Blood tests

@misunderstood Said

If you let them know you're really scared they'll probabably be nice and put some numbing gel on first anyway

I was pretty nervous when I had my first blood test, but if you look away it's over in seconds and is fine

@evababy1 Said

I got like a million blood tests during my pregnancy, and after. It's nothing. I've never had that fear, and after getting them, I don't really get how some people can. But it's nothing. They just find a vein in your arm, stick the needle in(gently, though), and the blood just flows out. Then once they have enough, they just take it out and put a band aid on it. It's really no big deal. You should be fine! And you won't scream or anything. You're only going to be scared before they do it, but once they start, it'll be fine. Doesn't hurt anymore than a peircing.

@plebian_angel Said

Just let them know you're nervous. Most blood drawers are good reassuring you.
For awhile there, I was having blood drawn once a week for some meds I was on. It doesn't phase me anymore, but when it did they would talk me through it.
And if you can get a hottie to draw the blood, all the better. Than you can look at him and ignore what else is going on.

@x_Laura_x Said

Thanks
I don't get why I'm such a pussy about injections and stuff when I've had 13 piercings done

@jonnythan Said

Never given blood or gotten a blood test?

They generally have you sit or lay down. They take your arm, put an elastic band of some sort around the upper part of it to block venous flow and make the veins bulge slightly to make them easier to see. Then they swab the inside of your arm joint with alcohol and usually an iodine prep then insert a needle with a tube attached at an angle towards your upper arm. If they've done it right, a little blood will squirt out into the tube and they'll take the elastic band off. They often tape a sterile cotton ball over the needle entry point to keep it clean and so you can't look at it.

Then they pop a little vacuum tube onto the end of the needle apparatus and it will fill about 2/3 of the way with blood. They might fill several vials, popping them off and popping new ones on. Then they slide the needle out and put a bandage over it.

It stings a little bit when they put the needle in. How much it stings depends a lot on where exactly they shove it. In my experience, when they put it directly in the middle it's sort of a dull ache that goes away almost immediately. But sometimes they'll go in from further to the outside where there are more nerve endings and it's a sharper pain. It doesn't really hurt much though and the pain goes away almost instantly once it's in. After that you can feel it in there but it doesn't hurt.

By the way, you can usually request which arm to get the needle in. I hate getting it in the left arm, and if I see them going for the left I ask for the right. They've always complied. Sometimes they'll even ask which arm you'd prefer.

@jonnythan Said

Holy s***, getting a blood test is a cakewalk compared to getting a piercing.

@x_Laura_x Said

I don't know why I can happily get something pierced but when it comes to injections and this whole blood test business I start crying at the mere thought.