Now, where do I begin?
We have our next appointment with the DAN doctor next weekend and boy, I was somehow pressured into really getting the blood test done and I just want to get it over and done with.
and since Jaden has to be in the pink of health when his blood is being drawn, and he had had fever about a month ago, I let him rest it off for about 2 weeks before I took him to the lab.
Remember when I said I had to make some calls and visit here and there first in my previous post? Well, I made a trip down to Pantai Premier Pathology Lab and showed them the list of tests needed to be done on Jaden and after the lab assistants went through files and files of what is available in their lab, I filled in the forms and said I would be back. That took place a day before the Deepavali holidays.
Of course, I also visited Jaden's pediatrician (not Pantai's) and asked if he could also draw the blood in his clinic and just ask the lab despatch to pick up the blood. He replied he can also do it but his option was to use syringe to draw the blood from Jaden and I was thinking the fat needle poke and because he needed about 20 ml of blood, that would mean two syringe full. I don't think I want Jaden to be poke twice with the needle.
Anyway, it got me thinking and I saw someone drawing her blood earlier at the lab and it was quite fast as it was the same style as the youtube video featured in the previous post. One poke with the lab technicians changing the tubes.
So I made up my mind to bring Jaden to the lab today afternoon and have him get it over and done.
I was the only parent, the only one to endure all the screaming and struggles because Hubby would most probably break down and cry to see someone poke a needle into his little baby's arm while the child struggles and cry. Well, it would already be quite a handful to handle my super strong 4 year old, I don't want to have to deal with another traumatised adult, so conclusion, it was only Jaden and I who made the trip to the hospital while Hubby was in charge in getting Jaden's favourite food ready at home.
Thankfully, a friend/mother who has gone through quite a few blood tests with her son, recommended me to use the numbing cream, EMLA. She said it would really help a great lot and without any second thoughts, I headed to the pharmacy before the lab and bought it. Definitely a pricey thing but worth the price to pay to not see your child in extreme pain.
Another backup was to bring his favourite fruit and toy to reward him after the whole ordeal.
The lab technicians helped me apply the EMLA cream on both Jaden's hand just in case, and then we waited for about half hour and onto the chair we sat. The boy sitting in my lab, me holding on to him firmly, one technician in charge of drawing the blood, second technician helped hold his hand straight and also firmly so he won't struggle (which the fellow really did a good job) and the third one, getting the tubes ready to be change.
It wasn't exactly fast, maybe it took like a minute only but it does seem really long to me because it is my very own child's blood I am seeing coming out from his tiny little arm.
It was rather surprising because when they poke the butterfly syringe into his arm, he didn't really cry out and struggle like what we expected. Instead, sometimes he would just keep quiet but of course, from time to time, he would burst out crying and kicking his left leg as I had already interlock his right leg with mine down firmly but it was rather a non-traumatizing experience, so to say.
Now, all is left is for me to collect urine sample again.. a feat that will mentally challenge me, to be able to catch the pee in time. This, I have the luxury to come home and do and after I collect the pee, I have to send it back to the lab in a time frame of 2 hours after collection.
Hopefully we don't have to run any further test on Jaden anytime soon because first, its really a mental and physical challenge and second, these tests does not come cheap.
So did I break down?
hmm... lets just say instead of breaking down, I was really proud of Jaden for being such a brave good boy while going through the whole thing.
and as for the 4 tubes of blood they draw from Jaden, yea, those were the amount of tests they would be doing based on his 20ml of blood.
