I don’t set out to be awkward or contrary, it just seems to happen that way.
If I’m in the supermarket doing my shopping, I always somehow manage to choose the item with the barcode that doesn’t scan….my ‘best’ example of this is the day I picked up the jar of pickled beetroot without any label at all!! How I managed this, I have no idea but I did.
I’ve had a number of blood tests over the years and especially this year. My veins seem to know when a needle is near and either disappear or blow leaving me bruised. I don’t set out with the intention of this happening and sometimes I’m absolutely fine and the blood flows. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, it just happens that way.
Today is another prime example of things being awkward. My consultant has requested bloods, I’m not sure whether my veins will behave or not…we haven’t got that far yet. I’ve seen the nurse who will take the bloods and have advised her of my ‘shy’ veins but before there was even a needle produced, there was a complication…the label on my envelope read “lying and standing” with no guidelines as to how long I needed to be lying down for. It could only happen to me!
It is a very busy hospital, serving a large geographical area, with lots of outpatient clinics running so now the challenge is finding me somewhere to lie down having clarified with the lab that I need to be lying down for an hour!!
My veins were fairly well behaved for the standing bloods….my left hand came good. Now I’m lying down in a side room waiting for round two…thankfully this time there’s only 2 vials that are needed!!! I’m hopeful the blood will flow….I’m keeping my hand warm as a nurse once to me that heat and hydration are the key. Unfortunately I’m fasting so I’ll have to hope I’m hydrated enough!! Fingers crossed.
After my lie down, the nurse took the second lot of bloods and despite being incredibly thirsty….my left arm provided enough blood and using a butterfly needle definitely helped too. Now all I have to do is wait for the results and hope I don’t bruise too badly!!
