I hate needles. I have since I was little, and honestly, I don’t think that will ever change. Vaccinations for school, flu shots, COVID shots, blood tests, you name it, I’ve been poked and prodded enough to qualify as a human pincushion. My opinion about needles hasn’t changed; I’ve just become a more willing pincushion.
I have awful, year-round allergies, so I finally got tested. The results? I’m basically allergic to nature. Trees, dandelions, mold, dust mites, and something mysteriously labeled “grass mixture number 5.” (I don’t even want to know what happened to mixtures 1 through 4.) Since allergy pills don’t work for me, my only option is weekly allergy shots—two in one arm, one in the other. Yay!
And as if that wasn’t enough, I also have chronic migraines. They’ve been my unwelcome companions since third grade. I’ve tried it all—supplements, pain meds, as-needed medication, and even daily prescriptions. For a while, the combination actually worked, but lately, the migraines are back with a vengeance—lasting longer than 24 hours and showing up almost every week.
So, what’s the next step? You guessed it—another needle. This time, it’s a monthly injection into the fat on my stomach, thighs, or upper arm. The best part? The doctor doesn’t even do it. I have to give myself the shot—or convince a brave friend or family member to do it for me.
As if the needles weren’t already running the show in my life, I found out last year that I have anemia, too. Apparently, my iron levels decided to join the party, and not in a fun way. It explained why I’d been feeling so drained and dizzy lately—like no amount of coffee could keep me functioning past lunchtime.
My doctor and I learned of this by none other than blood tests to fill eight test tubes! A needle stuck in my arm for over a minute, not including the time it took for the nurse to poke around and find a good vein. After the news, all I could think was, “Great, another thing to add to my medical bingo card.” Now I’m taking iron supplements, which means they are not needles, which is great, but it also means even more things to remember and keep up with.
Between allergy shots, migraine injections, and trying to keep my iron levels in check so I can avoid more blood tests, I feel like my body’s becoming a full-time maintenance project. Needles used to be my biggest fear, but now they’re part of my routine. Who knew that facing your fears could come with this many sharp objects?