Blood draws + EMLA cream

Man, if you only knew how much you helped me out.
I can't wait to get my hands on this cream.
Gonna slap it on first thing tomorrow morning at 5:30 AM.
Can't wait to see if it actually works... hoping I'll be feeling "untouchable."

Look, I work in a lab, so I’ll give you some straight talk. Personally, I think this fear you have about getting blood drawn isn't anything more than a psychological hurdle—which is perfectly normal, since most people absolutely loathe the whole process. I have a friend who used to pass out every single time she stepped foot in a clinic for a blood draw, so I tried a different tactic with her... I started going to her place to do the draws myself, and she hasn't fainted once. It’s the paranoia that kills you; that agonizing anticipation in the waiting room, the crowds, the stuffy air, those sterile white walls—all of it just hammers subconscious dread into your bones. If you have any way to arrange for someone to come to your house to handle it, try solving the problem that way instead. And honestly, don't bother with those numbing creams; I think they're a complete waste of money.

Just checking in! I survived. As for the cream, it actually worked, though I was low-key terrified they’d call me in too early because I was worried it wouldn't kick in yet.
When they finally took the patch off, I was pretty sure I wouldn't feel a thing—and I didn't. But I still pulled my jacket over my head just so I wouldn't have to see anything. I basically hid behind my other hand.
I didn't feel any pain, but I had to hang out for a bit with all those people holding cotton balls and dealing with urine samples. Honestly, watching that made me feel sick, and I started feeling like I was going to pass out. I didn't, though. My mom said I turned completely pale, so I laid down for a second and felt better. That fear is really the main reason I felt so lightheaded. Still, this definitely makes things easier. Plus, the nurse drawing my blood was amazing. She suggested I skip the cream next time, but I told her that's asking way too much of me.
Last time they drew blood, I was already starting to spiral the moment the needle hit, but today would've been totally fine if I could've just walked away immediately.
The environment is what kills you. It's just too heavy.

Here's my take on it,
I can't stand the sight of blood, period. I actually passed out once during a blood draw, and yeah, even just seeing a cut happens to me too. Even back when my son was little, I couldn't bring myself to take him to get his blood drawn—my wife had to handle all that.
Now, whenever I need blood work done, I make sure to ask if I can lie down and turn my head away. Or, if I'm sitting up, I just stare at one spot and try to think about something else entirely (it helps if the nurse is cute, I guess)🙂

Well, look at you, Adam Hill2! 🙂
Kudos on having the guts to actually do it. I’m genuinely happy for you! :claps:
And honestly? It’s all downhill from here. Once you start tackling those fears bit by bit—whether it's through some fancy cream, hypnosis, voodoo, or whatever else works—everything starts feeling easier.
BTW, hope the doctor's reports come back clean! 🙂

Bloodwork looks good. No need to pull any more samples anytime soon. I just really want to nail down my blood type. I'll have to head over to the blood bank to get that sorted out, which is the plan. Gonna go there with emlo.
Thanks for the support.

Could someone please walk me through how to actually use Emla? I was thinking about using it for hair removal 🙂
—is it a case where I should apply it an hour and a half beforehand and then just wrap the area in plastic wrap?