Comments on: Blood Draw http://schlegelrock.com/2009/08/blood-draw/ Scott, Alisa, Maxwell, Truman and Oliver Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:49:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kim http://schlegelrock.com/2009/08/blood-draw/comment-page-1/#comment-487 Kim Sun, 23 Aug 2009 04:52:08 +0000 http://schlegelrock.com/?p=732#comment-487 I agree with Clisty--you look so tan in this picture! Must be all that time we spend at Great America:). You know I'm kind of an anxious person so I probably have a couple of stories. But Like Shannon, I started having anxiety at the dentist. It started when I was in college and had kind of a funky feeling in a tooth. No biggie but I thought I'd get it checked out. The dentist took an x ray and was FLOORED at what he saw. I had a giant abscess in my jaw and the puss was seeping out of my gums. Ok, that sounds really nasty now that I just read it. Anyways, it was just before finals and my wedding. I was so afraid that my face would swell up with infection and I'd look like a freak for my wedding. I asked the dentist if that would happen and he said, "Well, it's possible." (and he said it in a snotty way). What?? That's not what you say to a person who's freaked out! You say, "You know there might be that slight possibility but it's very unlikely." Or something like that. Anyways, because of that event, every time I feel any tiny twinge in my teeth I'm afraid it's another abscess. I agree with Clisty–you look so tan in this picture! Must be all that time we spend at Great America:). You know I’m kind of an anxious person so I probably have a couple of stories. But Like Shannon, I started having anxiety at the dentist. It started when I was in college and had kind of a funky feeling in a tooth. No biggie but I thought I’d get it checked out. The dentist took an x ray and was FLOORED at what he saw. I had a giant abscess in my jaw and the puss was seeping out of my gums. Ok, that sounds really nasty now that I just read it. Anyways, it was just before finals and my wedding. I was so afraid that my face would swell up with infection and I’d look like a freak for my wedding. I asked the dentist if that would happen and he said, “Well, it’s possible.” (and he said it in a snotty way). What?? That’s not what you say to a person who’s freaked out! You say, “You know there might be that slight possibility but it’s very unlikely.” Or something like that. Anyways, because of that event, every time I feel any tiny twinge in my teeth I’m afraid it’s another abscess.

]]> By: Shannon http://schlegelrock.com/2009/08/blood-draw/comment-page-1/#comment-486 Shannon Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:02:27 +0000 http://schlegelrock.com/?p=732#comment-486 Insensitive people are lame-o. I'm glad that you had a better experience this go-round. My anxiety appears at the dentist; never happened until two years ago when the good doctor was drilling a cavity and it wasn't numbed enough, and then the filling triggered extreme sensitivity in the tooth (still, to this day). I made the mistake of telling the dentist about the sensitivity, so now, EVERY time I go, they put some sort of freezing air on it to "see how long the pain lasts". Nice. I never used to get nervous going to the dentist, but now I have to meditate with relaxing ipod music while repeating the words, "you are calm, you are calm" just to make it through a cleaning. Ha! Sounds so ridiculous typing it, but it's amazing what triggers our bodies never forget. Insensitive people are lame-o. I’m glad that you had a better experience this go-round. My anxiety appears at the dentist; never happened until two years ago when the good doctor was drilling a cavity and it wasn’t numbed enough, and then the filling triggered extreme sensitivity in the tooth (still, to this day). I made the mistake of telling the dentist about the sensitivity, so now, EVERY time I go, they put some sort of freezing air on it to “see how long the pain lasts”. Nice. I never used to get nervous going to the dentist, but now I have to meditate with relaxing ipod music while repeating the words, “you are calm, you are calm” just to make it through a cleaning. Ha! Sounds so ridiculous typing it, but it’s amazing what triggers our bodies never forget.

]]> By: Anna Saccheri http://schlegelrock.com/2009/08/blood-draw/comment-page-1/#comment-485 Anna Saccheri Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:03:25 +0000 http://schlegelrock.com/?p=732#comment-485 omg! How horrifying! Part of a phlebotomist's job is bedside manner! They should be kind, understanding, and gentle! Sigh. Here's my horror story: When I was in High School, I got Mono! (And the really disappointing part was that I didn't even kiss anyone!! Argh!!) I was really sick, but before the doctor could officially diagnose me I had to get blood drawn. We lived in a rural area and had to drive in 2.5 hours to get to the doctor and have the blood draw. I was really tiny (100 or so lbs) and they drew 3 vials of blood, which seemed like a LOT! I was totally dizzy afterwards. So we drove back home and waited and waited and I was SO SICK I just wanted to doctor to get back to us right away so I could start to get some medication or something. Anyway, a week passed and we finally called. Turns out, the lab lost my blood! So we had to drive in again and re-do. That time, they drew 4 vials of blood (and extra one "just in case") and I was so dizzy from that blood draw that I almost passed out! Eek! In the end, the doctor just told me to take Ibuprofen and rest. Bummer. omg! How horrifying! Part of a phlebotomist’s job is bedside manner! They should be kind, understanding, and gentle! Sigh.

Here’s my horror story: When I was in High School, I got Mono! (And the really disappointing part was that I didn’t even kiss anyone!! Argh!!) I was really sick, but before the doctor could officially diagnose me I had to get blood drawn. We lived in a rural area and had to drive in 2.5 hours to get to the doctor and have the blood draw. I was really tiny (100 or so lbs) and they drew 3 vials of blood, which seemed like a LOT! I was totally dizzy afterwards. So we drove back home and waited and waited and I was SO SICK I just wanted to doctor to get back to us right away so I could start to get some medication or something. Anyway, a week passed and we finally called. Turns out, the lab lost my blood! So we had to drive in again and re-do. That time, they drew 4 vials of blood (and extra one “just in case”) and I was so dizzy from that blood draw that I almost passed out! Eek! In the end, the doctor just told me to take Ibuprofen and rest. Bummer.

]]> By: Clisty http://schlegelrock.com/2009/08/blood-draw/comment-page-1/#comment-484 Clisty Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:19:46 +0000 http://schlegelrock.com/?p=732#comment-484 Dang, Lis, you are tan. Dang, Lis, you are tan.

]]> By: Mom http://schlegelrock.com/2009/08/blood-draw/comment-page-1/#comment-483 Mom Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:04:40 +0000 http://schlegelrock.com/?p=732#comment-483 It's pretty much always bugged you. The Sunnyvale Clinic used to be small and Dr. Sharkey would come down to try to help comfort you. You weren't too thrilled with xrays then either. With all of your surgeries in high school, you were okay. But flashbacks and panic attacks don't usually let you remember the times that were okay.... I have to go tomorrow or Saturday and get a series of them also. That's part of the reason I had problems with the Dr. yesterday. I was waiting to get the lab tests in the mail and just found out today that they are in the computer system and all you have to do is go in.... It’s pretty much always bugged you. The Sunnyvale Clinic used to be small and Dr. Sharkey would come down to try to help comfort you. You weren’t too thrilled with xrays then either. With all of your surgeries in high school, you were okay. But flashbacks and panic attacks don’t usually let you remember the times that were okay…. I have to go tomorrow or Saturday and get a series of them also. That’s part of the reason I had problems with the Dr. yesterday. I was waiting to get the lab tests in the mail and just found out today that they are in the computer system and all you have to do is go in….

]]> By: Amy http://schlegelrock.com/2009/08/blood-draw/comment-page-1/#comment-482 Amy Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:23:22 +0000 http://schlegelrock.com/?p=732#comment-482 Wow, thanks for sharing Alisa. You know, in every test I took in nursing school there were questions with scenarios and all the answers were different responses that nurses could give, with only one being the correct "sensitive" or "appropriate" answer. It was kind of looked at as a joke by a lot of people, but when I hear stories like this I always think that maybe everyone, from medical assistants to phlebotomists to x-ray techs should have to have a unit on appropriate statements just because no one needs to hear that negativity or judgments when they are in a vulnerable place. Wow, thanks for sharing Alisa. You know, in every test I took in nursing school there were questions with scenarios and all the answers were different responses that nurses could give, with only one being the correct “sensitive” or “appropriate” answer. It was kind of looked at as a joke by a lot of people, but when I hear stories like this I always think that maybe everyone, from medical assistants to phlebotomists to x-ray techs should have to have a unit on appropriate statements just because no one needs to hear that negativity or judgments when they are in a vulnerable place.

]]> By: Emily http://schlegelrock.com/2009/08/blood-draw/comment-page-1/#comment-481 Emily Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:13:32 +0000 http://schlegelrock.com/?p=732#comment-481 When I first got my blood drawn for my pregnancy, I hyperventilated and cried, too. I scared the poor nurse so badly the supervising nurse had to come and take my blood. There were older women (in probably their 80s) getting their blood drawn looking at me like I was 3 years old! I was so embarrassed. By the time my pregnancy was over, I was better, but not great. Then, at my 6 week post partum appointment I freaked out because they didn't warn me they were going to poke my finger. It took me the entire appointment time to ready myself for it. Before the pregnancy, I hadn't gotten poked in probably .... 15 years. When I first got my blood drawn for my pregnancy, I hyperventilated and cried, too. I scared the poor nurse so badly the supervising nurse had to come and take my blood. There were older women (in probably their 80s) getting their blood drawn looking at me like I was 3 years old! I was so embarrassed. By the time my pregnancy was over, I was better, but not great. Then, at my 6 week post partum appointment I freaked out because they didn’t warn me they were going to poke my finger. It took me the entire appointment time to ready myself for it.

Before the pregnancy, I hadn’t gotten poked in probably …. 15 years.

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