**This story can not be told without being graphic. Don't read if you don't want to hear about blood and how to get it. Remember, you're reading it - I was there.**
On Saturday we had to have Abby's 9 month bloodwork done. Yes, she will be 11 months old on Monday, so you can figure out that we have been putting this off for a while. For her 9 month visit they wanted to have her tested for Iron and have a CBC done. To test for these things you need a blood sample.
When Abby was younger and had to have blood drawn the pediatrician just did it in his office with a dab or two of blood from her heel. She cried, but not too badly. I don't know if it was the tests being done or the fact that she's older now, but the easy method is over.
We arrived right on time for our 7:20 am apointment at our neighborhood facility and were taken quickly to do the standard paperwork and were led back to the cutest room in the joint. Definately the one to have your blood drawn in if you're easily distracted by Mickey and Friends posters on the walls.
All of that went smoothly. Then the smooth stopped.
The Quest technician showed me how she wanted Abby to be held, and so I did just as instructed. First she tied Abby's left arm to look for a good vein, then her right. Neither looked fruitful, but she decided to try the left arm anyway.
What I can not describe well enough is the squirminess that I was trying to stifle in my arms. Abby loves to be held, but she could tell something was going to happen that she was not going to like. She was screaming from the time that the Tech touched her until we were up and walking out the door.
Back to the blood. The Tech cleaned abbys pudgy little arm and went for blood. I swear to you, she could not find it. I watched and she really tried, but Abby's little veins counted each drop of blood as valuable. At this point Abby is screaming, I'm agitated and the Tech is annoyed. She called in and older (more experienced?) woman to look for better veins. No such luck.
(begins getting more graphic HERE! You've been warned.)
She then prepped Abby's little finger for a finger stick. This is where they prick the tip of someone's finger (this can be done on the young, old and in between) and manually squeeze blood from the finger. She had three tiny vials to collect the forced blood into.
Abby was screaming above and beyond anything in her normal range. I wish it was easier to explain to her, but it's not. There is no way to prep a ten month old for something like that. It was not the best experience, and I really expected her to fall asleep on the way home, but she fussed a little and tried to eat the bandaid on her finger, but was actually okay with things by the time we got to the farmers market.
I know that we will have to do this again and again as the gets older, but I think we will be more diligent in finding someone that is better at dealing with babies and children next time, rather than going with the local one.
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6 comments:
Oh, poor baby! And poor parents! That must have been awful for all of you. We've got our 9 month appointment coming up soon...
Yikes, we had to do it too but it wasn't that bad. Our ped's nurse does it right in the office so at least I know her and she knows her way around a baby. I don't however think that Chase cared one wit. She screamed bloody murder until it was over.
After one terrible (and ultimately unsuccessful) experience in a doctor's office, we have ALWAYS driven in to Children's Hospital in the city for Ellie's blood draws. The techs in the outpatient lab there are used to sticking babies and they do a wonderful job. I highly recommend that approach.
That must have not been very fun for anyone. I watched as they took blood from our new born at the hospital. He went nuts and I had a lump in my stomach. It was nice to hear from you again.
My 9 month year old son just had his first blood drawn and the lab tech stuck him in his left arm, could not find the vein, kept the needle in his arm and turned it to the left until he hit one. I am not a nurse but I did take the combat life saver course in the military and they did not teach us to dig around with the needle until we hit a vein. Does this sound odd to anybody else or am I being paranoid because it is my 9 month old child?
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