"Love follows knowledge."
"Beauty above all beauty!"
– St. Catherine of Siena

Monday, October 28, 2013

Matthew Monday: Blood Test and Play Dough Pizza

We had to take Matthew for the first blood test since the first month we had him home.  That blood test was three years ago when Matthew was just over a year old, and the veins were so small that the pediatrician at the time decided the best place to draw his blood was from a vein (or is it an artery?) in the neck.  It was a horror to watch her stick a needle in his neck, and all the time I was holding Matthew down. 

This time we were at an actual blood lab, and, while they took it from the traditional middle of the arm, it was just as much a horror.  This all started when his annual pediatrician visit turned up he was on the anemic side with a simple pin prick blood test.  So she ordered us to give him a daily vitamin with iron and get a blood test to assess. 

My wife made sure I was available since she knew this would be difficult.  I decided to tell him we were going for a blood test while we were still in the house.  That’s when he started to cry.  He didn’t like the little pin prick test and he was already anticipating that.  He had no idea what a real blood test entailed.  My wife didn’t think it was wise to tell him up front, but what was I to do, surprise him when we got to the lab?  That’s like the mafia taking you for a ride.  So we comforted him as best we could, and then we even promised him a treat and a trip to the book store where he likes to play in the children’s department. 

It was tough.  He started screaming, even when they put the rubber strap around his arm.  “Ouwee” he cried, “ouwee.”  It was hard to find a vein on his little arms.  The guy who started decided to call an assistant, a young lady who had drawn from children more often.  And then Matthew really let it out when the butterfly needle was jammed in.  And then they had to move the tip around to find a better flow.  Matthew was positioned in my lap, his arm on the swing arm of the chair, and my arms holding him steady and his other hand from grasping.  The blood technicians did the best they could.  They were surprised that they had to take five or six (don’t remember the count) vials, and at some oint they decided not to fill them up completely.  God, I hope I don’t have to do that for a long time.

Later that evening Matthew was in a better mood and played with his beloved play dough.  He decided to make me a pizza, a flattened sheet of yellow clay with red pieces for the tomatoes and white chucks for the mozzarella cheese.  I thought this was cute as heck.  Here’s my pizza.

 


 

And then he made one for his mother and one for himself, for a total of three pizzas.

 


 
He was so proud of himself.  Here’s the little chef in front of his creations, the blood test long forgotten. 

 

 

So can the Food Channel use another chef?  LOL!

6 comments:

  1. Aw! Poor guy! Some of my kids were as stoic as could be about that kind of stuff, and then others would be like the cartoon cat the jumps up and hangs by his claws from the ceiling, lol.
    Oh, the classic Play Doh Pizza! I have had many in my day, and I do think his are particularly well crafted. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am so sorry the little guy had to go through this! Poor thing.
    I'll share something since you said he has small veins. Unless it is absolutely necessary, don't let them take blood from his feet if they have a hard time with the veins. Our hematologist said that is how blood clots can start- always in the legs and then they travel.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Manny! He's a real artist. That top pizza looks like an old man and an old woman and the bottom three also say a lot to me. The top tells me that a little lamb is sticking it arms, I mean legs, out. The left one looks like ghosts flying on top of blood and the right one tells me that a smurf is walking out of this stuff with a cloud over head keeping him company.

    As for Matthew and his pain, it just almost makes me want to cry cause I use to take one of our grandson who has C.F. to get those necessary evil needles when he lived in our city and leave it at that.

    My best to you and your family



    ReplyDelete
  4. Blood tests are horrible. Victoria has had her fair share, and I have hated taking her to all of them. I just hate to see them get hurt, even if it is a necessary evil. Up there with shots. I hate those too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Meg. Always great to hear from you. :)

      Delete
  5. Thank you all. I'll heed that advice Kathy.

    ReplyDelete