The Secret - H20

Last week I went for some routine blood/urine testing.  Historically speaking, I'm a horrible blood giver.  So is the Quackdaddy and so was my Grandma K.  Now I believe I know why.

BC (before children) the water this body consumed was either from brushing my teeth or what it absorbed through a shower.  I drank Diet Pepsi (actually, the real stuff back then) and lots of chocolate milk.  Occasionally some tea or juice.  Never water.  Ever.  Ugh.

Blood draws for me were excruciating.  It was always an ordeal.  They would poke and prod one elbow, then ask to try the other one, repeatedly.  It was awful.  I remember nearly passing out in the OB/GYN's office after probably ten attempts on a simple blood test.  I finally told the gal I couldn't take anymore, could I please get someone else to try.  She sent me to the hospital lab, where they used a butterfly needle.  That was a gift from God.  I guess they use them on small children.  I didn't care.  It worked.  I could actually fill a vial without my veins rolling or collapsing or whatever it is they would do.

I have always avoided blood drives because of the troubles and decided it wasn't worth it to me (which is very selfish, I know).  My dad has been told never to give blood, after, what I can only guess are, somewhat similar experiences with his veins and my grandma also had trouble with her veins.  I chalked it up to the genes.  (Neither one of those two drink much, if any, water.)

I haven't had a lick of trouble the past few years.  In fact, I used to preempt the dreaded prick by asking for the butterfly needle and explaining the difficulties.  Lately, I have stopped giving that info because these days it isn't a problem at all.

I was chatting with the sweet lab tech the other day about this and she said something about the body being hydrated and how that really helps in a blood draw.  That is when it clicked.  I drink tons of water now and have AC (after children).  I don't know what little switch turned inside of me when I had Madolyn, but after she was born, I started drinking water.

I discovered that as long as the water was in a bottle or ice cold at a restaurant, I could drink it.  That is when I made the recycling commitment (which is the bane of Jay's existence, he'll tell you).  If I was going to drink bottled water, I was going to recycle each and every one of those plastic bottles. Even though it is a pain...and inconvenient.

Right now I'm up to drinking about 70+ ounces of water a day.  I have kicked my Crystal Lite to the curb and other than a glass of tea in the evening, or a Diet Pepsi with some pizza, I am mostly drinking water.  If nothing else, it makes the blood flow much easier out of my veins...ha!  So now you know, H20 is the secret to a smooth blood draw!