Bloody Nightmare!

103 pounds. 5 feet 2 inches. Body strength equivalent to that of a sponge. Am I scaring you yet? Does these stats send shivers of terror down your spine? No? Well if you were the nurse assigned to take my blood, you would be! After a week of straight sleep I went to see my doctor, and she went me for a bunch of blood tests. I didn't have to wait long before I was called into the lab to get pricked. I sat in the chair and greeted the nurse with a warning, "You''ll want to use the butterfly needle, and you'll want to take it from my hand". The nurse, although kind, I could tell had more confidence in herself than I did. She decided to check my arms first despite my warning. The look on her face quickly went to sheer terror. She kindly excused herself and went to get another nurse for some extra support. I sat there feeling bad for the nice nurse. In all fairness I did warn her, but I knew deep down she had no clue what she was in for. My veins are very tiny, very deep, and very flat. To get the needle in a vein is a challenge in itself, but to get the blood to flow out of that vein is a whole other problem. The nurse returned to where I was bringing with her another nurse. The second nurse checked both my arms and muttered a profanity. They decide to heed my warning and attempt getting blood from my hand. They tightened the rubber band around my wrist so tight it left an imprint that lasted over a hour. They then gave me a hot water bag to place on my hand in hopes of making the vein plump up a bit more. After 5 minutes they were ready to try taking blood. They got the vein, but the blood only dripped out. After a few minutes there was a bubble of blood forming near the needle and the nurse had to pull it out. Attempt #1 resulted in a vile filled up about a centimeter with blood, and my hand with a bruise the size of a Toonie. A few more profanities were mumbled by the nurses. I then sat with the rubber band on my other wrist and the hot water bag on my other hand. After another 5 minutes we were ready for attempt #2. The nurses switched positions this time and the second nurse gave my hand a try. Results from attempt #2 were no better than the first. They were able to get 1 quarter of a vile filled, and a centimeter of another one before that vein ran dry. Neither vile were as full as they needed them to be but it would have to do. The nurses put in big red letters "Try EXTRA hard to get the results from this amount. Patient's veins were VERY difficult" on the sheet that was to be sent to the lab with the viles of blood. I'll know by Monday if I need to go back in and get more blood taken. 

I may be little and not very strong but to a Phlebotomists I'm a bloody nightmare! 

Anyhow I'm going back to bed!

Faith, Love and Dynamite<3

RiantGorkette