Drawing BLOOD

Today was the third time that I took blood from a classmate's arm during class. It was the first time that I felt calm and methodical about it. Nailed the vein, plugged in the tube, changed tubes, pulled the tourniquette, removed the needle....I didn't sweat or shake at all. Phew. I know I'll be proficient at this, but the first two times I was shaken by it. In retrospect I think it was the TA who shook me up. She was all over me, telling me how confident I was (when I wasn't) and telling me what to do next so fast that I didn't have a chance to think it through and do it on my own. She jarred me out of my tiny groove. Today I managed to get the regular teacher to preside over my blood pulling, instead of the TA, and I felt so much better. OK. Next step: get to where the TA doesn't bother me.

The poor girl who tried to get blood from my arm missed the vein entirely. Out of three student attempts to draw my blood, only one has been successful, and I think the needle went all the way through my vein that time. I had a bruise that traveled up my arm for a week afterward. This last woman was too slow moving and tentative. My veins don't just sit there, they try to get away. You have to pin them down and stab them like you mean it, if you want blood from them. I don't want the students to be discouraged, so I don't tell them that I have "hard veins". The lady at the clinic never misses.