just sort of spun, and everything got shimmery. they put my feet above my head right away, and did cold compresses, and made me eat a bunch of cookies. this lady didn't really do anything when i started getting woozy. she just left me there to do some other stuff, said she'd check on me in a couple of minutes, and i don't really remember her leaving the room, i just remember being really nauseated, things getting shimmery and unfocused, and the lady frantically trying to revive me while i was all slumped over the chair thingy's arm rests. my arm was totally numb from the position it was in. and yeah, five minutes! my left arm is way better too, but this lady doesn't listen. i have a FRECKLE, you see, and that's ALWAYS the best place to draw from. OBVIOUSLY.

lizS said...

oh, and yeah, they got the blood. thank all that is holy!! and yes, i've fainted, but never from getting poked. it's always something like dehydration or pain (as in kidney stone pain or some such).

craftyashley said...

Ow. So ow!

Dana Cheryl said...

I insist on a butterfly needle in the hand! Thanks right phlebotomist person Butterfly...In the Hand... Should I spell it for you? Oh damn just give me the needle I'll do it myself. (Those were literally my last words to someone attempts to take my blood.)LOL! It takes longer but isn't nearly as painful as (and I'm wrinkling my nose)as digging around in the arm.

I started getting bossy after a nurse stuck me eleven times trying to get in an IV. 11! I get downright mean about it as soon as they start slapping around trying to find a vein all the while my blood supply is backing up and my veins are becoming painfully distended.

Bless you Liz! You deserve a big, long break. :)

Bruce said...

what did you do? your clearly being punished. its gotta be carma.

lizS said...

ugh dana! the most i've been stuck for an iv was five. one by one nurse, two by another, and two by the anestatist. (sp?) i'd get bossy after 11 too!! that's outrageous. and usually i insist on a butterfly stick no matter where. i have awful, itsy bitsy veins, and i get dehydrated uber fast, so going in fasting yesterday meant the pretty bad odds for a stick. i told her to use a butterfly, but, obviously, she wasn't listening. after all, she's the professional, she knows more about my veins than i do, the layman. i mean, the affrontery of me! telling her about my veins!
and thanks ashley.
and i didn't do anything bruce. i'm perfect. duh.

Karen said...

"Moles never lie"??? Freak. Hands down.

Mary said...

Awww, Liz, this is so sad! I couldn't help laughing at your descriptions though, and I think that you should just print this story when you send your complaint to Quest Diagnostics. Perfect.