The lab tech who drew my blood today was the sweetest lady ever, she complimented my glasses, and when I told her about the experience that’s the reason I get dizzy every time now she was absolutely horrified, asked what lab, and said “if that happens again you tell them STOP”

All in all I felt very seen today

(Tw needles + biology + blood idk tbh)

What happened was it was a hot summer day and I’d just walked 15 minutes uphill to get to the doctor’s office- was dehydrated and warm, and my veins are finicky (prone to “jump” or collapse) and the lab tech (cont)

Did my one arm five times before moving over to the other- at which point I was starting to get dizzy bc even though I have no issues with needles or blood I get icky thinking about bodily functions/biology like I hate thinking about veins being right there under my skin (cont)

And I especially hate having to face the biology of my own body in the way where I have to confront the fact that my veins are collapsing... five times in a row. So she does my other arm, it doesn’t work, she says if I don’t get this next one you gotta go to the hospital (cont)

And get someone more specialized to do it. At this point my entire neck and back of my head is tingling in that tell-tale fainting is about to happen way, I’ve asked for water twice bc I’m realizing I’m dehydrated and also dizzy and that I need to distract myself (cont)

I’ve been tilted back because I told her “I’m like two seconds away from fainting”, and she grabs a different lab tech who tries my arm that’s only been punctured once- and gets it on the first try. I’m gently lead to a room where I can lay down for a moment, checked up on (cont)

20 minutes later, blood pressure is taken and I’m given one of those tokens for vending machines that staff get, and told to get an electrolyte drink. Since then I get dizzy every single time even though it was never an issue before that, so now I always ask to be tilted (cont)

Back, and usually I would sip my water as they draw blood but bc I wear a mask when going in that’s not an option right now so I just ask to sit for a minute if I’m dizzy after. And I offer up my right arm bc that’s “the one that works” and they draw on the first try (cont)

Every single time now as a result of that. Usually in the past I’d need two tries before getting anything and that was fine, but 7 times? Yeah, no. Anyways my lab tech today was HORRIFIED and also relieved that this was at my previous doctor’s office’s lab and not at the (cont)

Clinic she works at- so none of her coworkers did that to a patient. She said she was so sorry about that happening, and she was genuinely sincere in saying that- and that she hoped over time I’d have enough good/okay experiences that I didn’t get dizzy from it anymore (cont)

And she leveled me a look and was like “if that ever happens again you tell them to STOP. I know you probably just wanted to get it over with, but that’s inhumane, she should’ve stopped the second you told her you were gonna faint- especially since you weren’t a fainter before”

Soooo anyway she confirmed that that was fucked up, told me that none of her coworkers would ever stand for that kind of treatment, and that I’m being a good patient by addressing my needs before starting (asking to be tilted back, what arm to try etc). So yeah.

Be your own advocate, you know your body best and you’re allowed to say no when the lab tech is too stubborn to stop piercing your arms.

- end of thread -