Tonight, I had dinner with a friend that I hadn’t really talked to in a long time. We had a great time catching up at dinner. She is in the CNA program at our school, but when asked whether she wanted to be a nurse, she said absolutely not because the blood makes her pass out. She started telling stories about getting blood drawn, and her stories were pretty funny. However, what wasn’t funny is that almost every story she referenced how the nurse or person drawing her blood didn’t understand that she can’t help passing out or vomiting. It is something that just happens to her. She has tried to work through it, but regardless, she either gets sick or passes out each time.
I also found it interesting that she is thinking about a career as a child life specialist so that she can help kids not be scared. When I was first diagnosed, I was terrified at having blood drawn. It literally made me anxious and sick. Now, I am pretty sure I could start my own IV and take my own blood. 🙂 However, I think it is important to remember that these things are not routine to everyone. Their fear and symptoms can be very real to them. At the very least, we should acknowledge them when they tell us and see what we can do to ease the fears.
Morgan Gleason 