Toba
03-03-2010, 07:22 PM
I was at the doctor's office last week; I just had blood work done a few days before, and she was going over the results. I am anemic, which I knew ... I've been anemic for as long as I can remember. She was a little shocked when she got to the Vitamin D result. She said that the normal range is 30-60 and my level is 6, yes, just six (6). She asked me to get more sunlight (I have a very fair complexion) or drink some more milk. When I got home, I was going over the medication I'm on (she upped the dosage of one of them) and the main one that I'm on has a big label on it that says to avoid prolonged direct sunlight or UV rays. Huh. I can't stand milk. I can find out tomorrow or the next day, but I figured you guys would have a quick answer for me as usual. :) Can I just take Vitamin D tablets?
Also, kind of O/T, but does anybody else have problems getting blood drawn? I've been getting blood work on a pretty routine basis (at least every two weeks for the past three months or so) and I make them use a butterfly needle because I am a huge wimp. I know most of the phlebotomists because my DH is a longtime employee of this hospital. We know which ones are better than others, and even the best one can never get a vein on the first try. Never. They'll put the needle in and it will either not drop any blood at all, or just a few drops will come out and then it stops. The last two times they had to try five times each and wound up having to take it from the back of my hand (OUCH!!). This has been a long term thing for me ... when I was in the hospital years ago recovering from a horrible open gallbladder removal with complications, they had to send for a surgeon to get a central line in me two or three times (I don't know what it's called, but the site would puff up and bloat and they'd have to start a new one) ... and this was at a completely different hospital than the one DH works for. It kind of worries me, but the phlebotomists just tell me that I have low blood pressure and that I'm probably dehydrated. FYI, my cholesteral level is fine and I've had my heart checked by an awesome cardiologist because of chest pains which turned out to be anxiety/panic attacks and I had an EKG just recently and they said it was perfect. But I can't shake the feeling that never being able to find my veins or actually getting straight into a vein and then nothing comes out is BAD.
Also, kind of O/T, but does anybody else have problems getting blood drawn? I've been getting blood work on a pretty routine basis (at least every two weeks for the past three months or so) and I make them use a butterfly needle because I am a huge wimp. I know most of the phlebotomists because my DH is a longtime employee of this hospital. We know which ones are better than others, and even the best one can never get a vein on the first try. Never. They'll put the needle in and it will either not drop any blood at all, or just a few drops will come out and then it stops. The last two times they had to try five times each and wound up having to take it from the back of my hand (OUCH!!). This has been a long term thing for me ... when I was in the hospital years ago recovering from a horrible open gallbladder removal with complications, they had to send for a surgeon to get a central line in me two or three times (I don't know what it's called, but the site would puff up and bloat and they'd have to start a new one) ... and this was at a completely different hospital than the one DH works for. It kind of worries me, but the phlebotomists just tell me that I have low blood pressure and that I'm probably dehydrated. FYI, my cholesteral level is fine and I've had my heart checked by an awesome cardiologist because of chest pains which turned out to be anxiety/panic attacks and I had an EKG just recently and they said it was perfect. But I can't shake the feeling that never being able to find my veins or actually getting straight into a vein and then nothing comes out is BAD.