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Needles

A normally-pregnant woman's hormones (not to mean a woman who is normally pregnant, or always pregnant) double every two days. Hormone levels are determined by analyzing the blood in the magic way of lab technicians, ways involving sharp pointy needles.

Now, I have no problem with needles. When I had my tonsils out in second grade, the anesthesiologist told me to not watch as the IV needle went into place. Of course I looked. I was volunteering at the public health office when there was a measles scare during my senior year of high school, and was allowed to administer my own shot. To myself, by myself.

I have had blood samples taken seven times in the past month, and apparently my left vein is starting to show some of the abuse. On Monday, the lab tech said she could feel all the bumps where each of the previous six needles had excavated. She is the only one who decided to go ahead and try my right arm, but the vein is apparently too deep and she ended up hitting a nerve.

So back to the left arm we went, only this time with a baby needle: a teeny tiny thing that was smaller than most of my sewing needles. A little trickle of blood stopped halfway down the tiny plastic tube. "Looks like the vein collapsed for a bit there," the tech said, and changed the collection tube to a smaller one.

I have no problems with needles. The vein in my left arm, however, is starting to.