Whenever we go anywhere new, or go do something unusual, I try to explain to Rich beforehand what is going on or what is going to happen. I don't know how much he understands, but I figure it gives me good practice for when he is older and understands more.
So I tried to explain to him what was going to happen as we drove to the hospital. "Now, Rich, when we get to the hospital, the nurses are going to prick your toe to get a few drops of blood so they can test your iron levels." This is what I said to him.
Except I was wrong.
They actually had to stick his arm and draw 10 mLs of blood from my little boy. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it felt like a ton! Especially as I held Rich down and kept him still so that he could be stuck by a needle and have blood drained from his little arm.
And poor Richie was crying so hard. He hated being restrained, and I think he was scared by the needle. (I would have been.) I held him and talked to him and tried to be comforting.
Now, usually, when Rich is very tired, or upset, or scared, I sing to him. Now, I'm not the best singer ever, but since I've been singing to him for 10+ months to help soothe him, I *think* Rich likes it. I sing "I Lived in Heaven" to him every night before he goes to bed, and that's my default song when he needs soothing.
While we were in the lab getting his blood drawn, I wanted to sing to him so badly! Maybe it would have made me feel better, and maybe it would have actually been soothing to him. I wondered if any other moms sing to their babies in semi-public close quarters. I wondered if my singing would weird out the nurses. (It is a church song after all.) And I wondered if it would be helpful to Rich.
But I couldn't make myself do it. So I just tried to be encouraging and loving.
And as I left the hospital, I apologized profusely to Rich for being wrong about what was going to happen. I felt like I had not adequately prepared him for such a scary experience.
So when we got back to our car, I sat with him in the back seat for a few minutes as he explored the sucker the nurses had given him, and I tried to help him feel happy again.
I think the sucker may have been more comforting than I was:
Just look at that cute boy!
We'll find out in a few days how his iron levels are. I know he need his iron levels to be up so that his body can grow and his brain can develop, but truthfully, I just hope they are up so that he doesn't have to get his blood drawn again!
Because really, Rich did handle things like a champ. I think the experience was much harder for me than it was for him. (Since I was helping restrain Rich, I didn't see them stick his arm with the needle. Nor could I see the entry point in his arm. I'm actually quite grateful I couldn't/didn't see those things; I'm not sure how well I would have handled it.)
So here's to hoping we don't have to repeat this experience anytime soon.
4 comments:
Super awesome post. If only for that picture. But the weird thing is that he had so much energy after his appointment yesterday. When I was home with him he wouldn't go down for a nap and just wanted to walk all over the place (holding on to things, of course). I still can't believe he had so much energy.
If it helps at all... it does get easier each time they do it.
I am so sorry though, for the both of you!
Erin
Oh that is hard! So hard. I'm surprised they didn't just check his blood with one little finger prick in the office. Sounds like they may be doing a CBC on him. I think some drs are just more thorough...or maybe that is just the way they do things now.
He looks so grown up with that little sucker. And Tyler, I didn't know he was holding onto things and walking. How exciting is that!
I think one of the greatest qualities of motherhood is empathy and you sure do have that Karen. What a sweet sweet song you sing him every night before going to bed. Can't you just see little Richie as he is "learning" that one in Primary?
Even though it is so hard to have your baby go through that, it will be worth it to know for certain how he is doing. And I have come to learn that blood is very important for a healthy body. Let's hope Rich is becoming an IRON-baby!
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