The blood-let

I dread going for my blood-lets. My arm is always reluctant to give up its bounty.

When I was a teenager I thought I might become a blood donor. Before I’d volunteered I fell sick & needed some blood tests. After several unsuccessful attempts at the surgery, I was told to go to the local hospital. There they tried again. Finally after several attempts they managed. However, they could only get out enough blood to just cover the bottom of the phial. I was told I had nervous veins that just literally moved as the needle went in. The nurse wasn’t sure if they had managed to take enough blood for all the tests. If I had to be called back in for more they would have to make an incision into my throat. I abandoned any ideas of becoming a blood donor at that point & have dreaded giving blood ever since.

I always warn medical staff of my difficulties. Pre-warned they do seem to make a better job of it. There’s even one nurse at our surgery who usually gets it first time. Unfortunately this time I did not get her. Yesterday is the nurse I had last time. Then she managed to get the needle into my skin, missing the vein. She then wriggled the needle around until she got in. It had obviously traumatised her as much as it did me. Her heart sank the moment I came through the door & she recognised who the patient was.

So what happened this time? She had to collect two lots of bloods. The needle went straight in. She was so relieved. The gold phial filled up. She put the second lot on & no blood came out. She thought it was the purple phial so threw that one out & tried again. Still no blood. The she realised the needle had broken in my arm. She carefully took it out, & tried to put a new needle into the same spot. By now she was beginning to worry how she was going to stop the bleeding. I left the surgery with a great thick ball of cotton wool well strapped down wedged into the crook of my arm.

We left & went to the golf club for a drink & a sandwich to recover from the trauma of the experience.

I just hope when I go to the hospital next week for the actual chemo nothing goes wrong there. Last time it took them half an hour just to get the needle into the vein before they could start dripping in the chemicals.