Saturday, April 28, 2012

Needle Phobia


Never in my life have I been a fan of needles. When I got my ears pierced at the age of fifteen, my mom commented on how she had never seen me sit so still before. My needle phobic issues are more along the trypanophobia lines, then just all needles in general. As most things medical just generally freak me out. So while getting my ears pierced definitely held me still as can be, it’s when I have to do things like blood work that I feel like turning into a toddler even to this day.

Logic always tells me, “It’s not as bad as you make it seem.” However, it never fails that feeling of butterflies in the pit of my stomach. Anxiousness that makes me want to hop up from my seat in the waiting room and run for the hills as it were. I never watch them draw my blood. I always squeeze something in my free hand (or make a fist), hold my breath while looking away and clench my jaw tight. It’s a whole big physical reaction and all the while, that logic kicks into the back of my head.

Yesterday was the second time this month I had to get blood work done. The first round happened exactly one week ago Friday. I was anxious, but I managed to get through it without throwing myself on the floor in a screaming fit. Oh yes, I’m twenty-seven and I fully admit I still want to throw myself on the floor kicking and screaming at the thought of a needle getting me. However I did manage to survive. Well it turned out my potassium level was a tad high, so round two had to happen.