Needle Nightmare!!!

This morning I went in for the test to check for Gestational Diabetes, and it was AWFUL!!!

It didn't start out that bad, just usual check up stuff and they had me drink the Glucola, which didn't taste too bad, just very sweet and only burned my throat a tiny bit(by-the-way, I read the bottle and there is no carbonation). I then meet with the nurse for a bit and then sat out in the waiting room with Brian for a while. When they called me back to have my blood drawn is when the nightmare began.

You have to understand one thing about me, I have an intense phobia to needles, so getting shots and having my blood drawn are very traumatic events for me. Only once have I gone to have this done without someone there with me, and I will never do that again. So, lucky Brian gets to be the one that tries to distract me from what is going on. He was doing an okay job until the nurse that was taking my blood said that the needle was next to the vain. This is NOT something I want to hear. I quickly went into a full blown anxiety attack.

This was one of the worst attacks I have ever had. My breathing became very short and choppy, I felt like I couldn't get enough air, I felt very faint, and think I came close to blacking out. I then began to shake like crazy, and the nurse had to wait a while to try again.

Brian tried really hard to come up with something to distract me and had me say the alphabet backwards. I think this helped me a bit. The nurse still had trouble the second time, and when I calmed down again went for a third try. Still no good. At this point they decided that I needed to go directly to a lab were the nurses know more tricks when the vains are hard too find.

Brian drove me to the lab and I went through it again. This time I had a some time to calm down, and the nurse was able to draw my blood on the first try(or should I say the fourth). They then said that the time to draw my blood had been too long, and that I will most likely have to go back in and do the entire thing over again!

Needless to say this was not my best morning.

I do have to say that Brian was such a trooper though it all, and I know I couldn't have done it without him.