I don't totally lose my shit during a blood draw.
BG: I've had joint pain for most of my life. Generally I ignore it, go on with my day, and chalk it up to being a rather aggressive teenage athlete. If it gets really bad, I pop a couple OTC pain pills and carry on. Every now and then, it lays me flat. Usually it's a reaction to me having done something stupid (like run nine miles when my long run should be six), and sometimes it's totally random, with no apparent cause.
I've been skiing all winter, and it's been great fun. I have a season's pass to the local mountain, and I couldn't be happier. Last week, all those years of training kicked in, and I nailed a run perfectly. Then did it again. Then (after asking permission) destroyed the training course set up for the high school students. Then raced a couple people who thought they were bigger and older and therefore they could beat me (hah!).
Felt pretty good for a couple days, if tired and sore. Then the joints flared. Not just one joint, or one set of joints, but both shoulders and both knees. My usual routine of overload on naproxen for a couple days didn't do shite, so off I went to the doc.
Who immediately ordered x-rays and a full blood panel, including inflammation factors and rheumatoid factors.
*cue record screeching*
So here I am, in relatively serious pain, just hoping for a couple of PT sessions and some serious Rx-level anti-inflammatories, and I'm being told that I might have rheumatoid arthritis. Great.
The blood panels are fasting, so I was nil by mouth after midnight. Tests were a little before noon, so I'm hungry, tired (pain keeps me from sleeping), in pain, freaking out, and generally not in a good head space. And I haven't had caffeine.
The tech takes me back and goes to seat me in a standard seat. I um and haw for a moment, and start to ask if I can be put in the recliner. He anticipated what I was going to say, and immediately shifted me to the other room. Got me settled, gave me a few fingers to hold, and distracted me thoroughly. He also reminded me to breathe, which is something I tend to forget about when I'm mid-panic.
So here's to you, awesome phlebotomy tech. You totally get it, and you're freaking incredible at your job. I hope they give all the kids to you, because if you made me giggle, you'd make a kid totally crack up.
And here's to hoping it's not RA, and that my doc is just being overly cautious.
BG: I've had joint pain for most of my life. Generally I ignore it, go on with my day, and chalk it up to being a rather aggressive teenage athlete. If it gets really bad, I pop a couple OTC pain pills and carry on. Every now and then, it lays me flat. Usually it's a reaction to me having done something stupid (like run nine miles when my long run should be six), and sometimes it's totally random, with no apparent cause.
I've been skiing all winter, and it's been great fun. I have a season's pass to the local mountain, and I couldn't be happier. Last week, all those years of training kicked in, and I nailed a run perfectly. Then did it again. Then (after asking permission) destroyed the training course set up for the high school students. Then raced a couple people who thought they were bigger and older and therefore they could beat me (hah!).
Felt pretty good for a couple days, if tired and sore. Then the joints flared. Not just one joint, or one set of joints, but both shoulders and both knees. My usual routine of overload on naproxen for a couple days didn't do shite, so off I went to the doc.
Who immediately ordered x-rays and a full blood panel, including inflammation factors and rheumatoid factors.
*cue record screeching*
So here I am, in relatively serious pain, just hoping for a couple of PT sessions and some serious Rx-level anti-inflammatories, and I'm being told that I might have rheumatoid arthritis. Great.
The blood panels are fasting, so I was nil by mouth after midnight. Tests were a little before noon, so I'm hungry, tired (pain keeps me from sleeping), in pain, freaking out, and generally not in a good head space. And I haven't had caffeine.
The tech takes me back and goes to seat me in a standard seat. I um and haw for a moment, and start to ask if I can be put in the recliner. He anticipated what I was going to say, and immediately shifted me to the other room. Got me settled, gave me a few fingers to hold, and distracted me thoroughly. He also reminded me to breathe, which is something I tend to forget about when I'm mid-panic.
So here's to you, awesome phlebotomy tech. You totally get it, and you're freaking incredible at your job. I hope they give all the kids to you, because if you made me giggle, you'd make a kid totally crack up.
And here's to hoping it's not RA, and that my doc is just being overly cautious.
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