Having my first Blood Test, Soo scared. PLZ ANSWER. Mom can't force me to have it, can she ? I'm 13?

Question

I'm 13 years old. Don't know what to do.

Having first blood test. To test for Anemia

Really don't want it. Hate needles..

Mom said, that i'm having it. She can't force me, can she ?

really scared of needles. please answer. HELP

Answer 1

Your mom is doing what is best for you. She's not trying to force you to do this because she's mean, she's trying to make sure you get the medical care that your doctor says that you need.

Let the nurse know that you have a phobia about needles and that this is your very first time having blood drawn. You aren't alone in this fear of needles and nurses have a variety of techniques they can use to make it easier on you.

It's actually not that scary a procedure. I have to have my blood drawn every six months or so because of an illness that I have. They will have you sit down in a chair and pull up your sleeve. They put a rubber band around your upper arm and pull it very tight to stop your blood from flowing down your arm. I actually find this to be more uncomfortable than the needle stick!

They will have you squeeze your hand into a fist to make the blood in your hand pump up your arm to your elbow. They will then feel the veins on the inside of your elbow to find the puffiest one. This is the one that they slide the needle into. (You really only feel a pinching sensation. It isn't like a shot where they jam it deep into your arm.)

Then they release the band around your arm and the blood flows into the collector tube. It doesn't take very long to fill one tube. The tube is not that large because they only take just as much as they need to do the test with. Once the tube is full, they pull out the needle and put a tight band-aid on your elbow.

Once you get there and get into the chair, you'll be all right. It goes quickly and they distract you. It's not at ALL like getting a shot from the doctor.

It does help if you never actually look at the needle. Don't think about the needle, distract yourself. Tell yourself that there IS no needle, they're just going to pinch you in the elbow. It sounds silly but getting your brain distracted really does help.

One thing that you should do before your blood drawing is drink a lot of water. The more hydrated your body is, the bigger and puffier your veins will be. It is when your veins are tiny and hard to get into that blood drawing starts to hurt a bit more. They sometimes have to pinch you a couple of times before they find a vein that gives them enough blood. So drink lots of water, starting the night before your test.

The nurses may also be able to give you something to numb the skin on the inside of your elbow. That way, you might not even feel the pinch.

The bottom line is that you really HAVE to do this. It is for your health that it is being done. There will be other occasions in your life where you will need to have blood drawn, too. So you really need to use your will power to get yourself through this; you can't just avoid it. And, in the end, it really isn't as bad as you are building it up to be in your head.

Definitely definitely definitely tell the nurse drawing your blood that you are desperately afraid of needles. They will do everything they can to make the experience as easy for you as possible. Be brave. This is something that you can do. Something that you need to do.

Good luck!

Answer 2

So do you know many people who actually like being poked with a needle? Seriously, you are getting yourself wound around the axle over something really small in significance. For starters, the needle used isn't that large, and the poke isn't that painful. If you ever stubbed your toe, you have felt and suffered worse pain for a much longer time than the needle stick will be. You don't have to watch them do it you know, you can look the other way. You can even hold somebody's hand while they do it. If you sit still and cooperate, it will be over in less than 2-3 minutes.
Yes, your mother can force you to do it. You are a minor, under the age of 18, and your parent has the final decision in your medical care and treatment. If you decide to really put up a fight, they can and will strap you down for the test. Which is a pretty radical thing to do to an otherwise intelligent 13 year old, don't you think? Normally you would expect difficulty with the under 5 set, not with a teenager.
Okay, you are afraid of needles. You and a large part of the population. Nobody likes them, nobody really likes to be stuck with one. But they do it because they realize the need to do it outweighs the dislike of the stick. In your case, they suspect anemia. That means you may be iron deficient, and it's the iron in your blood that carrys the oxygen to the rest of the body and carrys away the carbon dioxide. Anemia is starving the body of the fuel it needs to stay healthy. It's easy to detect with the blood test, and easy to fix. If you are anemic, they will give you iron tablets and encourage you to eat iron rich foods.
The amount of blood they will need to take is very small, and you won't even miss it. You can certainly cry when they stick you, you could probably even yell a bit- you wouldn't be the first and won't be the last. Just try to keep it clean language, so you don't embarass yourself or your mom. Tell the technician at the lab you are scared, they will understand and be sympathetic. They hear it every single day. They can even take the blood with you lying down on a bed, if that makes it easier for you. Just try to keep yourself as calm as you can about it, and it will go much easier. Don't let yourself get so wound up you get sick to the stomach, or even pass out. It's really not that big a deal, honestly.
You can try to fight, but in the end you will lose. You will end up feeling really stupid and embarassed, especially afterwards when you discover all the fuss was really not needed and it wasn't so bad as you thought. How bad it is really comes down to how you decide to behave and view it all. But keep in mind, thousands of people every day have a blood test taken, and they all survive the experience. You will too. Just chill out and go with the flow, hold mom's hand, cry, and be done with it. There are going to be plenty of other more miserable experiences in life ahead that will make a blood test look like nothing.

Answer 3

don't be scared. I've had so many blood tests taken i've lost count. You really need to have this test done. Anemia isn't something you wanna mess around with. While I don't think your mom can force you to have this test, she may be pushing it because she's seriously worried about you. The doctor wouldn't have ordered it if he/she didn't think it was absolutley necessary. If you're still scared, do what I used to do. Have your mom go in with you, and hold her hand. Have the nurse use your other arm and she'll tell you you'll feel a pinch. Just squeeze the heck out of your mom's hand. It'll be over in about 15 seconds, and they'll take the elastic off and put a band aid on you and you're out of there. With any luck, your levels won't be too low and the worst thing is you'll have to take some iron pills to bring it back up. Good luck, and remember, you've had shots before, and you've survived . You can do it again. Be strong.

Answer 4

Hi...if they are only testing for anemia, they should be able to test with a finger prick only. You won't even see the needle because they use an automatic lance. The put the cylinder against your finger, push the button, it pokes you, they get a drop of blood and put it in this vial to see if it floats or not. That's how they tested me for anemia. If it floats and they need a more accurate number, then and only then might they need to take a different kind of sample with a needle. This is important information to have about yourself. If you have a tendency towards anemia it can make you tired and even hard to think straight. So take a deep breath and remember your mom really does have your best interests at heart.

Answer 5

I'm not a lawyer, but I recall reading about this issue, and I believe that yes, at the age of 13, she can force you to have a blood test. As a guy with a thyroid gland that doesn't work, resulting in fairly regular blood tests, believe me, it's not so bad. If blood wierds you out (I used to be an orderly in an intensive care unit--it doesn't do that to me), look elsewhere when they're taking the blood. The needleprick isn't so bad. They'll probably take more than one container of blood, so have them tell you when it's safe to look. If you've got anemia (not enough iron in your blodd), it's something you should know about and fix. Really, the more time you spend thinking about "getting a needle" and wierding yourself out about it, the worse you'll make. Good luck.

Answer 6

I'm a paramedic and there's a bunch of things around this you should know.

First is that legally your Mom is required to ensure that you have good health care. That means it's the law and she could be in very serious trouble, including having you taken away from her if she doesn't make sure you are looked after.

Second is that you do not yet have the right to refuse the treatment, because you are in her custody as a minor. Having said that, she is very wise to talk this stuff over with you, making sure you are fully informed about what decisions she's making and it is very wise for you to talk over anything that you wonder about your rapidly changing body with her. The reason why it's important for you to take that on for yourself is that you will make better decisions for yourself, when the time comes for you to do that, if you practice now. Also, as your Mom discovers you getting good at making your own decisions, she'll let you run the show more and more often. Where I live, you are legally responsible for your own decisions at age 16. You need to ask when that is where you live.

Next, if you're being tested for anemia (not enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the blood), I'm thinking that you are likely having some trouble, like fainting spells, weight loss, etc. There are types of anemia (like sickle cell anemia) that can make you very, very sick and the few seconds of little discomfort you'll have will make it possible for you to be very comfortable and healthy for years to come. You might only need to change your diet or take iron suppliments and you'll feel like you've got way more energy and you're ready to take on the world. You'll wonder why you ever waited.

Finally, it seems to me that you are carrying around a lot of fear. Fear is just your unconscious mind doing it's job, warning you of danger. Unfortunately, your unconscious mind has no way of knowing that the various needles you'll have throughout life in fact protect you from harm and prevent more needle sticks later. So let it know. Just before you go to sleep think about the small little needle and introduce it you your unconcious mind in a daydream. Let it know how the needles will protect you from harm, from pain at the dentist and make it possible for you to get back to being perfectly healthy. And ask your unconscious mind to let you be totally and completely comfortable with it.

Who knows, maybe some day you will be a paramedic or nurse or doctor and you will get to save somebody's life with a needle. It's a great feeling for me when I get to do that.

Answer 7

The blood test is relatively painless. You feel a little pin prick and a nurse attaches a tube to draw the blood out painlessly. I am anemic too. You really need the test. It is not an option. With anemia you are pale and pasty looking, tired all the time. no energy. no appetite and oftentimes want to do nothing but sleep. Which disrupts your life. And yes at 13 your mother is your guardian regarding everything about your life. The nurse is aware and am sure is good at her blood draws.Really it's nothing. You will be glad you did it. For your health and your life.

Answer 8

i had a blood test and they found i had anemia, but u should have it because then they kno you have anemia and can fix it. you feel so much better when it is fixed and you dont realise that how u were feeling before was not normal. dont stress bout the blood test its just one needle and it doesnt hurt much. the injections you get as like vaccinations hurt more i think maybe because in a vaccination they are injecting something into you. with a blood test they are taking out blood it doesnt take very long few seconds and you cant feel anything much

Answer 9

Of course you are worried! Please listen to Mom Look, she's acting in your interest. You need to know more about the extreme dangers associated with anemia. This is no laughing matter. Go to your toolbar and type it in and see what you could be dealing with. About the needle, the last time they drew blood from me, the nurse was so gentle, it felt like a mosquito bite. the Just turn your head.You're going to be fine. Be cooperative with Mom; she loved you before you drew your first breath. Never forget that.

Answer 10

Its not going to bad at all, just let the phelobist (person who draws blood)know of your fear of needles, Just take a deep breath in and relax. Also look away. Bieng Healthy and knowing how to take care of your self is worth it.