Monday, November 16, 2009

Bloody Sunday

Yesterday was cycle day 3 for me. That meant it was time for me to update my day 3 labs. It has been over a year since my last test. Day 3 labs are basically a blue print of my hormone levels and other baby making levels that can be read through my blood. The doctors need the blood to be drawn on the third day of my period, no sooner, no later. My husband and I also needed to update our infectious disease labs. What a fabulous way to spend a Sunday.

At the clinic they have two chairs at the nurses station where they take blood. We both were seated and they showed of the number of vials that needed to be filled. My husband had one vial and since I was getting my day 3 labs done as well as infectious disease I had 6 vials. Goodness that's a lot of blood. Of course I have the world's most difficult veins. I have been told by countless doctors and nurses that my veins are a challenge for them. It took the best nurse at the clinic over 45 minutes to find a good vein. One ruptured vein, one struck nerve and one little vein later she had the blood she needed. The poor nurse was sweating at the end of it all. She felt so bad about my ruptured vein and the nerve she hit. I told her it was fine, my best friend is a nurse and I have great patience and respect for nurses. Of course my husband was able to be in done in less then two minutes, lucky guy. He felt so bad for my arm that he took me out to a fancy brunch downtown.

I have to say after two years of fertility clinics and all the lab work they have needed from me giving blood is nothing. I look back at some of the tests I had to have done without any type of anesthesia and a little needle seems like a walk in the park. As we walked out of the clinic I looked at my husband and reminded him that was the last time we would need any more tests done until we are in Europe! It felt so good to know that we are so close to having everything we need to get to the finish line. A finish line that didn't seem close until recently. I feel very overwhelmed.

I got an amazing email via facebook from a friend in Boise who's been reading my blog. She was reaching out and saying that she was there if I needed anything. I started to cry reading the email. I felt so alone in this process until recently. Not really letting anyone in and not sharing the depth of what's been really going on. It feels so good to know that I have the support from friends and family. I am not alone in this, they are and have been with me every step of the way.

1 comment:

  1. You are so tough. I HATE getting blood taken, but yeah, it just comes with the territory, so you have to get used to it. I just realized that my own day 3's need to be done for my IVF in May. May is only 6 months away, so imagine how fast February will come for you! You can do it.

    ReplyDelete