Blood - It's in you to give!

Whoever thought of that slogan was smart - it's catchy and makes you think a little bit about what it's trying to say. Today - I feel very differently about it! Note to readers: this has nothing to do wth being Muslim or finding the one. I just need to vent. So blood - it's not in you to GIVE AWAY! It's INSIDE OF YOU to help you LIVE! I had a doctor's appointment today. She couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with me so she decided to do every blood work possible. I told her I"m not "good with blood work". I'm not sure she understood what I meant. I meant - I almost always feel sick afterwards, faint and dizzy and on occasion I loose conciousness. Perhaps I did not make that 100% clear. Well she did tell me to ask the Lab to cut my bloodwork in half and do it in two visits. When I reached the Lab, I politely told the girl at the front desk that my doctor advised I only do half the bloodwork today and come back for the rest. She wouldn't hear of it. "What's the point she said? You'll have to come back again another time! It's not that much blood she said" I couldnt' help thinking god, how am I going to come back on a weekday (these places are open 9-4 or 9-5, conveniently I work 8-4 so it'd be impossible to come back without taking more time off of work - to begin with - i thought I was only stepping out of the office for an extra half hour during my normal lunch break). So I persued it further saying that I can't get that much blood taken at once. The doctor said it would be like 8-9 vials. "It will be the same thing next time she said. You can donate about 12 so don't worry about it. Plus we don't know which tests to do know and which to do later. Your doctor should have indicated it on the requistion." I said it doesnt' matter - just split em up. she said " Alright, if you're sure about it". Perhaps I didn't represent my case in the right light. I think she thought I didn't like needles and that by splitting it up I would have less on one day? I'm not ignorant to how bloodwork is taken. They put ONE needle into you and continuously fill vials and remove them and fill the next one. I can't watch the action because it makes me feel limp. I knew very early on that Healthcare was not a field for me. So I"m sitting in teh waiting room - anxious to get out of there and back to work. I was supposed to be in at 1:30ish and it was already 1:25 by this time. So the front desk lady calls me up to the front (everyone else was called to a cubicle in the back). She says " I've adjusted your tests so it's 6 vials. Can you handle that? It'll be much better then coming back again another day". I paused and thought about the hassle of coming back. I wanted all my results ready for my next appointment with the doctor. Canada day was coming up - another delay - plus when would I take time off work again? Plus I vaguely remember taking 6 vials the last time I had bloodwork done (that was about two years back and I can't remember feeling terrible). So I reluctantly said - Yes.

So fastfoward to the "cubicle". I kndly informed the nurse or whatever she was that I don't' take well to blood being taken. I divulged my fainting or feel like fainting secrets to her. She said "Let me know if you feel diszzy or faint or anything like that" I said - does now count when I'm just thinking about having the blood taken? She good naturedly chuckled, told me to look away and started her work. I actually prefer when they talk to you to take your mind off of it. It seems silly but I appreciate the effort. So the 6 vials of flod were taken and I sat in the chair like the little engine that could. I kept repeating to myself "I feel perfectly fine. I will not feel dizzy I will not get weak. I"m fine. In a few minutes I'll be just like new". A few minutes/ seconds (who keeps track of these things anyways) passed and I heard myself telling the nurse thatI feel dizzy now. Thats the last thing I remember - I know she responded but I can't remember what said. I woke up with a start. I heard my name being called and I struggled to open my eyes. There were three people staring at me. The front desk girl, some guy who worked there and I recall seeing walking about while I was waiting and the nurse - whose arm I was tightly grasping.

I've had too many of these incidents to ignore. I KNOW now that I can't have bloodwork marathons done on my system. I know what else triggers incidents like this - dehydration or lack of air circulation, I've fainted while at mosque in a crowded overheated confined space without any personal space. I've felt like fainting when I really needed a tea after breaking a fast but had a thick ice cream cone instead. There was one time when I was exposed to a bad chemcial and wearing the wrong type of protective gear. The time I fell while rollerblading and felt weak and dizzy everytime I tried to get up and once while driving with a severe migraine I could only stay alert by stuffing my mouth with sugar and (even though it was -30degrees C outside, popping my head out of the window while blasting the car heaters to keep me warm.
So there you have it. I have contemplated it and it's always heat & exhuasation and dehydration. Or blood or toxic chemical. I forgot our highschool visit to the local hospital where many of us felt sick from the formaldehyde (except I was the only one that actually needed medical attention).

Anyways. My point is this. Blood is NOT in ME to GIVE. I'd love to be a blood donor. I honestly would. But I can hardly handle some simple bloodwork. I HOPE they FIND SOMETHING. Anything at all to make it all worthwhile.

I ended up staying at the lab and lying down / sitting / sleeping for almost an hour. I did not make it back to work in the afternoon and I had to call work and tell them what happenend. This after telling my boss this morning that "I'm feeling fine" (I hadn't seen him in over a week, nor informed him of my appointment today - next time I definately will!).

Hope this story was a learning for you all. All I can say is - thankfully it's over and I'm starting to feel better. I'm not a 100% but I hope to be by tommorrow morning.

Goodnight!