Not that Needles . . . although he is super gross.
You would think I would be one with the needle by now, since being in the childbearing phase of life I get stuck with them a lot. And in fact every phlebotomist I have ever had the pleasure of meeting has said to me, "You have great veins!" I do. I'll admit. But I can NEVER look at any sort of needle doing its thing. The last time I got blood drawn, a few weeks ago, I was seriously in labor-level pain from the needle. I started hyperventilating and the phlebotomist told me, "It's because your arm was twisted weird." Well thanks for doing your job right, lady! I practically fainted as I walked out and the receptionist ran to get me Hi-C and crackers. Needless to say this experience did not help the matter.
So today I was much more nervous than Theo, who had no idea he was about to get 3 shots, the first he's had since August. We're a little behind on our shots if you didn't notice. Anyway, he actually wasn't too freaked out by the needles, at least not any more freaked out than he was by being stripped to his diaper and weighed, or getting a tongue depressor in his mouth. But I almost cried. Almost. I told Matt, I don't think I can keep doing this however many times for however many kids we have. Can't they just put it all into a pill I can crush up into some chocolate pudding?
As a reward we went to Cold Stone for lunch: first guests of the day at 10:55. They opened 5 minutes early just for us. You would think this was for Theo but by the time we arrived he was munching on an apple and happy as could be. So I gave him a few bites of my Ghirardelli with brownies but mostly enjoyed the reward for myself. Phew, no more needles until July.
I was never afraid of needles until after I got my appendectomy, because I had to have blood drawn every day and I, unlike SOME lucky people, have very small veins. (I also happen to have very small red blood cells, but that is a story for another day.) I don't think anyone has ever just pricked me once for a blood draw. Ever.
ReplyDeleteSo ever since then I nearly faint (or actually faint) every time I get a shot or get blood drawn. I was fine about them when I was little though. I have very vivid memories of finger sticks and watching the blood be smeared on the slide and being just fascinated. Weird, I know.
I have never gotten used to getting my children their immunizations. I hate it. I realize they are for good, but the pain of it all! I question every shot and every blood draw. Between Christopher and Griffin (my last), if Griffin received every shot they wanted to stick him with, it would have been 17 more shots than Christopher. That is crazy!
ReplyDeleteHey, I will get stuck with a needle if you promise me Coldstone's with Giradelli and brownies!
ReplyDeletePoor Theo. Ice cream can solve anything.....almost. I am one that can't look either. I can't even look when they do my kids. When I was pregnant it was the worst with Anya. He couldn't ever get the needle into my vein. Finally, after five tries he went and got someone else. It took that person two tries. Then because of the situation when Anya was delivered I had to have 4 Rhogham shots the night before and 10 the day of the c-section. Needless to say on the 10 shots they managed to double up on and I only had to have 5 actual shots. I hope I'm thru with shots for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI just got Drakes 5 year old shots two weeks ago.....and I was a mess along with him. He is really thin and they jabbed those needles to the hilt. He was crying for me to make the lady stop. I had tears in my eyes and wished that I had gone to work instead of Steve that morning.
ReplyDeleteScarlett is a little behind in her shots too and I truely believe that she started remembering the shots at 4 months. The nurse who always gives her the shots is black and everytime since then she starts screaming when she see's the nurse. Also from 6 to 9 months she would cry everytime she would see one of my laurel's who is also black. It took three months to convince her that my laurel was ok. Then everyone in YW gave me a hard time about raising a racist baby! Good times!
I don't mind shots and blood draws that much but I get nervous and that seems to make my big veins stop the blood flow as soon as they get the needle in. So most of the time I end up getting stuck twice so they are able to get all of those little tubes filled.
I want to read the Julie Andrews book. Is it any good?
ReplyDeleteI want to know about the Julie Andrew's book too.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have good veins - and give blood all the time and barely wince when the needle goes in. But I don't do well at other things - like getting up on the scales to be weighed!!
And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Some Like It Hot and can't understand why some people don't even think it's funny.
(We showed it to Bonny and Harry once when they were younger and they kept saying "When will it get funny??")