Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Bloood. wah ha ha ha ha!

Maybe not a big deal to anyone else, but to me this is HUGE! I've always been a big-time fainter, as in: fainting at the sight of my own blood, other people's blood, fake blood--even stories of fake blood. The principal in grade school had to pull me off the floor after the pin prick test and the five tiny dots of blood taken by the school nurse. I know, I know, "...pathetic. . . and he wants to be a doctor?" yep. And today I passed a major milestone: I stuck a needle in this girls arm and I drew blood from a vein. Seriously. I'll admit my hands were shaking and I could feel my face turning a little bit whiteish--but I didn't faint--not even close. I hit the vein on the first try and didn't even hestitate. It wasn't perfect, because when I withdrew the plunger I pulled the needle out a bit and I had to sort of push it in again (which is THE thing that makes me the sickest).

I call it a success because it wasn't mandatory (we were allowed to just practice on the model if we wanted) and even though it could have gone better I hit the vein, drew blood and didn't faint. It was awesome!

4 comments:

Kate said...

WAY TO GO!!!!! I thought that you must have had to do this sometime before with your training, but I guess not. I guess it's not quite the same thing when it's a cadaver...not so much blood there.

yo nance said...

Go, Ben!!! I remember your fainting days and all the kidding we gave you about being a brain surgeon some day...just because you have always been so good with your hands...juggling, sign language finger spelling, origami and playing the bagpipes. What's interesting now is that way back when we would tease you about fainting at the sight of blood and about becoming a doctor, it wasn't even on your list of possibilities of things to do when you grew up.

annieareyouok said...

yeah b!i don't mind the sight of blood ... it' the whirring sound it makes when they take it.

big red 26 said...

Whoo hooo, that's great! What's with the Turner family and needles? Way to go Dr. Turner!