Adventures of a Maude in Training

We took S. to LPCH for his blood draw yesterday. We explained to the phlebotomist the problems PAMF had experienced getting his blood. She listened and took a long time examining S.'s arms and veins and managed to do two successful punctures (zero unsuccessful), each yielding about half the blood we needed (one in each arm). It all went pretty quickly and we've decided that is the only place he will be getting his blood drawn for the forseeable future. The downside was the S. started screaming when they swabbed his arm with alcohol and then really started screaming when he saw the needle. This means he now is anticipating the draw, which is unfortunate. Also, the phlebotomist told us he had scar tissue on the vein in his left arm and was surprised when we told her that last week's blood draw was the first he'd had since he was a newborn. And it took three adults, in addition to the phlebotomist to restrain him. He sat on my lap in the blood-draw chair. I held his head,non-draw arm, and upper body ptor held his legs and hips and the non-working phleobotmist held the arm that was being used. The working phlebotomist also held the in-use arm. Even with all that we could barely keep him still. He is so strong it is ridiculous. Fortunately, he calmed down pretty quickly post-draw, but he refused to be handed off to ptor so I could use the bathroom so I had to carry him in and unbutton and button my pants one-handed.

We won't know the results probably for another day or so. Urgh.

In other thoughts, children's hospitals depress me. I truly appreciate how nice they are and how much they try to make them not be sterile, scary places, but all I can think of when I am in one is that no one is happy to be there. I mean, if you are there you probably have a sick child, or you are a sick child. All the stuffed animals and toys and bright colors remind me of that. I am glad they exist, but I sure hope we don't have much use for one.