Just a short sharp scratch

Just a short sharp scratch 

Ew even those words make me feel a bit nauseous.

I’m a wuss. There are a lot of things I’m scared of and nervous about to be fair. However, injections and blood tests is definitely up there! 

As mentioned in yesterday’s blog post I’ve had somewhat of a health ‘MOT’ this week.

Since I have asthma I’m always offered the flu jab. I think I’ve had it most years although I really can’t remember if I did last year. 

Anyway, there have been moments I’ve had my fiancé distract me by acting silly in a doctors room to stop me freaking out at having injections. My arm has started aching at just the thought of being injected in some sort of phantom pain. I’ve felt faint, got hot and on the verge of tears when having to get blood taken. 

Yet I’ve given birth twice and been through a few unpleasant procedures in my time. Including a huge needle in me when I had an epidural! Still, I continue to worry over a tiny needle and a really short moment of discomfort. 

Needles, blood, yuck. 

However, something weird has happened to me this week. For one, I decided to stay true to my mantra I was going to follow this week and try put myself first a bit more. So some symptoms I’d been having and a letter for a test I’d received I finally decided to address. 

Hence the MOT! 

I won’t lie there were times before one appointment I nearly walked out the doctors and I did get a bit tearful.

After my blood test today I felt a bit hot and nauseous.

However, I stuck at it and attended my appointment Monday and made sure I covered all the points I wanted.

When it came to having my flu jab, I surprised myself I was chatting away and didn’t even flinch when it was done. 

Normally post blood test I walk around with a stiff arm and don’t move it for hours after. Yes I know how ridiculous this is! Today, I walked straight out, popped my cardigan and coat on and not long after was carrying a bag full of shopping for the kids I’d collected. 

So yes, I’m a 37 year old woman and finally I think I might have actually overcome some of my fears this week. 

Don’t get me wrong I didn’t enjoy any of it and still wasn’t keen, but it was definitely not so traumatic as I usually find it. And - yes I know what a big girl! - I went to all the appointments and tests on my own.

Maybe that’s the way to approach a lot of things in life you fear. Think of it as a short sharp scratch - it’s not going to last and will be over soon enough. 

Smear smiles

Today I went for a smear test

Well, if you want to be specific I went for a smear test, flu jab and asthma review! 

I’m sure I’ve posted about this before and I know others sometimes make a point of letting people know they’ve gone for a smear. To help raise awareness. 

It seems to go in peaks and troughs, whether it’s ‘in’ to promote going for a smear, when people want to encourage other females to go get checked out.

However, what shocked me today as I sat in the waiting room, waiting - because of course it’s NHS and there were delays - people are still making a fuss about going.

I don’t mean singing from the rooftops they’ve had a cervical cancer check to join the latest social media craze. 

No, people still don’t like going and - very much like labour - people seem to thrive on telling their horror stories! 

Why is it people think it’s a good idea to share negative experiences, in particular with those who are about to endure said experience? 

Today when chatting with a fellow Mum and in explaining my reasons for being at the doctors, I found out all how at their last smear they had ‘different’ results.  And of course In great detail the procedure afterwards!

Thankfully I know after having 3 children - well going through 2 births - that a smear should be a walk in the park. And after various blood tests during pregnancy, having an epidural In labour and then post-birth tummy injections that injections shouldn’t be too daunting at all. 

I’ve been a wuss for years so was quite proud of myself today! (as well as laughing at my old self!) 

A smear is so quick and easy to do. It can feel uncomfortable at times when they take the sample, but before you known it you’re done.

And if you find a decent healthcare professional - like I luckily have - you’ll end up spending longer chatting than the test itself actually takes! 

I had a good old gossip today. 

It was honestly over so fast. This morning In the shower whilst preparing myself i thought how people probably have certain rituals they go through when their time comes.

You know what, if it makes you feel better about going if you’ve ‘done your bikini line, have nice undies on, or anything really to help, just do it. 

And me? How did I find this latest episode, or moreso my health MOT as I kept joking. 

Well, they may have aged me, stress me out beyond belief and don’t allow me to ever have a normal conversation with other adults. But thanks kids. 

Thanks to bringing you into this world I didn’t feel too much at my check up today (sorry TMI)  and I didn’t feel faint or get phantom arm aches when facing a needle! 

If I can do it, then so can you. Alright some people might not be as ‘fortunate’ as me to have  kids that liked to ‘leave their mark’ when entering the world (and exiting me!) Regardless, a smear is over super quick and can actually save your life! 

Another reason to hate injections

As we all know I hate injections, so can you imagine how I am feeling on braving it, facing my fears and going for them on Friday to be met with...getting ill.

Yes I had my flu jab on Friday, even got a sticker (seriously!) and then woke up a few days later feeling ill.

I've been getting a flu jab as a matter of course for the last few years, due to having asthma you are actively encouraged to do so. I'll be honest I've never felt ill after it before - just an achey, heavy arm and feeling queasy in general from facing the needle...

This time round for some reason I have fallen ill. I've got a temperature, sore throat, runny nose, lightheaded, headache, the works. It is not nice. Particularly when I reasoned with myself it was better to get it sooner rather than later, to stop me getting ill in my new job. No, no, no, instead the jab has given me symptoms on possibly the worst week to do so at work.

I've had a day off ill today as I felt so bad and in a bid to try and be a bit more normal to see my clients tomorrow. I've rested, drunk fluids, had nice hot soup, kept warm indoors, slept lots (in between checking work emails) and am attempting to burn it out with a spicy Indian or Thai curry for dinner, not sure what's best...

On mentioning feeling ill after injections, numerous people have asked if I'd had the flu jab and told me not to bother as it makes you ill! Some of these people work in the health profession, another has asthma like me...Perhaps I have been lucky in the past when I haven't got ill.

I'm so pleased now we did NFL for my boyfriend's birthday on Sunday. Yesterday was his actual birthday and after sniffling my way through work I had dinner and birthday cake with his family and then had to go home ill...

Anyway I will leave you now after my little moan, I'm off to feel sorry for myself again, before an early night.

R4D4Q9XBWR3U

Potential pincushion

In less than a month I will be sunning myself in Morocco, I can't wait and was so excited when we got it booked! However, what's not so great is the news my parents dropped on me this week...I need injections before I go... I absolutely hate injections, like horror films my fear of them has got worse as I've got older for some reason. I've never been a fan of them, at school I would get nervous, but I'd get on with it, unlike one drama queen who will remain unnamed, who used to 'faint' when we had injections at school to get out of lessons... Last year when I had my flu jab (something I really need to have what with being in a 'risk' group with mild asthma), my boyfriend came along for support, I'm that bad. He ended up having to try distraction techniques by acting the fool to take my mind off it all. I must admit it did work, kind of... A classic example is when I was young and had to have quite a few injections for a family holiday, my Uncle (who was in the army when young) advised me to roll my arm round/roll my shoulder as it would help the injections travel round my body and stop my arm aching and getting heavy. So I did. And then proceeded to slide down the fridge door in the nurse's office at our doctor's surgery and passed out. Just slightly embarrassing! So the thought of having not one but two injections fills me with dread. You know what the injection for the holiday is for? Typhoid. And you know what else? I actually have seriously considered not having the injection and enquired how bad a risk is there? Oh dear typing that out actually makes it sound so much worse. The other thing I'm worried about is that I am so busy at work the next few weeks before I go so I don't want to have a dead arm from having jabs, or getting cold symptoms from the flu innoculation. But I guess either is a better alternative to contracting typhoid... For now I'm waiting for our 'amazing' doctors to get back in touch and let me know if they can actually fit me in before I go. Apparently you can only have injections on a Tuesday or Friday and then if you have a job you're a bit stuck too because they don't stay open late either... Oh well if I don't blog for a while you know I'll be nursing my pincushion of an arm...