Not prepared

Yesterday was one of those days, you never want a re-do on. You never want to really think about it either, but somethings are harder than others to forget about.

Sorry for those that already have heard my rant about this, but this is my blog and my manner of journalizing my family's experiences, so if you're tired of hearing about it, then skip this entry! Go look at Paisley standing on her head again!

So yesterday I took Jayda to the clinic for a physical. Head Start requires their participants to do this each year as well as a dental exam. Last year, easy peasy. No problem. Check the eyes, ears, spine, stomach, do height, weight and we're good to go. This year....OMG. I try not to use that phrase very often, for the fear of using terms not suitable for my age. But this one time...OMG is all that really fits.

The nice nurse informs me that this year they are required to draw blood for a lead test. And they can also do her kindergarten shots while we're at it. {Even though she doesn't go to kindergarten until NEXT year.} I quickly declined the shots since they aren't needed at this time, and trying to spare her a few needle pokes in one day. For some stupid reason I thought we better go ahead with the blood being drawn. Right there, was my mistake. I should have RAN. Grabbed my poor unsuspecting baby and ran for the car.

But no, I started mentally preparing myself for what was about to go down. Then I tried preparing her for the fun she was in for. I thought, OK, I can do this. They aren't going to poke me, I can do this. I won't look. I'll just hold her hand. This will be OK and over quickly. WRONG, again.

The nurse tells me, "Snuggle her real good, Like REAL good." Basically telling me to hold her down. First try...SCREAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
CRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. OMG AGAIN. She keeps prodding around in her tiny little arm, trying to hit a vein. I don't think this girl could hit a landmine in a war zone. I'm thinking, Oh man, please please please let her hit that vein and this will be over. Please, hurry up. I know how the ear piercing event went down. We don't get second chances at this.
Nope, the nurse stops and pulls the needle out. Jayda looks at me like, what the he** just happened, and WHY did you let them do that?

At this point I feel my skin get clammy, my head feels woozy and I'm pretty sure I'm about to vomit. {Be strong, be strong, it'll pass, PLEASE let this pass, I'm ok, I'm ok, I'm ok} Crap, I'm not ok, I need to sit down. Jayda is now looking at me like, "what is YOUR problem? I'm the one being tortured here, suck it up MOM." I'm sorry baby, Mommy doesn't feel good. I need a minute. Little does she know, they didn't actually get any blood and they are going to have to try again. She sees them switch sides to her other arm and start feeling for a vein. "What are they gonna do now?"

{UGH, WHERE IS YOUR FATHER??? Dang it, why didn't I send Jed to this one.}  "Well Jayda, they didn't get any blood to come out, so they have to try again." "WHAAAAAAAA WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA NOOOOO MOMMMMYY NOOOOO."

I get up and try to hold her hand and offer some sort of support. {oh boy, I need to sit again.} Real bad, no, I think I really am going to vomit. So there I go running through the clinic hall towards the bathroom. Turn the handle, click click. It's locked! NO. Get out, who is even in there? So I turn around and run for the other bathroom. Run to the toilet spit a few times, but avoid puking. Drink some water, take a few breaths. Alright, get yourself together. You abandoned your terrified child in a room with a big ugly needle. She needs you.

I go back, a bit more composed. Jayda is wondering what in the world is going on. We tell her we have to try again, the nurses feel for veins for a good 10 minutes and decide to go back to the original arm. Somehow we held her still for the needle to go in. {OK, this will be over soon, come on, faster, please. Please let this be over NOW} Nope, Jayda is screaming "get it out of me, get the needle out." A few minutes go by, and I say, OK, enough. They take the needle out again, no blood. I grab Jayda off the table and the nurses left the room. We both sobbed, her in pain and horror. Me in a release of emotion. Then the nurse came back in and said she called the Head Start honcho in Belle and told her what had happened and that she wasn't going to poke Jayda again, {nor would I have let her}. They said they couldn't prevent her from attending Head Start for not having the test done. At this point, I was willing to tell Head Start to fly a kite and we wouldn't be sending her there if she HAD to have it done.

Two hours later and one exhausting trip to the clinic, we left hand in hand with suckers and stickers and elmo band aids. I took Jayda out for lunch and went back to work. Then I crawled in a hole and took a nap. Well, I wanted to. Seriously I was drained. Drained, and slightly angry.

Why they didn't tell anyone this was gonna go down, is beyond me. And they'll be sure to know how unprofessional it was of them to make me go through this! Don't they know I send Jed to these things. Well they will soon.