Those who know me know that a couple of years ago, I had a serious needle phobia. The thought of needles used to make me feel faint, and I used to get so worked up before having a blood test that it made things worse than they were. I have gotten much better in the past year. Being on mercaptopurine means that I have to have blood tests every 2-4 weeks. I think I must have had nearly 100 blood tests in the past year alone. Needles no longer phase me as much as they used to. I still can't watch the nurses/phlebotomists/HCAs take my blood, but I can stand them now without feeling faint.
I was in the hospital on Saturday for my second colonoscopy in the past year. The result of the colonoscopy is the difference between better medication and staying on the medication I'm on. I had a cannula inserted into my arm and was fine until I looked at it. The blue dots and faintness of my previous needle experiences returned. I'm not sure if it was looking at the cannula or the blood that was under the bandage (the cap wasn't on properly).
Other than hardly remembering the procedure, it went quite well. I just hope the results are what I need for new medication.
