Archives of Our Lives

{a narrow and broad look into the lives of people I love}

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

{It's My Own Fault I Am the Way I Am}

I have always followed in my older sister's footsteps. We aren't really anything alike in personality (she's organised, I'm a cluttered mess; she's an exercise person, I'm a sleep-in type; she's kind-hearted, I'm the crotchety neighbor who hates children), but nevertheless, we do a lot of things similarly. This is mostly because I copy her. I'm a copycat.

She was two grades ahead of me in school, and she joined orchestra in the 4th grade, which I did two years later. She got glasses when she was 8 or nine, and it wasn't long before I got a pair of my own (I may or may not have lied on the eye exam just to score a pair--I'm not confessing anything. You'll never make me talk.). She ran for student council in seventh grade (Grade 7, Canadians!), remaining in office for the next five years of her life, and I followed suit. She tried out for the volleyball team as a Freshman, and...you get the idea.


At this rate, I am due to have my first kid in about 18 months. Which means I would have to get pregnant next February. Horrors.

Anyway, being the copycat lame-o that I am, I also adopted her queasiness around blood and needles. And the strange thing? It was absolutely, 100% a conscious decision. Honestly. I remember the exact day I decided to loathe the idea of blood--it was when my sister passed out at our high school's blood drive. I thought it was so cool--I have no idea why. At any rate, a few weeks later I had to get Tuberculosis test for some extracurricular activity, and I got myself all worked up about it for days in advance. Sure enough, when I arrived at the clinic and watched the needle seep under my skin (and the consequential puff of protein that bubbled all the way up my arm, which nobody warned me would happen during a TB shot), I heard a ringing in my ears.

And really, can you blame me?*

The nurse suddenly sounded light-years away, and before I knew it, I was having the most fantastical dream that I was in a fun-house at a carnival and there were crazy flashing lights all around me.

And I've had that same strange dream every time I've passed out since that day--which has been every time I've had to get blood work done, or immunizations completed, or plasma donated. (Okay, I didn't pass out for the plasma, but only because the blood bank was paying me $200 for my plasma, and they told me if I passed out, they wouldn't let me finish. [I told you: it's totally mental.])

And evidently this mental illness of mine is only getting worse--evidently I now faint at even the thought of the sight of blood. I don't even have to see it to drop unconscious.

Which is why I am so stressed out about the blood work I'm getting tomorrow (Tuesday) for my immunization papers. Oops! Not "immunization papers." Does such paperwork even exist? I meant "my immigration papers."

That's how stressed I am.

*Photo from ethnomed.org.*

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12 Comments:

Blogger Loralee Choate said...

Dude, I would never like my sister THAT much.

(Though it is nice to know that others are as whacked as I am in the "Weird things I do" department!)

May 6, 2008 at 9:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I haven't read your blog for a few days now and reading 3 new blogs in a row was a treat. Thanks for all the hard work you do to entertain us.

May 6, 2008 at 10:17 PM  
Blogger angela hardison said...

I never thought I had a problem with blood... until a few months ago when we got life insurance, and they came to our house and drew our blood while sitting on the couch (have you fainted yet?), and I saw the blood seeping out of my husband's arm. AAAHHH sick. Sorry.

Good luck with that.

May 6, 2008 at 10:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Millie,

I am truly honored. I didn't realize you did all those things just because I did. Someone once said that imitation is the highest form of flattery (or something along those lines), and I am touched. Seriously? You lied about your eye sight? Maybe that's why they are so messed up now...?

I am so very sorry that you have "inherited" this horrible aversion; it's awful. When I saw the picture of the needle on the page I had to scroll down really fast. My breathing started to get shallow and my vision was getting a little bit blurry. Ugh. I'm so sorry that I've passed this on to you, albeit unknowingly. Good luck with the blood work! Try not to think about it too much; it will only make things worse!!!

May 6, 2008 at 10:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

haha, nice to feel the love you have for your sis. good luck on the shots- i'm so sorry for you.

May 6, 2008 at 10:49 PM  
Blogger kayleen said...

you would totally fake an eye exam. awesome.

May 7, 2008 at 8:41 AM  
Blogger Mikelle said...

I don't really have a problem with blood/needles (although, I too, fainted at the blood drive...that's what I get for lying)...but I don't like to see the needlel go in. So, thanks so much for that picture.

May 7, 2008 at 1:31 PM  
Blogger Jami said...

I passed out at the blood drive too....only I passed out 2 hours later...something about my blood pressure being too low. hey can you really get paid 200 dollars to give plasma? If so, SIGN ME UP!

May 7, 2008 at 2:11 PM  
Blogger Steven and Kami Palmer said...

Camille,
I have a problem with needles too! I passed out once after I got a silly shot and ever since then I get way light headed every time I have to draw blood. It's so bad that I have my mom come with me and then I tell the lady's that I have to lie down. I then have to have my mom fan my face if I start to get light headed. It is something I am really trying to work on. I did a lot better when I was pregnant with Aubrey. I think that's because i had to do it and I would do anything to help her. So maybe when you get pregnant (in a few years:) )you will do better!
Kami

May 7, 2008 at 3:17 PM  
Blogger Geevz said...

Oh the blood drive. I even remember when your sister passed out! Good luck with the blood work! Just think, this brings you one step closer to being rid of babysitting requests.

May 7, 2008 at 4:38 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Ok too funny - you had to have read my blog I wrote on Monday about the very same thing! Crazy! I HATE anything to do with needles, it makes me lose sleep at night when I know they're coming. Yeah the pic was a little nauseating, but I totally recognized it immediately as the TB test, I had to do that once and I ended up laying down on a dirty bathroom floor to keep from passing out - ick. I got to say though, your sister gives me hope since I do want kids someday and I've been unsure how that was going to work with being so squeamish.

May 8, 2008 at 12:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

comments seem to about
the needle


don't look at the needle

May 10, 2008 at 2:54 PM  

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