A more imaginative way of getting out of work

So I've been having these headrushes. Nothing hugely to worry about, but as the dizziness appeared to be getting a bit more frequent, I figured it would be sensible to just have it checked out.

The doctor didn't seem overly concerned, but suggested I get some blood tests done, just to check if there was anything wrong. She also urged me to make sure I was eating regularly and drinking enough non-tea liquids (hence a mass onslaught of pie-eating).

I went for the blood tests yesterday morning. Now I may have mentioned I'm not a big fan of needles. I told the nurse this as she set about finding an appropriate vein, but blithely assured her that "I don't faint or anything, I just feel a bit funny".

Ha!

Anyway, after she accidentally went all the way through the vein on my left arm (oopsy) she turned over to my right arm. At this point I may have glimpsed a few glistening vials of my blood. Big mistake. As she was searching again for those beautiful blues, I had that strange white-wash thing going on I had bene getting with the headrushes.

Next thing I know, my glasses and sandals are falling off, I'm shaking and twitching all over the place in the nurses arms and the room is full of doctor types and my ears with a weird ringing.

It turns out I am one of those people who faint. First time for everything I suppose.

It was the single-most terrifying experience of my life, not helped by the fact that when everyone was fussing over me, I was crying like a big baby.

It's hard to describe what it felt like - but I now have a lot of sympathy for people who faint at the sight of blood. It is not at all fun. Even more embarassingly, I had to call my boss to say I couldn't come in any earlier and in fact, I might not be coming in at all. That's not embarassing in itself, the fact that I was openly weeping throughout the conversation is a little more humiliating.

On the plus side, I now have trackmarks on both arms that would make a junky proud.

And some inexplicable bloodstains on the furthest possible side of my favourite, floor-length skirt to the place where the nurse was sticking me. Ace

More on that story later.