I have really bad veins from maybe genetics or the 36 years of prednisone then hydrocortisone and throw in some chemotheraphy. I’ve never been afraid of needles and thought in my mind that blood draws paled in comparison to the other things they did to me for CAH. 

My mother is awesome and for me the biggest thing for the drawing blood was the emotions of the people around me and that is the same to this day. As a child? by the time I spent waiting glueing macaroni on cardboard then shuffled of to the exam room for students then the endo and then finally off to the boold lab I was worn out and it was just easy to understand even at that age  Ok, that I got to do this and then I can get out of here? ....go outside FINE ! but still never cared for solom faced stern people they make me tense or angry.

The U of Mich also had another trick with a child sized desk in the middle of an empty room. The kids preschool and up  would all come in together- stand by the wall and one by one sit in that desk and we would watch each other get blood drawn with no child wanting to cry in front of another. I remember the nurses allowing this little boy to come up closer to watch me and matter of fact.

 I told hit yep it does hurt but really the matter of fact approach worked really well and the fact they keep us in that place for so long and we new the blood  work was the way out. None of the workers felt upset for us or were sad or tense and if they didn’t get it then they got the more experienced person - This was back in the day with the steel needles too. Also  blood was drawn right threw the sign in window for me. My Mom - awesome lady was cool about all this and thus I took my cue from her and for us .....me I love food it was ok come on get this over with - I want a cookie or lunch. Tears were wasted on my Mom : )  Gosh I’d get a look like yeah you’re not hurt and sympathy for this isn’t going to happen but if you want to get it done with then be set free to go to a cool place to eat for a BLT or grilled  cheese and tomato sandwich then lets go. This might be the same principle here  during when I worked at a summer camp whenI was 15 , this little kid fell over in a chair and didn’t start crying until I went over and started cooing are you OK. It was more so that the act of falling back in that chair startled him and it was my response that set off the tears.       

Years later i was going in for and out- patient surgery and had these feeling. The first nurse awesome lady was feeling sorry it seemed for me and all my conditions. She heemed and hawed about my bad veins and they really are - I started to sense my low self esteem rising but told her to do her best and go for it. She tried a couple times - put some sort o spray over the site where then it actually hurt going in for the first time but it worked for a little but then that site broke out in hives then the vein blew  then over comes the stern experienced nurse and also an awesome lady too nice in her own way but stern and angry looking bad vibes for me  she tried everywhere to find a vein She’s looking at me and I’m looking at her with the first time in my life thinking this woman is gonna hurst little meeee. I’m getting a phobia here for needles and never had that before  me scared? She even tried to use the warm blanket thing and it still didn’t work. Anyway,  I was left for the Or nurse that I think came back from lunch. He was commenting how it was Marti grau and really he should have the day off and needed a beer Him and the Doctor and anther Er nurse were really funny . He laughed took my arm stared at it and immediatly found a vein and didn’t hurt going in. The system worked and they got it with the third person. I think it is all about the vibes ...really even at that age. When I had cancer two years ago this little kid was screaming like you wouldn’t believe getting those emotions out and I think crying myself is fine it’s emotions . She notices me- I gave her a goofy look  and I thought she would cry some more but instead she flips the crying over to giggling and laughing then she takes off running.  Asa kid I also enjoyed being able to take home No not the needels but the sryninges that they used and I would suck up kool -aid in those and suck on them thus not being scared of the equipment used. This is all a very matter of fact thing that needs to be done and yelling screaming crying is expressing displeasure but having this done to you every 3 to six months,every year for the rest of your life you mellow out sooner or later and it is easier around those that don’t make it tense for you or react to you emotions about it. Even still a beanie baby never hurt and as a adult I still think Scooby Doo Band Aids are nifty.

I was at a Quest Diagnostics and the tech did a wonderful thing for this patient that was under three. He came in with his Mommy and she also had a stroller with her looking overwhelmed. The little guy started crying and the tech schooped him up like he would for his own child and went " Little man ...how are you today?" and did these swooping moves where the kid didn’t know if he should laugh or keep crying. He kept trying to cry through the whole though but then would giggle and he was angry as little kids can get about being stuck and trying to talk "Noo" and swacking the tech but the tech stayed smooth and talked to him all they way thru in and nobody held the kid down which helped with dignity and being relaxed because a good experience with blood draws depends on being relaxed.  It wasn’t made into a tense situation and the kid left giving the tech a hug.

I guess I’m trying to write about a different lattitude in thinking for this and I would hope that where you go pours on the stickers and prasie after the draw is done becasue that is a big help to boost people that don’t have the confidence about blood draws.

Drinking fluids is the best and also the part about being warm is good too. For the chemo, I was directed to where a long shirt and sweater to help get the stick but for CAH, thyroid blood draws or blood draws in general idiot me forgets this great advice. I don’t make a big deal about the blood draws in my mind and i think it helps because my veins are bad. I have this thing that I say over and over with blood draws ...."In like butter" ....... that makes me smile and relax. I know your kid is young but maybe it would cause a smile also if you said it?

good luck