A funny thing happened on my way to the lab

Well I went and got some blood work done today. This is the third time I have blood tests that I can remember. The first time I had blood taken was in about 1985. I was sent by a dentist as I was to be put under for a compact wisdom tooth extraction. When I went for my blood tests. I went to the local hospital in Pine Falls, Manitoba. The lab tech had me sitting in a chair. The chair had an arm that moved to the front of the body of the person sitting in the chair. I guess it's there for you rest your arm in front of your body. As the technician was taking blood I glanced over at the vial. The vial was filling with blood at an incredible fast pace. The blood flowed in the vial quickly, so quickly that blood looked like it was swirling. At the point I passed out. Right out. Like I was hit with a brick. I woke up still sitting in the chair. Thank goodness for the arm rest. It stopped me from sliding onto the floor. The lab tech asked me what happened. He said, "Your colour is coming back, one minute you were fine and than you just fainted." I looked over at my arm and there was another vial being filled. I fainted again. At this point, the lab tech had a nurse set me up in an adjacent room. I laid there for a while.

The next time I went was about a year or two ago. I went got blood letted. I didn't look at the vial. I was fine. Today I went for blood work again. My doctor had sent me a while ago but I kept putting it off. My wife made me go. At this lab, the space is small and there is absolutely no privacy. My name was called and I went gallantly into the blood work room. There were all sorts of posters, photocopies of funnies and other pictures to distract you from what is going on in your arm. Well, the young pretty and tall nurse started to take my blood. She said there will be a pinch and that will be about it. I felt the pinch for a Milli-second and then she would reach across my body and pick up a vial. There was a whole bunch of vials in a tray. The chair was the same type I had sat in before. A safety arm to protect the weak. Well the blood removal went without a hitch. I was fine. She asked me to hold a piece of cotton swab on my arm for a while. At this time, things seemed kind of weird. I was feeling a little off. I started to feel a little nauseous, but no big deal. I have felt that way before. I started to daydream, next thing I know, it feels like I am drowning, can't breathe or something, my body is moving like mad. I am waking up from a bad dream. It is a terrifying feeling, I don't know how to describe it. I feel like my body is leaving or I am stuck somewhere, like I can't get out. I don't know if I can breathe or not. Way in the background, I can hear a voice far on the outside of this tunnel. "Are you okay?" "No, I say". I don't know if I voiced this or it is in my mind. I didn't know where the heck I was or what was happening. I can see the nurse and she says do you have seizers. I say no. "You are having seizure". "No" I say. Next thing I know they are putting a wet cloth on the back of my neck and are trying to get me to drink some cool water. They get me to lay down in an adjacent room. After a while I get up and have to give a urine sample to end the lab trip. I courageously look at the people in the waiting room as I leave the lab.

I called my wife and she told me that my trip to donate blood will be cancelled. My wife is one of those people that donates blood regularly. I have told her that I should do it as well. Today I am reconsidering my charitable efforts.

I am a lucky person. I get to go to receive medical treatment, tests and advice. Lot of people in our country don't do that. Lot of people have to leave their communities to get medical treatment. Our Reserve is one of those that has a hospital in the near by town. There is even a doctor in our medical centre on Reserve. Lot of Reserves don't have the benefit of those services. I can't imagine how bad it can be in the U.S. Specifically for those without insurance.

In any case I made things exciting for the lab and gave my wife a few chuckles. I blamed my wife for my episode at the lab.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3YVil3Ajjs&feature=related