One More Hurdle

I've finished work for the week - LOVE December - but today I have my checkup with the oncologist to get through before I can do anything else.  Walker has the rest of this weekend off, too, so I'm anxious to just "get on with it".  The doctor portion of the visit is fine; my doctor is nice, the appointment goes quickly, it's not a big deal.  It's the blood draw that has my stomach in knots.

If you've been visiting me for a while, you have probably heard me whine about these appointments.  I am told I have "bad veins", and now that they are limited to only using one arm, the problem is compounded.  It has taken up to an hour, and several needle sticks, for the phlebotomists to get the blood they need for the tests.  I'm not afraid of needles and I don't care that it hurts.  What gets me is, when they can't get a vein and they start to get nervous.  Then I get nervous, which makes it worse, and I start thinking that if they don't get it soon I'm going to end up on the floor which has only happened twice but was twice too often, in my opinion....

The tech I had last time didn't say too much to me.  I get in there and just keep talking, cause someone, sometime, told me that would keep me calm. I don't ask questions and I don't care if they even listen to me, but she must have been irritated because she went and got Walker to talk back to me.  She did a great job, though, got it on the first try and I didn't even bruise.  Fingers are crossed that I get another good one today ~