Zivah has been having GI issues for a while now... a nearly constant stomach ache since February. We thought at first it was only constipation, but after getting that cleared, the pain was still there. We're still trying nail down the source of the problem, so I took her in this morning to get some blood drawn.
I could see the anxiety on the nurse's face when we walked in. I doubt they take a lot of blood from kids. The pediatrician in the clinic is fairly new, so the majority of the patients there have been older adults. Besides, most kids (like Joe) think of needles, and the terror sets in as soon as they realize what is going on. "Does she know what's going to happen?" she asked. Yes, she did. I had told Zivah the night before exactly what was going to happen- how they would put a band around her arm to make the blood vessels stick up, then poke a needle in to take out some blood. I figured she could handle it. (Besides, I like to be honest about those sorts of things. How rotten is it to be surprised by pain mom knew about but didn't tell you?)
The nurse tried to make Zivah (and herself) feel better, complimenting her on her cowgirl boots and western shirt. I asked Zivah if she wanted to watch something on my phone while they drew the blood, but the needle was more interesting, and by the time I was able to pull up a Weird Al video on YouTube, the whole thing was over. She was a trooper- barely flinched when they stuck her- claimed it didn't hurt. The nurses were amazed by her calm.
"It's good I didn't get a Cinderella Band-Aid. I hate those things," she told me on the ride home. "Last time I got a Cinderella Band-Aid and I almost threw up."
That's my girl.
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