Needle Phobia

[anonymous]

Ok, I'm on a writing frenzy tonight! And I know, I know - I should register and get a username and everything - I'm getting around to it!

Anyways, does anyone else have an extreme fear of needles? The actual reason why I haven't been to a doctor in 2 years is because I know when I go they'll want to take blood. I am deathly afraid of needles. And when I say 'deathly' I mean that I would almost rather die than get a needle. How lame is that? I'm 23 years old for frick sakes! I've never heard of a PICC line (is that what they're called?) before I came onto this site and when I looked up what it is, I almost passed out! And I think my body would shut itself down out of fear if I ever had to get one. I'm getting all panicky just writing about needles right now! Today I had to get blood taken out of my ear! Weird eh! It was slightly better than getting it out of your arm, but I almost blacked out all the same. Anyways, just another venting episode. So that's my fear [and public speaking and the dark and spiders and grasshoppers (don't laugh) and I think that's it]. What is everyone else afraid of?

Rose - 23/f/cf

 

[JazzysMom]

I hate shots. Take blood, give me a picc line, change my iv's.....but dont give me a shot. I had lots of shots this hospital stay. Between the Vitamin K shots & insulin while things were haywire my poor Nurses hated to come near me. Even my annual flu shot I whimper like a baby!

 

[thelizardqueen]

I used to hate needles. Then I got diabetes. You have to get used to needles right away if you've got diabetes. Its not so much the needles that freak me out, but seeing it go into my body. Ick!

 

[Scarlett81]

Maybe you could request a mild sedative or something to just make you loopy if you need a PICC line, IV or tons of bloods done. One thing a nurse told me once is you Do Not have to live with the pain or fear/anxiety of ANY procedure-ask for something!!! Even if it's just laughing gas or oxycontin!!

Before they used dye/ultrasound to put in PICC lines, I'd get terribly afraid, to the point where my veins would collapse b/c of the anxiety! B/c the pain and the blind pushing to get the PICC in was intense. So they started giving me a little valium to make me loopy.

Now they used ultrasound and dye to get in it right away. I still cringe, but it's bearable.

I hope you don't need a PICC-but you don't have to live with this fear. If it's as bad as you say it is, it's a phobia that might not go away. So get some relief for yourself.

 

[NoExcuses]

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