Childhood Trauma

I was just reading a comment that Della left on my rubber tourniquet post. She said she was curious about my childhood trauma, so I will explain. When I was in elementary school (somewhere between 7 and 9--I can't remember) I had a fainting spell and no one knew why. the doctor ordered a blood test and I guess it must have come back inconclusive. For sure they were testing me for epilepsy, but I don't know if they were looking for anything else. As a child, I was kind of out of the loop except for the fact that they kept testing my blood.

I must have really sensitive upper arms (they still are) because the most painful part of the whole process was that stupid rubber tourniquet. My dad would stand just far enough away to let the phloebotomist work and make funny faces to get me to laugh. I, on the other hand, would look at him from under angry eyebrows and try to telepathically communicate that he was an idiot if he thought that would work. Wasn't I sweet?

Anyway, they had to draw my blood on several occasions. There was never any reason found for the fainting except, "Well, it's not epilepsy." So the childhood trauma comes from the pain of the rubber tourniquet being used so many times. Including once the day we left to go to the beach for the weekend. That was an unhappy trip to the doctor. I always thought they were done taking my blood, but then I would have to go back. I'm guessing that's why it was traumatic. That and the fact that the dang thing pinches and takes any little baby hairs it touches with it. Ouch!