How to not be Scared of Needles with Cushings, Crohns & Christmas

Now this is one way to decorate the tree.....
I have no idea how to not be scared of needles. if you do, let me know.

At first I thought I had some brilliant ideas. deep breathing. meditating. then it didn't work and I was thinking: "What the heck?" Sure yoga is good for ya-!
or -
Warm your arms with little hand warmers! and drink warm water.

get a nurse to massage and "look" first so the veins don't roll or go down for a nap.

Distract them and your veins with a story.

Let them distract you with a story of how they were sticking someone else

think about something random

(ornaments to make that I will not do this year! whew!)



don't think

make sure they are doing it right and keeping sterile or ask your advocate to do so

get an advocate to sit with you

pray.

pray again.

think of someone else like my little hero of the days- phoebe who had cancer and they sent me a video with the news there is a new cure for nueroblastoma cancer. research is finally worth it! I am part of it! woo-woo! kidding. I can't woop. unless a cough is added.

(unless you have to go out into them to get an infusion or something and the roads are bad)

drink honey, lemon, and water warmed in microwave before leaving your house.
the blog below has some great recipes..... all of which make my esophagus stricture go ballistic. darn.



wear something nice.

wear your grubbies.

ask someone to help you.

do something yourself.

thank people that volunteer.

thank this guy:

watch over someone you don't know.

watch over someone you do know.



(maybe I could do this to get some good smells going on in the house..... looks user friendly!)

write a thank you note to a friend.

write a thank you to a stranger.

tell someone you are freaked out about a needle being put in your skin. Admitting it is brave!

ask for the spray to numb it if it is going to be a doozy.

ask them to get ultra sound techs to find the vein.

be brave.

*love this old Christmas picture, don't you?



be an absolute woos.

cry

show off and don't cry while pretending to be batman.

cry some more.

wait. ask them to wait. try again later if it doesn't work.

drink fluids. or 'push them' like they say in medical verbage.

floss your teeth. really. but get those toothpick ones and colgate little tooth brushes if you can afford to.

call your doctors.

write down your allergies and timelines of what is happening so you can relax and concentrate.

text your folks about the situation

pray.

He comes at all hours of the night. it's handy he takes late night shifts


(lds.org)