I Hate Health Checkups!

Do you get a health checkup every year?

I do, but I feel like things get more painful and uncomfortable as I get older.

I can concede that it's unavoidable that there are more uncomfortable tests.
Drinking barium and rolling around on a table.
Having my breasts pulled to the limit during a mammogram.
But, the thing I hate most of all is...

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I am someone who absolutely hates the annual health checkup.

As a "cancer survivor," I get nervous every time until I hear the results.
But my biggest worry is"blood draws."That's because my veins are thin and hard to find, and I've had experiences where they poked me with a needle over and over to search for a vein.

I went into this year's health checkup hiding my anxiety.
The systolic blood pressure I measured before the blood draw was a whopping140!!!
I guess I couldn't hide my nervousness.

The nurse realized I was "bad with blood draws," but after taking a deep breath to calm down, I was ready to go.

The nurse said, "I can see a 'good vein' in your left arm, so you'll be fine," so I felt relieved and left it to her.

"A 'good vein'"I thought it would be over once she poked it with the needle, but...

(Ouuuuch!!!!!!)

It seems the vein she found moved, and she missed the mark.

Furthermore, while saying, "I am so, so sorry," she started searching for a vein with the needle.
This was even more painful!!
I couldn't help but let out an inarticulate, "Whoa, ughhh!"

(Since the health checkup was first thing in the morning, I hadn't had any water.
I hate the pain, so I usually drink water before a blood draw.)

"If you're dehydrated, your veins are hard to find"I had heard that before, so my anxiety and tension spiked all at once.
But when I snuck a peek, the nurse holding the needle also looked quite nervous.

"Let's check your right arm too!"

She said, and I offered it, but it seemed my left arm was easier to see, so she tried a different vein in my left arm, but that didn't work either.

I don't want to go through any more pain!
But it won't be over until the blood is drawn.

In the end, we tried the vein she missed the first time one more time, and the third time was the charm.

(Phew! Thank goodness!)

Once I was freed from my anxiety, I realized I was drenched in sweat.

When I saw the nurse,
she bowed deeply and said, "I am so sorry!"
so

"My veins are thin, so they're hard to find, aren't they!"
I apologized as well.

Then,
"I know you don't like blood draws, and I'm sorry it took more than one try and wasted your time..."
"You had a good vein there, I am so sorry!"
she apologized repeatedly and treated me with such kindness.

Just a moment ago, I had been fuming, thinking, "Ugh, I hate this!" but seeing her attitude,"She's doing her best, so I guess it can't be helped."I thought to myself.

It is said that women and the elderly tend to have thinner veins compared to men and younger people.

I've heard that vein thickness is influenced by constitution, genetics, and lifestyle habits, and I've also heard that cold and tension can cause veins to constrict, or poor circulation can make them harder to find.

I've tried taking measures like bringing a hand warmer for blood draws during cold seasons or avoiding the cold season and getting blood drawn in the summer, but sometimes they still fail.

The trauma of blood draws doesn't go away and the fear remains, but when the other person's response is good, the feeling of wanting to blame them disappears.

This time I was able to forgive her because I felt her sincerity, but I still really hate health checkups.

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Thank you for reading until the end.
I would be happy if you could support me with a "Like♡".
I try to keep in mind that I want to live comfortably even with a fragile heart♪

▼I've published a parenting book for moms with a fragile mentality!▼