I'm on a roll!

Last week, I had blood drawn without an audience. This week, I got a shot without an audience. I'm going to overcome my needle phobia!

I scheduled a physical with an internist since I had never had one before. I liked the doctor and plan to use her when I'm sick or when I need to see a doctor. At the end of the visit, Dr. Monahan said I needed to get a DPT shot. I haven't had a tetanus shot in about thirteen years, so I agreed to get one. The last one I got was when I was seventeen and about to head to college. I remember it hurting, but I didn't remember much more than that. Maybe I blocked the pain. That tetanus shot hurt. A lot. I'm a big ole' baby anyway, but this was exceptionally painful.

The phlebotomist who gave me the shot prepared me for the discomfort by saying I could expect some pain shortly after the injection. She also said some people develop a knot where the injection is given. I experienced both. My arm felt like it was on fire shortly after the injection. I would describe that as a discomfort. Seven days after the shot, I still have a knot. It's slightly warm to the touch and is somewhat painful when touched. The redness has pretty much gone away. A little bruising appeared a few days ago, but it went away after a day or two.

It is generally recommended that you get a DPT every ten years. I now realize it takes that long to work up the courage to get another one.

I had my usual "nearly passing out" reaction. I hung out in the lab and chatted with an older gentleman who was having blood drawn, and his wife. I turned my head and stared at the wall while his blood was drawn. We talked about Christmas trees. I recovered after about six or seven minutes and headed out.

Honestly, I'm considering going to get a flu shot. It's probably a little late in the season to get a flu shot, but I'm still thinking about it. I will overcome my needle phobia.

All By Myself

I did something today that I've never done alone before. It is something that most adults do without an audience. I had blood drawn without my mommy or hubby being present. This is not a big deal for most people, but for someone with a needle phobia, it is a big deal.

I try to avoid needle sticks if at all possible. Sometimes, that's not possible. I am petrified of needles. Anytime I have blood drawn, I plan on spending at least twenty minutes at the lab. The actual procedure takes the usual twenty or thirty seconds. It's the recovery phase that takes about twenty minutes. I always request to lay down for the procedure. After the phlebotomist does her thing, I have to remain lying down for about ten minutes. After that time, I sit up for a few minutes and then lie down for a little longer. I'll make my way to the chair in the room and sit there with my head between my legs for a few minutes. Then, I'll stand for a minute to make sure I can walk without passing out. At that point, I'm usually ok.

Today, I laid on the exam table for about four or five minutes. Then I sat for a minute and then I moved to the chair. After sitting down for a minute, I walked out of the doctor's office and headed to the elevator. While waiting for the elevator, I realized I got up too soon. My lips went numb, my hearing became muted, and I started seeing spots. I made it to the lobby and found a chair. I was on the verge of hitting the floor, but I sat for a few minutes and allowed my blood pressure to get a little higher. While waiting in the lobby, I began sweating. That's usually one of the final things to happen before I get ok. Once I got up, I was good. I walked to my car without incident.

I have always been like this. I don't know why, but I'm petrified of needles. It's not so bad that I avoid medical care totally, but I usually think twice before visiting the doctor's office. This summer, I was stung by a bee. It was at this time that I discovered that I'm allergic to bee stings. I kept telling Justin that I was fine. He encouraged me to go see a doctor. I tried to get the doctor at the urgent care facility to allow me to take the benadryl orally. He smiled and said, "Um, no." I guess I had so much adrenaline pumping through my veins, that I really didn't have my usual reaction to the injection.

I hope I don't need blood drawn anytime soon, but I hope it gets easier the more times I have it done. I really wish I could donate blood. I'm healthy and I think my blood would useful. Maybe I'll be able to one day.