Posts by Kenneth White6

Hey, please let me know how everything went and if it actually made a difference for you... I’ve been dealing with my own nightmare struggles regarding blood draws lately, too.

Linda Hernandez15 said:Kenneth White6, I completely understand where you're coming from because I deal with that exact same phobia. Luckily, being a woman, I don't have to deal with that specific unpleasantness, but since April, I've been stuck in this cycle of medical tests—pregnancy scares, getting stuck in the hospital, things like that. They were drawing my blood maybe twice a month, and honestly, it never got any easier. I had a huge motivation, though; I really wanted to get pregnant, so I knew I HAD to go through with these tests. Don't even ask me how I managed to cope with the fear! In the beginning, I was lucky enough to run into some nurses who were absolutely wonderful and truly commendable, which made such a terrifying experience somewhat bearable, but then I ended up at the Petrov Memorial Hospital 😠
where there's this one terrible woman working who just absolutely crushed my spirit; she was incredibly rude and unprofessional. So, I walk in, sit down, and I actually ask her if I can lie on the bed because I have this massive phobia and I start shaking uncontrollably—it's a real struggle for me when it comes to needles.
First off: she rolls her eyes at me,
second: she just says "whatever" (what a lovely choice of words and such a rich vocabulary, right?)
third: she snaps at me because she can't find a vein in my right arm
fourth: she tells me to "turn over" (excuse me, are we talking to sheep grazing in a field now?)
fifth: the tears are already welling up and I'm trying so hard to just tense up and control the shaking
sixth: she had to take two or three vials, so she basically waved the first one right in front of my face just to make sure I felt the full weight of what was happening
seventh: she held the needle in her hand for as long as possible, almost as if she forgot how to use it or something while she figured out what to do

I just want to say, please just hope that you find medical staff who are polite and decent, people who will show some empathy and try to make the situation a little easier for you as you navigate through it. Good luck, and please let us know how it goes 👍

Auuuuu, man, that sounds awful... 😢 It’s honestly frightening how some people lack even an ounce of empathy for someone else's struggles... Like this guy below, who apparently can't even read...

Jamie Clark74 said:Junacine!

Are you moms still changing diapers?
And feeding them with silver spoons?
Every excuse to avoid serving the army.🤣 😁

Learn how to read
👍

Dana Allen3 said:Just explain it to the doctor, the nurse, or whoever else, just like you explained it to us... though I'm really not sure if that’ll actually change anything...

Oh, I know exactly how that goes... they'll probably just look at me and say, "Well, look how much you weigh," and it's not like I'm exactly a little guy, you know? 😬

Eric Robinson81 said:I checked on the legal subforum and apparently, nobody is going to force you to give blood; instead, you'd just get some kind of official notice and a summons for another recruitment exam. It makes me wonder where this ends, though? If someone keeps refusing to provide a sample, could they just keep doing that until they turn 27 and then they can't be sent for military service anymore? Hehe.

I've been following that thread too, so thanks for looking out for us. 👍

Stana said:Man, I seriously don't get it... it's just a simple blood draw...

I know it doesn't make sense to you... For me, driving through a tunnel is the most mundane thing in the world, yet for an acquaintance of mine, it feels like being trapped in a dungeon because he has a phobia of tunnels, no matter how strange that might sound... He won't drive through them at all and always takes the long way around via the backroads...

Fears are very often irrational, but they still exist nonetheless...

Jacob Miller39 said:Why did you even sign up for such a violent institution in the first place? Do you honestly place that much trust in bureaucrats, letting them decide on your behalf what is worth fighting for, who your allies should be, and who your enemies are? What is it that you’re actually willing to lay down your life for?

Look, it isn't really a matter of me choosing to sign up; it's more that it's something everyone has to go through... In the year you turn 18, the draft applies to everyone.

Stana said:it's really nothing to worry about..

Look, I truly believe you when you say this doesn't bother you, and I can see why my perspective might seem a bit foreign to you, but I suspect you've just never experienced the sheer intensity of a full-blown panic attack before...

Eric Robinson81 said:I wonder what would happen if you actually showed up and just stated that you won't allow them to draw blood. You simply refuse, and that's that. As far as I know, there isn't any rule stating you have to consent to invasive procedures.

Stana said:well, what happens is they just restrain you and take the blood anyway, so just try telling them no and see how that goes.

and a little tip for Kenneth White6 - just pass out

Yeah, that would probably end with me waking up in a coma, wouldn't it? 🙂

But this idea of simply refusing... Hmm... It's an interesting thought. One should probably look into the legalities of that. And tell me, Eric Robinson81, do you deal with that kind of fear yourself?

I wasn't quite sure where this belonged, so I figured I'd drop it here in the "Health" section since the medical examiners are the ones calling the shots during recruitment anyway...

So, here’s the deal: with my enlistment date creeping closer, I’ve run into a bit of a significant hurdle.

I was wondering if there is any way to navigate the physical exam process without having to endure that one particular, unpleasant little procedure—you know, the blood draw? See, I have an absolutely massive phobia of needles, injections, and anything involving drawing blood... Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I have a phobia of invasive medical procedures; because at this point, if someone just shows me a needle, I can look right at it without spiraling into a total neurotic mess. But the last time I actually had to get blood drawn, back when I was about nineteen, the doctors practically had to hold me down... It was quite the spectacle. For a good hour afterward, I could barely even stand up straight, and I was shaking uncontrollably... It was quite something.

The bottom line is that for the past year, I haven't been sleeping nearly as much as God intended because I know this moment is getting closer and closer... It’s honestly terrifying. My friends think it’s all one big joke, but for me, it really isn't...