"Veins and compassion"

Ever since I was a child I've always had a terrible fear of blood tests. My childhood experiences with them mostly went something a bit like this - a nurse would enter brandishing a needle which did not particularly make them look sympathetic and I would nervously tell them that my veins were impossible to find. They would laugh and say something along the lines of 'they didn't look hard enough then.' Only to be truly stumped when their poking and destruction of my arm lead to nothing, leaving it looking something akin to a piece of modern art work.

So when I was having chest pains and heart palpitations and discovered I would have to have a CT scan with a cathater on I felt exhausted at the thought of it. Further, although I was deeply appreciative of the care of those at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, I was already frustrated at the fact that I had to wait seven and a half hours. I didn't sleep incase my name was called and this added to the emotional states I felt during my time there. 

However this story is the compassion I was met by those in pod E in The Royal Edinburgh Infirmary. The first nurse, a male student who was abound with the sort of energy that you find in puppies. Golden retriever ones specifically. Upon examining my veins he agreed that he wasn't confident enough to take my blood, so he went and got another nurse.

She was lovely too, the sort of person you'd imagine being your teacher, the nice one, if you were in Mathilda. She too felt uncomfortable at taking my blood although she managed to get some out from me from the needle babies have when they have blood tests. So she went and got the lead doctor who was evidently a motherly character of the group and could be heard always cheering her team on and supporting them.

However by the end of half an hour, in front of me was seven individuals all baffled, staring down at me, confused as to how my blood was going to be taken that didn't involve having to resurrect Dracula himself, after all it was Edinburgh.

Eventually a sonogram was wheeled out and upon accidently touching a nerve (literally) I let out a terrible scream that most likely traumatised both the man doing the sonogram and the rest of the people in that Accident and Emergency room. I would like to add that this was by no means an act of malpractice- I really do have impossible hard to find veins and attempts to draw blood in ordinary circumstances have taken hours and this was different and more time dependant .

However with much patience and compassion and certainly a group effort, and I mean every nurse and doctor available, my blood was taken and cathater was fitted. Although it fitted in seconds by a talented consultant who basically did one of those quick as a flash tricks that made me feel like a child at a party watching a magician, not really having any idea how it was done but very glad it was done.

I really appreciated all their compassion, understanding and empathy in the situation. I felt tired and embarrassed at times but not down to the people there. Most importantly of all however I really trusted that if I was in a worse situation, potentially life threatening then they would do the utmost for me and others and know exactly what to do so thank you!