Tina, five sticks!! That's pure torture! (For both of you--I'm so sorry.) How old is your son? I won't let anybody stick Karen more than twice any more. And I make sure they get the best tech out to draw her blood. These kids are notoriously hard sticks--the steroid weakens their veins... If they are upset, it can alter their levels, too. Another reason I won't let them fool around. We come back another day if we have to. Karen just turned 7 and doesn't cry anymore. The last time the tech let her switch out the bottles as the blood was squirting in--she loved it.