Medical morning

[cjsmith]

This morning's agenda kept me hopping:

- Blood draw for Lyme disease test
- Doctor appointment with my GP, which earned me...
- Blood draw for vitamin D levels and a very detailed cholesterol panel

And guess what I did? Am I doing better or WHAT?

I

WATCHED.

A half hour later my blood pressure was still a touch lower than expected, so yeah, there are effects, but overall I'm getting so much better about needles and suchlike. (I do, however, have a new bruise inside each elbow.)

Comments

[dafydd.livejournal.com]

Not that it matters at all, but I can stare at the needle in my arm, provided I don't actually watch it going in! Back when I could donate blood, I used to play cheerleader to the folks in the chairs next to me.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It was really weird to look at the needle in my arm, to just sit there and LOOK at it. With all the problems I've had with needles over the years, I've honestly pretty much never seen a needle in me.

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

I don't mind the needle in my arm, I don't get the least bit squeamish. But usually when I get blood drawn, it would take the nurse 2-4 sticks before she would hit a vein. So I was usually staring at it the whole time, just willing the blood to start flowing. :)

More importantly, though, good for you!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's impressive. It must be handy not to be squeamish. I used to need ten- or twenty-minute recovery periods, much of the time spent lying down with the world looking awfully gray, before I could go on with my day after a blood draw. I'm so glad it's improving.

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it's improving for you too. Although now I have no excuse to offer to hold your hand or hug you when you have to have your blood drawn. :(

Not that it ever works, but I am not the least bit above playing the sensitive card while flirting. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

May as well play all the cards you've got! :)

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

Exactly! So, now that you have time to experience any post-traumatic stress that might have occurred, would you like me to hold your hand? :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Hee! Sadly, I don't need handholding nearly so much as I need lunch. :)

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

Bummer. This is why I never flirt. :(

But go get yourself a good lunch. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

You keep choosing women who are more hungry than horny? :)

I ate a good lunch and I'm hungry again. This is crazy. I wonder if I do something weird to myself when I get blood drawn -- dump all my glycogen store, have an adrenaline spike, something.

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

That's possible. I somehow doubt it is entirely the women's fault that I don't flirt well, but it definitely would spare my self-esteem to believe that is true. :)

[layer.livejournal.com]

yay! i will probably never be able to look at it (and definitely never able to watch it go in). great progress.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Now I know what to tell people if their highest goal in life is to be able to look at it. "Here's what worked for me!" Somehow I don't think I'll get many takers for the CJ Smith Patented Anti-Wooziness Training. :-)

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I always tell them I don't look - but at least I don't faint. One time the person taking blood said they didn't look either and I laughed!

When do you get the results of all these tests?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

If they don't look either we're in trouble! :-)

My doctor should have the first set of results by now, I think. I'll ask. The other stuff should be rolling in to the various doctors' offices in about a week. (Then two more tests for Dr. Jain in NY, whenever I feel like taking another half-day off work, and when he has the results of those I'll call him again.)

[roseembolism.livejournal.com]

I used to be hysterical when drawing blood (kid), then I had to get used to shots when my teeth problems kicked in, and then I finally got to the point where I could get blood drawn fairly calmly, without feeling faint even.

What really helped was getting this one old nurse at Camino Medical who had probably been drawing blood since they first developed needles, if not blood. She came in with a bored expression, did the wipe, cuff, I'm waiting for her to stick me with the needles and- "done, take this up front".

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've had ONE person like that, too, in my entire life. She did a contrast injection for one of my MRI sessions. Amaaaaazing. For my cat's sake, I wish I could get that good some day.

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

hurray!!!!! this is wonderful news!!!! what a major milestone for you!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm majorly impressed. Who knew I'd be doing this well this quickly? And honestly, if I wanted to be unsqueamish, I've been handed every lesson in exactly the right order: diabetic cat, watching blood get drawn, getting blood drawn from me a bunch, injecting myself. Now if I could draw my own blood I'd be a superstar.

[ericainohio.livejournal.com]

Boy, they just don't make a Hallmark card for this one, do they?

"Congratulations on watching your blood draw!"

Heh.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHA no they don't! :-) What a HUGE market that would be. Transitioning-Ex-Needlephobes make up an enormous percentage of the population. Hallmark is missing the boat on this one, I'll tell ya. :-)

[shadopanther.livejournal.com]

Congrats on getting better about needles and such!! Go you!

I hope the test results are good news.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I hope so too. I'm getting awfully tired of the entire medical community right about now. :-/

[mbumby.livejournal.com]

Good for you! (I've been getting worse -- when I could donate I used to watch, now when they draw just a few vials I look away.) Hope they learn ... some thing useful.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Fingers crossed. I should phone my various docs and ask for a copy of these reports, now that I think of it. Thanks for causing me to think of that. :-)