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What happens during a blood test - reassurance needed

Hope

Today I had that dreaded doctor's appointment, but it went better than expected. I was concerned because I have been experiencing stabbing sensations in the left side of my chest, and was worried in case there was something wrong with my heart. You know that never ignore chest pains advice? Well, I was petrified I was going to die, and I am only 26 years old. But the doctor checked my blood pressure, which was completely fine, as was my oxygen saturation. She took my heart rate on my front and back, and said my heart sounded healthy.

The doctor said that she had no concerns from the tests and from what I was telling her, but offered me the chance to have a heart trace EEG and a blood test at the doctors nexr Monday. She told me that she is not concerned, and thinks that the tests will show nothing is wrong, but that it will help put my mind at rest, so I accepted the tests. But I am worried about the blood test - what do they involve, and how can I reassure myself?

Parents

  • I'm glad the appointment went OK and that your heart seems healthy.  Is it the actual tests that you're worried about or the results, or both?

    When I've had blood tests (more times than I can count) they've not been any big deal.  Basically they insert a needle into a vein on the inside of your elbow, and then connect this to small vacuum containers which automatically draw up a sample of blood (no syringes).  If they have to take multiple samples for different things then they may use multiple containers, but the system is designed so that these can be changed without disturbing the needle so you only get poked once.  They put a tourniquet around your bicep at the start, which I think that they then release as they take the sample so presumably it's to control the blood flow a bit.  I've usually been in and out of the room in two or three minutes.

    If it's the needle that you're worried about, I've never it going in to be painful really.  The people who do these things are probably very well practiced.  And the only other bit that hurts at all is pulling off the nasty tape they use to hold a cotton ball on afterwards (not that it bleeds much or for long).  The only time that I hated blood tests was when I had to fast before (which is only necessary for some things).  Passing the coffee bar at work in the middle of the morning when I hadn't had breakfast was not easy!

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  • I'm glad the appointment went OK and that your heart seems healthy.  Is it the actual tests that you're worried about or the results, or both?

    When I've had blood tests (more times than I can count) they've not been any big deal.  Basically they insert a needle into a vein on the inside of your elbow, and then connect this to small vacuum containers which automatically draw up a sample of blood (no syringes).  If they have to take multiple samples for different things then they may use multiple containers, but the system is designed so that these can be changed without disturbing the needle so you only get poked once.  They put a tourniquet around your bicep at the start, which I think that they then release as they take the sample so presumably it's to control the blood flow a bit.  I've usually been in and out of the room in two or three minutes.

    If it's the needle that you're worried about, I've never it going in to be painful really.  The people who do these things are probably very well practiced.  And the only other bit that hurts at all is pulling off the nasty tape they use to hold a cotton ball on afterwards (not that it bleeds much or for long).  The only time that I hated blood tests was when I had to fast before (which is only necessary for some things).  Passing the coffee bar at work in the middle of the morning when I hadn't had breakfast was not easy!

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