TKO

I passed out at the doctor’s office this morning.

I hate getting blood drawn. It’s just something I really struggle with. I’m not scared necessarily – I just fundamentally believe that blood is supposed to stay inside my body by design. That’s what skin is for. I know I have a hard time. I have never reacted this strongly, but I am never just “ok” with the scenario.

Some experiences are worse than others. Today was worse. She missed the vein and of course I felt all of that going on. I was essentially ok until she told me she missed it and I realized she was going to have to try it again. Blood pressure drops, cold sweat, hearing goes away, vision goes black and I have no control over any of these automatic processes that take over. I felt like a complete idiot and so incompetent that I couldn’t deal with something so routine. They had ice packs and water and juice and a wheelchair. They were mopping sweat off of my face and forearms – which normally are not a sweaty area in general. There were four nurses around me at one point. I’m sure it was the most exciting thing to happen so far on this Wednesday morning. Such drama. I would have immediately left if I could have stood up without the assistance of two medical professionals.

After my blood pressure and color returned to a normal state and we developed an alternative plan of action, I assessed the situation because I know this is not the last time I will have to face it. I have another appointment scheduled for next week and I would prefer to not star in today’s sequel. I realized I had failed in several key areas of preparation that could have positioned me better for success.

1.) Physical: I hadn’t eaten breakfast. This alone could have prevented the severity of my physical reaction.

2.) Mental: I could have practiced some relaxation techniques ahead of time. I didn’t feel anxious when I went in to the office, even though I knew the draw was going to happen. I wasn’t worked up but I wasn’t intentionally relaxed either.

3.) Emotional: I viewed the draw as unnecessary and stupid. The purpose was to confirm a pregnancy that I already know is legit – I’ve already had an ultrasound at another office. This draw was simply to check a box for this office. My underlying attitude was not one of acceptance – it was one of resistance.

The result of these oversights and attitude was a highly dramatic and unnecessary situation, which I would have preferred to avoid if at all possible. So, on the topic of preparation, let us ask ourselves…

In what areas are you experiencing unnecessary drama because you did not do the work of adequately preparing yourself ahead of time?

Where are you physically ignoring your body’s needs? It WILL take over eventually and overpower your ability to control its autopilot reactions.

Where do you need to anticipate possible stress and mitigate it ahead of time in order to avoid reactions in yourself you don’t want?

How are your emotions sabotaging you? Are there areas that you just need to accept as part of the process – even if you don’t think they need to be part of YOUR process? Attitude matters.

Lean forward,

Bekka