PLZ HELP ME. Hate needles sooo much. Having blood drawn tomorrow. Please answer?

Question

Have a huge fear of needles, panicking about my blood test tomorrow. Feel very sick, and dreading it.

I'v told doctor this. She said that, i will be restrained, to get it done faster, and easier. How will i be restrained ?

please don't tease me. very ashamed being like this. i know this fear is irrational. lol

Answer 1

It's okay, sweetie...I had this fear. I used to have nightmares for weeks before having a shot. When I was 19 I had to hug my mom while they did a TB test...and I still cried.

Before you go in make sure you have breakfast. This will help you so you don't pass out.

When you go in TELL the lab tech about your fear. Your fear is not a rare one....they've seen it many times before. It's okay. They are usually very fast and it is over before you know it. Tell them that you want the best person they have. You aren't a training dummy and you want only the person that can get you on the very first stick. Don't be afraid to tell them what YOU need.

I, for one, wouldn't want to be restrained. That would make it seem more scary. When you go into the lab where you'll have your blood drawn you'll sit in a chair with long "arms." I prefer this to a bed because I can lean on my elbow while I cover my eyes. I still shake like a leaf when I get stuck, even to this day...after having 2 kids, and the chair keeps me steady. The tech will have all his stuff in a bucket thingy or on a little cart. You can ask him to hide the needle and stuff until you've covered your eyes, or just look elsewhere while he gets ready. I used to get freaked out even by seeing the vials or smelling rubbing alcohol. I'd ask that they put this stuff under a "chux" cloth until I was ready to begin. They are usually very helpful and understanding. If they aren't ask for another tech.

When you are getting ready ask the tech to TALK to you. About anything. I tell them to talk about anything, but also to tell me what they are doing and to do it quick. I want to have a general idea so I don't jump when they stick me. It usually means talking about my job...this is how it usually sounds "So where do you work? Blah, blah, blah...okay, I'm going to clean your arm with some alcohol....more job, kids, whatever....okay here's a little poke on 3...one, two, three....so how many kids do you have...blah, blah, blah,.....okay we're all done (takes needle out)....hold this cotton pad here for a few minutes....wow, you sure did turn white! How are ya feeling?"

I usually sit and chill until I don't feel wierd anymore...they'll let you sit for however long you need to. I thank the tech for not stabbing me a gajillion times and reassure myself, once again, that my fear is retarded and ask why I'm so chicken. I know it doesn't hurt all that much and I need to just get over it :-)

I'll bet my mom says the same thing about spiders! :-)

Don't worry...just get in there and do it fast. Try some of my ideas. I've finally managed to get over my fear, but it took my enlisting in the Army, having many physicals, then 2 kids and 2 epidurals. I've actually gotten to the point where I can actually WATCH without freaking out too much. You'll get there eventually...but remember, avoiding the fear won't make it go away, it just makes it worse. Face your fear. You can do it! I'm actually considering starting to donate blood...just to get over it completely.

Good luck...and don't worry! You have to do it whether you worry or not, so you may as well accept it, right? And yes, I know...easier said than done!

Answer 2

Remember, Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to know that you are afraid and yet still face the thing that scares you.

I think you are brave for acknowledging the fear, first off. And please don't worry, cause you are completely safe and so many other people have the same fear as you. Even seeing someone else getting blood drawn made me feel weak.

If you want to be restrained, you can ask them to do it. It will just be a cloth to hold your arm to the chair. The rest of you will not be tied down at all.

To think of something else, bring a Friend, or some music. Or talk to the phlebotomist or have them talk to you. Also, you could count very very slowly, and before you know it, it will be over.

Good luck!

Answer 3

How old are you? Just think about the fact that thousands of people, including little kids and babies, get this done everyday and it is over in a few seconds. My two year old grandson gets a blood test every month. My husband has to have blood work done almost every week because he has cancer.

Take a few deep slow breaths while waiting for your turn. Bring along some quiet music to listen to throughout the process. Think about all the very ill people who are beside you, waiting for this same test, and probably have to get it done very often. You won't be restrained at all unless you are out of control, and even then I would be surprised if they restrained you for a blood test. They would just opt not to do it. Depending on how old you are, it is your choice after all, and if you choose not to get a test done, then the health care providers are not responsible for that.

I do understand about fears, but often the only way to overcome them is to bravely confront them and not allow them to rule us. Tell yourself that this is not a big deal, that you will be fine, and you will be fine.

You need to stop allowing your imagination to control your common sense, and I can tell from your question that you have a lot of smarts and common sense about this. Positive self talk goes a long way in this sort of situation. So from now until test time don't allow any bad thoughts about it - think only that you are going to do this with dignity and calmness.

Answer 4

You shouldn't be ashamed. Trypanophobia is very common. I myself used to have a fear of needles when I was younger. Now, I don't mind them, although I do not relish having my blood drawn or receiving injections.

You could try to do something that takes your mind off whilst your blood is being drawn. You can also look at it this way: if you have ever broken a bone, fallen off something, or even received a cut that bled, the pain you felt then is far worse than the pinch of having the needle inserted.

The procedure will be very short, and in three minutes it will be over.

Answer 5

you have a decision to make either live w/ this fear or beat it. we all have irrational fears. Unfortunatly you can't run from your. you will need to have blood drawn for all kinds of reasons as you get older. I know everyone has told you it's no big deal but to you it is and thats all that matters. Being restrained to me would make the process even worse. If I were you I would go in tell them your fear (trust me they are used to it) tell them not to fish. (thats when they kind of dig around). Drink a ton of water so that your veins are easy to see and then challenge yourself to remain calm. Take a ipod or something and turn on some good music close your eyes and count to 30. If your still doing good challenge yourself to another 30. After that you should be done and you will have taken a gaint step to beating this fear. Good luck! and let us know how it goes!!

Answer 6

I don't mind needles, I'm perfectly fine with them. I even look when they enject the needle in me. I doon't get needles often. There is nothing to worry about with getting a needle. I may hurt for a second, and it dosen't really hurt bad, only feels like a prick where the needle enjects you. It only lasts a second and the doctor will give you a band-aid or cotton to but on you it case it bleeds. As soon as you go in an get your needle, you'll probably be outta there in less then a minute or so. Just think happy thoughts to get you away from fearing the needle.

Answer 7

I am a phlebotomy tech. I come across patients like you all the time . The best thing for you to is bring someone with you, lay down while the blood is being drawn, and if possible ask the tech to use a butterfly needle so you would hardly feel it. Also, may just want to try talking about something funny while getting it done, this helps!!!!!

Answer 8

I have this problem too. NEVER, EVER, look at the blood being drawn. Look away, and sing a song. It sounds lame- but it really will help. Or bring your iPod with you and concentrate on the sound. All in all, the pain of needles really isn't that bad. It's something everyone has to do- and the anticipation is much more worse than the actual pain. good luck hun!

Answer 9

They might have someone hold your arm or put a strap around it. Nothing like having the football team wait for you behind the door and then jump on you if that's what you are thinking.

You do know that your blood is a fluid filled with disk shaped blood cells. Think of it as a river filled with flying saucers if you like to make it easier to visualize.

Tomorrow, they need to catch some of the flying saucers so they can transport them to another universe.

If you are scared then the river the flying saucers are in is going to run faster and they will be harder to catch. Your job is to keep that river going as slow as possible and to do that, you can't get excited and in fact there is no reason for you to do so. The catchers know exactly what they are doing.

So, think river of flying saucers and how it's your job to keep the river going slow. You can do it. And like everything else, the more you do it, the easier it will become.

Remember rivers tomorrow. Slow rivers and flying saucers.

Answer 10

They will use cloth to hold your arm still against a padded table or padded chair arm. That is what they mean by "restrained" -- it's just to keep you from wiggling your arm so that they don't "miss" when locating a vein. It takes longer for them to draw blood when they don't hit one straightaway, that's all. Try to rationalize your fear and figure out what bothers you the most. But, really the process doesn't hurt and they are professionals doing their jobs.