AUGUST 13, 2008

I'm not a superstitious person. I don't believe that I'd get bad luck if I see a black cat, walk under a ladder, or open an umbrella in a building. I dunno what's the deal is with America's Friday the 13th thing but... anyhow, in my culture 13 is an unlucky number. And I just happened to graduate #13 in my high school class. Out of 3 or 400 students I graduated #13. Pretty smart eh? :-D.

My mom is more superstitious than I am. Her & Actor went to my graduation ceremony & the whole time she was saying "Hanh got #13, bad. Bad." lol. Of course she was proud but she'd rather me get #12 or 14 than 13. Go figure. She doesn't speak as much English so it's funny to see her & Actor communicate. I'm getting off track...but anyways, what I'm trying to convey is that nothing bad or weird has ever happened to me on Friday the 13th or any day the 13th. Until yesterday.




The night before I had to fast & not eat after midnight because I had to go get my blood drawn for an annual check up or whatever. Mind you I hate needles & haven't gotten my blood drawn since I was 7 when I first came to America. They had to take a sample of everyone's blood to make sure we weren't infected or to just have a copy of our blood in case they ever needed it I guess. Who knows. But now that I think about it I'm not even sure if they even took my blood cuz I was too young. Who knows on that either. My memory fails me sometimes; bare with me.

The point is: I've never gotten my blood drawn ever or even if it was once I can't recall the physical pain of it therefore it doesn't count. Oh yea, by the way, did I mention that I hate needles? And blood? Bad combination. I can watch movies all day & watch people get shot & stabbed but I can't deal with "sick" blood. I know, I'm a tough punk. I could never do drugs, well, the injectible ones anyway, or be in the medical field. Yours truly would just stand & stare at a bleeding person in dire need of help like... um... *stares until someone else takes over*

I've avoided having my blood drawn for 22 years now. I've never been in the emergency room or broken anything on my body or anything remotely close to a bad injury so I guess it never came up. But since I'm older & have to get an annual "female" exam yearly my Ob-gyn made me get some blood tests done. Boo.

So not only am I getting stabbed in the arm & getting blood drawn but I have to fast before? You're killing me! I am the queen of late night eating! I can do without breakfast if need be but I can barely, barely make it till 11:30 or 12pm at work without eating lunch. I'm always hungry! But guess what? The doctor doesn't take appointments until 1:30pm that day. So I had to not eat from midnight till after my appointment. I was miserable. Midnight to 1:30pm sounds easy but we're on a crazy/ not so healthy eating schedule (cooking lasagna at 2 in the morning, cookies at 4am kinda schedule) so it isn't quite easy for your truly ok?!

I did well though. We grilled & ate dinner by 11pm & I was cool all night. Went to work at 7am & I couldn't even drink coffee can you believe it? ughh! I don't drink coffee much anymore but I wanted some probably just because I couldn't. By 9am my stomach started growling so I drank water to hydrate & hopefully fill but that didn't work too well. Water makes me even hungrier and it gives me a nasty mediciny taste if I drink too much on an empty stomach.

I think most of it was really just me being freaking nervous & scared to death about getting my blood drawn, but still, I made it all day without food or drinks. Actor accompanied me to the doctor's office cuz I told him I might pass out. lol. I know was being all extra dramatic but hey, I've never had my blood drawn before so I don't know how painful it could be or how my body might react to it so... leave me alone!

Got to the office & out of all days there was only 1 person in front of me. Usually I'd have to wait at least half an hour or so but they called me in almost immediately. AHHHH!!! I went to the room & got my weight & blood pressure taken & yada ya & then came the big shebang. They sent a lady that I've never seen before in my life in to take my blood. How comforting. She was professional & found my vein & took my blood with the 1st try. I was relieved because I heard they have to poke some people like 4 or 5 times. But yea, it only pinched a little when she stuck the needle in my arm but I couldn't feel any other pain after that. I looked away at 1st but then yours truly being the intrigued person that she is looked & watched as she drew 2 tubes of blood.

Whew!!! I'm glad that was over. I had made the scenario so bad in my head that when it actually happened it was nowhere close & I felt relieved. lol.

We left the hospital & went straight to get something to eat. We decided on American Deli & drove all the way over there & it was closed. As in no longer in business. Damn! We also passed by a spot that my co-workers eat at for lunch & that spot was closed too. The economy is really rough these days. We finally went to Quiznos' & I got a black angus steak sub. Yum yum! I was tempted to get a second one cuz I wasn't even full from the 1st but decided not to.

Oh yea, on the way we drove over a dildo. lol! Gross! It was just in the middle of the street all big & dirty. haha. I was like "Well damn, did it fall out of someone's car or did someone have sex in the middle of the street?" Who knows... It was funny though.

We got home & everything was peachy until I decided to lift up the band-aid & check out my war wound. So tell me why I have a big ass blood clot the size of a nickel with a stem connected to it? That is NOT normal! I rubbed alcohol on it & re-covered it with a fresh band-aid.

I showed my coworker today (she's an expert on medical stuff because she's always in & out of the hospital due to surgery) and she said that that means someone screwed up. That the stranger lady inserted too much of the needle & punctured my vein open & blood is leaking internally that's why from the outside it looks like a big ass blood clot. Great. Thanks stranger lady!

The clot hasn't spread so I'm assuming the hole is closed now so I should be fine & healed within a couple of days *sighs* So much for a not scary 1st time blood drawing experience. I have pictures of it by the way. Couldn't load it cuz my comp is acting like a dodo & won't register my phone pictures.

At the end of the day I still don't feel like 13 is a bad number. Even though I'm semi bleeding internally it was a person's fault, not superstition. I'm pretty hungry & sleepy right now so this blog & the whole "the number 13" anecdote might not even parallel or fit together but, hey! It happened on the 13th & I took the time to blog when I'm bleeding internally so read it with compassion & sympathy ok?! Geezzz. Say it together now "Hanh makes perfect sense & this blog is great." "Hanh makes perfect sense & this blog is great."

There. That wasn't so hard was it? Not nearly as hard as a piercing needle.