Bruise

I wasn't planning on sharing this story, because I try not to document the terribleness of my days....but this is too awful not to share with you.

This is my baby girl's right hand. Yes, it looks as if it is the aftermath of punching Lucas for taking her cup.

But no, this is the aftermath of her doctor's visit this week.

Meredith has been small her whole life - to the point where she is off the standard growth curve. Although she is below, she is still growing on her own curve. And I certainly am not worried about her because she has baby fat in all the right places.

The previous doctors I have seen have just monitored her weight gain with appointments between appointments to ensure she is healthy. However, the doctor I saw on Thursday felt otherwise. She insisted that Meredith's weight and eczema issues conicided with a wheat allergy, and we needed to have blood drawn to see.

Richard seems to think the doctor read an article on wheat allergies right before she came in to the room and decided to diagnose Meredith based upon that. Anyways, as a parent, although I questioned the validity of her request, I didn't say no.

The nurses came in to tell me that it wasn't going to be a finger prick like last time, and explained to me that they were going to draw her blood out of the vein in the center of her arm. I was expected to rub Meredith's head, while one nurse pretended like she was Jake the Snake and pinned Meredith down.

I hate getting blood drawn, and watching someone else have it done is not any different. Especially when it is your child. However, the nurse couldn't get a vein and once she put the needle in, she was twisting it all around hoping the vein would "roll into the needle". Meredith was screaming bloody murder - a cry that I have not heard before, so I know she was in pain.

I am not sure how long I allowed it to go on before I told the nurse to stop. Of course, it seemed like an eternity. And of course, the nurse did not stop when I told her to.
She continued to twist the needle, saying this was the only way to see if she had allergies and it was necessary. And I said No, it isn't necessary, and I want you to stop.

Again, the nurse did not stop twisting that dumb needle.

I said, I am not comfortable with you continuing and Meredith obviously is not comfortable. I want you to stop.

At this point, I just started to cry. (I know, I am weak.)

She pulled the needle out, and they un-pinned Meredith and let her come to me. It was a long time before she calmed down.

Now, I know you are wondering how she ended up with the bruises on her knuckes if she was trying to draw from her arm....well the nurse talked me into letting her try again.

Those bruises were produced by the nurse who thought she was Jake the Snake, and was holding her hand. Seriously? You were obviously holding too hard if she bruised. That is darker than the bruise left from twisting the needle....

She did manage to get enough blood for the labs to be run.

Surprise, surprise! Meredith does not have a wheat allergy.

I was very distraught about the whole ordeal, among other things that occured while we were there too. I am over it now...but Meredith isn't. She still won't let me touch her hand.