Bloody!

I had my blood tested today, five tests! Just to make sure I am in the pink of health :) Ane accompanied me to the ambulatory services of a hospital just before lunch today.

My name was called and I was made to sit in the blood extraction room. My hands started to sweat. Now I am usually brave but knowing that a needle will enter my skin makes me wince. The last experience I had with both blood and needle was when I donated blood for DEP's dad years ago. The memory sticks (not that I won't ever go through that again for a friend). The medtech showed me the three vials (two big ones and a small one) where she will put my blood samples. I joked that I am not there to donate blood but for tests alone. She laughed. She tried to look for a vein on my right arm and couldn't feel it. See! Even my veins refused to cooperate! Hihihi.

She tried my left arm and found the vein. As she started to insert the needle, I covered my eyes. Then she wondered why there were bubbles in the syringe. She tried the right arm again and was more successful, though she wasn't able to get that much. It was over. What seemed like hours was over in a few minutes. She asked me to wait while she checked whether the samples are good enough. They weren't. The two big vials yielded different reactions, which means there was an error somewhere.

So I had to do the extraction AGAIN! This time, she asked her superior to do it instead. Aargh! Ane was telling me maybe it was because I was spending late nights again. Ugh! So the superior was looking for the vein when she touched that first insertion (where the bubbly blood came from) and asked me worriedly if it hurts. I told her I don't feel pain but numbness. And then she went on again in extracting from my left arm in another vein, this time using a BIGGER needle :( The samples went directly to the vials and it took a bit shorter than the first one. I was told to keep the cotton for a while and asked me to return on Thursday for the results. Ane and I then went to lunch.

Later, I found out that the area on the left arm where the bubbly blood came from is BRUISED. Hhhmmmm.