WHAT YOU LEARN FROM MY ‘TINY VEINS’

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM MY ‘TINY VEINS’

Last week, I had to get my blood drawn as part of a routine medical checkup and went through what I have endured for the past decade and more- a longer than usual wait time at the laboratory or hospital. Drawing blood from someone with normal sized veins typically takes 5-10 mins. For me, my veins are tiny and this process takes about 30 mins to complete but only after i would have been needle-poked at least 3 times in different areas of my arm or the back of my hand and at least 3 or more phlebotomists have taken their turns in finding a vein. ‘Tiny veins’ are not always visible and when they are found, within a few seconds, they disappear. It also means they requires a special kind of needle (tiny ones called butterfly needles) to draw out blood from the veins when they are found . I am not sure why I have tiny veins but it is something I have lived with and gained control over as the years have gone by.

Mine is ‘tiny veins,’ what is yours? Whatever it is that makes you feel uncomfortable now and then, causes people to stare at you, puts you in an unhappy state when ever you see it or think about it, or seems like a ‘thorn in the flesh,’ should never break you. Know this for sure- you are wonderfully and fearfully made. God took his time to ensure a carefully crafted final product- YOU. You were made uniquely like no other. Which means, there is absolutely no one else like you.

Since I can’t do anything about my ‘tiny veins,’ I don’t think much about it until it is time to do a blood draw or go to a lab. I am also quite open and talk about it i.e. before a blood draw, I give the phlebotomists heads up by telling them that it will take time to find my veins. In those instances, I think being open about this situation has helped the people that I tell to be emphathetic and patient towards me. It also gives them access to help me. In my case, they allow me to get hydrated, put a warm compress around my veins are with me every step of the way to make the experience less stressful.

Today, If you are feeling gloomy about a condition that you have no control over, remember my ‘tiny veins.’ They are tiny and elusive but have taught me mighty things that I can’t explain in detail, like being patient in mundane situations like getting a blood draw or starting up conversations with strangers and just reading up about my body and health and how to take good care of it. What ever you do today, smile when you remember what my tiny veins reminds you of.

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