The Explanation of #1

I wrote a  blog post a few months ago about the things I wanted to accomplish in 2013. One of them I felt needed an explanation. My entire life I have absolutely hated needles. It comes from being stuck to death after being injured and acquiring a boatload of scar tissue that makes me a difficult stick.

The summer I turned 10 years old, I had to have surgery due to my severe scoliosis (a VERY long story I will share another day). In preparation for my surgery, I had to donate 2 units of my own blood and had 2 donors. Basically, I had to go to Blood Assurance and donate twice. My mistake was I got a good look at the needle before I was stuck. You want to talk about terrifying! I had a complete meltdown. It took the poor guy 2 hours to get the blood that was needed. The next time I went in, they pretty much held me down and attacked me to get it done. I begged my surgeon to make sure all my IVs and whatnot were taken care of while I was under and not stick me while I was awake. He agreed.

Since then, I have had a huge aversion to needles. I have avoided them at all costs. Except finger sticks. My poor fingers are so rough and hard I don't really feel them. But come anywhere near my arm, no way, Jose. I have an awesome vein in my foot that I've offered up instead. I actually learned that from the aforementioned surgery. My surgeon started an IV with all my feel-good meds in my foot before I was taken to the operating room. If I had kids, I'd owe him my firstborn. Anyway, I digress.

A few years ago, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with leukemia. My husband and his brother both went to be tested to be bone marrow donors. My sister-in-law and I went with them to donate blood in her name. I thought that this was what it was going to take for me to get over my fear. I went in and my pulse was too high to donate, I was that nervous. I had to sit in the interview room with my head between my legs to try and calm down. Once I was in the chair, I was, once again, a hard stick. The girl missed the vein and couldn't find another one on my other arm. I left absolutely defeated. They assured me if I could handle missing a vein, then the actual donation would be a snap.

So a week later, I tried again and it was successful! Once the needle was in and everything was rolling, no kidding, I started crying! All those years of fear and anxiety were over. I had conquered my biggest fear. Since then, I have donated here and there, but not on a regular basis. I'm fine now, I don't have the needle anxiety anymore, but I would always put it off and then 6 months or more would go by. I have O negative blood, so I really should be donating on a regular basis. So when I was thinking of things I could do this year, this was one of them. I went and donated this weekend, and my next day to go is March 16. I will be there with bells on!