Just a little prick .....

[FatFairNFifty-ish]

There is , I believe, a food-related inference in pretty much all situations... t

Today Matthew I shall be... a skewered pig!

Yep, it’s blood test time & visions of Tony Hancock invade my thoughts..

Happily trundle up to the GP surgery and a very pleasant lady begins the process of trying to get blood from a stone!

Helpfully there’s a note advising that my veins are a bit tricky & the best bet is to use a fine needle in the back of my right hand. Simple!

Nope. Nothing coming outta there ... we try twice.. nil, zip, nada.

So we try the left hand ... just as stubborn - not happening!

Next it’s the right arm ... maybe it will be fourth time lucky?

Nu-uh.

Left arm - continues in the same vein (pun intended ‘)... so nothing doing there either. Let’s just try the back of the right hand again .... still not giving anything up.

Reinforcements are called... and another equally lovely lady confidently tries the right wrist...no prizes for guessing ...

Finally... we go for one last punt in the right arm and.... 👎 I’m dispatched to attend the nearest hospital and let them have a try.

Just been there... told her about the 8, yes 8, unsuccessful attempts...

She leant into me and whispered conspiratorially “ next time come straight here”... immediately located a willing little bleeder, in goes needle number 9 and out flows some deep dark red blood! Huzzah!!

I will admit I was a wuss for attempts 4 to 8 & blubbed ... chalk it up to the menopause... at least , once the test results are back we can ! 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Now I need to pacify outraged employers who agreed to me “nipping our for a blood test “ but some 2 hours later are awaiting my return!

Happy Monday!!

[queenie-duke]

Oh, that sounds really traumatic, sorry you went through all that. Hope you get good results from the tests.

[TheTabbyCat Administrator 16kg]

That was a lot to put up with,I hope everything turns out normal.xx

[Subtle_badger]

I used to give blood (sadly that part of my life is over 😢) and if I made sure I drank several litres of water in the hours before hand, it would flow like - um - water, but if I didn't it would dry up 1/3rd of the way through - which is annoying, because that's too little for them to use, they have to just bin it.

Might be worth trying drinking more next time, if it fits in with the rules.

But kudos to you for just blubbing! I have a reasonably bad needle phobia, which I can power through usually, but 8 jabs? I would be catatonic.

[FatFairNFifty-ish in reply to Subtle_badger]

I used to give blood - in a different lifetime ... but they had to inject anaesthetic into my arms to be able to hit a vein successfully!

This mornings test was unplanned ( the result of an 8:30am GP appointment)... but I was well hydrated... it’s just my veins playing hide n seek rather too successfully 🤣

I’m wearing my cotton wool and gauze covered with micro pore as if they’re badges of honour ... 😂

Next time anyone suggests s blood test I’m going to psych myself up better!

I managed 3 stabs without blubbing but the rest, as they say, is history (or perhaps hysteria)!

Final one ( lucky number 9) was deep but I was so relieved and happy that I didn’t blub then.

Boss has just reminded me to take a ‘reduced lunch’... sounds like half a sarnie...

So I’ve ping dinged some Spanish Beanz & Wholehrain spicy Mexican inspired rice ... wolfed that down ( it was yummy)...

[Hidden]

I have had quite a bit of blood taken over the years & once worked out it uses a calorie a ml. Walking round the hospital (getting lost especially) has better weight loss value than the actual taking blood..