Since the AFCH is almost an hour and a half away Chans doctors and nurses allow us to do local blood draws if that's all that needs to be done. Last week Thursday the 2nd we were able to do the local blood draw instead of take the drive all the way to Madison. I was excited that we didn't have to go all the way to Madison and had Aunt Brittany stay home with the other 2 kids while Chan and I headed the 10 minutes to the local clinic. I was hoping it would be a fairly quick and painless process.
From the second we got into the car I knew it wasn't going to be very easy. Channing was already starting to have anxiety, and was getting frustrated that we were doing the blood draw at his pediatrician inside of at his 'hositbul'. I explained that it was easier to do here and that they would just poke his arm and get some blood out. He was still upset, but knew he didn't have a choice.
I had put cream on Chans arm but had only put it on 30 minutes before and it usually takes an hour to work best. I figured it was more of the idea of it then anything else - arm pokes really don't hurt that bad. *Funny story - Aunt Brittany gave Channing some cookies to take with him as a treat for going to get his blood draw. As we were driving Channing asked what was in the middle of his cookies. I told him it was cream. He said "EWWW thats gross!". It took me a minute to make the connection when I realized that he thought it was his numbing cream inside the cookies. I started to laugh and explained that the cookies had frosting cream not numbing cream. He still refused to eat them :)
We went into the clinic and headed back to the lab. Unfortunately, They had to dig in his left arm for about 45 seconds and couldn't get anything out. Then they had to try the other arm. Channing was a wreck - well as much of a wreck that he gets about these things. He had tears going down his face and said I don't want to. He still held very still and let them poke him but it broke my heart. They finally got some blood out and Chan calmed down and watched them suck the blood out.
We got into the car and I was exhausted emotionally and physically, I can't even imagine how Channing was feeling. I asked Channing if there was something he wanted to do as a reward and he said no. I gave him some ideas but he really didn't want to do anything. I was hungry (as I always am :) so I went and got some food. Channing then decided he wanted to go say hi to daddy at work. So we surprised daddy and talked with daddy for a few minutes and then sent him back to work. Then Channing decided he wanted an ice cream cone, so we went and got him and ice cream cone. We came home and I felt a little bit better but knew that I couldn't do that again.
On Monday we had to go back in and do another CBC. This time I brought Kindt with me so that I didn't have to sit with Chan while he was being poked. I put the cream on a good hour before the blood draw and prepped myself for the worst. Kindt took Channing and Jakob back and I sat in the waiting room with Ema. It was taking awhile so I went back with Ema and they had already unsuccessfully poked one arm. The nurse went and found another nurse and they tried the second arm. Thankfully they got blood on the first try. Channing didn't move and didn't cry. I could tell he still had some anxiety but it went so much better this time.
Unfortunately the stress of it all or something caused Channing to snap when we got to the car. We then proceeded to have a 2 hour fit from Channing. I won't go into the details but any of you who have ever seen a Channing fit know what I am talking about. He gets it into his head that he wants us to say a certain thing or do something a certain way and if we don't he freaks out, and he expects us to read his mind and know exactly what he wants. It was so hard for me because I knew that he wasn't just being a goober but that he really had a not fun experience and his emotions were coming out in the form of a fit. We are working on how to have compassion with Channing (and all the kids) while still maintaining discipline and structure. We just have to do what we have to do to get through the moment or they day. Some days I have more compassion and some days I have zero patience. I think that is how it goes for most families though :)
I think I have a better idea of how to make it less traumatic for both Channing and I. Hopefully the blood draw we have to do tomorrow in town will be a much better experience for all of us!
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