Trying To Test My 6 Year Old

[mamabear272]

I was just diagnosed 3 weeks ago and want to have my children tested. My two older kids are 19 and 18 and are fine with it. My 6 year old on the other hand threw the biggest fit. I mean kicking, screaming, flailing and everything. I swear I thought that Satan had taken over my baby! He is asymptomatic for now but I'd really like to know if he has it or not so that if he does I want to get him healing ASAP! Any advice out there to get him to sit for a blood test or should I just let it go for now and maybe try in a year or two?

[stanleymonkey]

my 2 yr old hates blood tests and usually is pinned down! He may not like the idea, but he'll forget about the test after a while, my daughter gets a small gift afterwards.

he's 6 so he has a good understanding of things. explain that some foods might be hurting his insides, and he might not feel ill now, but he might in the future, and the blood tests will help his doctor work things out.

tell him you dont want him to get sick so would like him to be really brave for a few seconds while they take blood. bribery usually works!!!! even see if he can accompany your older kids to get blood drawn, and get them to make a big deal out of how painless it is.

[come dance with me]

When I had my 7yo tested I had to sit on the chair with her and have my legs over hers then one arm pinning her arm to her chest to hold her in a way that she wasn't able to throw herself forward and also so she wasn't able to use that arm to attack the nurse with my other arm holding her hand on the arm where the blood was taken from so I could hold her down on the arm of the chair so she couldn't pull away. Oh she screamed! They called in another nurse help out as well so it took 3 of us to hold her an take blood from her. Then she kept screaming even after it was done and cried every time she looked at her arm for the next 24 hours. I never thought to check for it but the new Paediatrician thought she might have it so I tested her for it and yep the Paed is definitely smart! I was tested but don't have it. I want my parents tested now but so far haven't been able to have them checked. My brother's have been. One brother has a brand new baby so I want to know if it's in my side (I have no contact with her father or that part of her family) so they can watch him because I feel terrible about the amount of damage I did to my baby by not knowing she has it. All that bread and cereal and everything else made her sick

[mamabear272]

He watched my older son get his done and he even told the 6 yo that it didn't hurt. And I tried telling hims that we wanted to make sure he's not sick. Bit since he doesn't feel sick he was like "but I'm not sick!" I don't know how to argue with his logic. Lol

[Mummyto3]

I was after this advice as I posted lol I'm going to get my 7 and 3 yr old tested but am also worried how they'll be with the blood test.

[Jungle]

I spent about a week talking to my 8 and 6 year old before we went. Explaining why, and what it would feel like and that it would only pinch for a minute and then we'd go get a treat. I was not excited about testing my almost 3 year old because she is big and very strong. I decided to wait until she was a bit older so she would understand what we were doing. In the end about 2 weeks after I had the big girls tested with no real problems, my youngest needed blood draw for other reasons so I took a deep breath and took her up to be tested.

My almost 3 year old did amazing. She just sat their and watched and squeezed my hand when they were poking her. I was so shocked. Most adults cause more fuss than she did. So I guess you never know.

A tip from a friend.....there is a numbing cream they can put on the site but it takes about 30 minutes to work.

[mamabear272]

I think I'm going to call my doctor on Monday and see what he suggests. Maybe there's something he can give him for it.

[October3]

I think I'm going to call my doctor on Monday and see what he suggests. Maybe there's something he can give him for it.

Ask for EMLA cream. If you put it on his arm with a bandage on it for 30 min before the blood draw he shouldn't feel anything (its a numbing agent). I usually put it on both arms so the phlebotomist can make the decision which to use. If you tell him the cream will make it not hurt hopefully he'll be more willing. Then just cross your fingers that it works.

[mamabear272]

Thanks October!!

[stanleymonkey]

make sure a nurse or blood tech i forget what they are called phlebologist i think, draws the blood, docs are useless at blood draws!!!!!!!!!!

[mamabear272]

They don't do them in the office. There's a lab downstairs from the office so we're good there. Plus the doc doesn't do any poking anyway. That way the kids don't relate pain to the doc.

[stanleymonkey]

They don't do them in the office. There's a lab downstairs from the office so we're good there. Plus the doc doesn't do any poking anyway. That way the kids don't relate pain to the doc.

thats good our family doc wont even give flu shots to kids for the same reason..just remember a few seconds of pain, a few hours of complaining, for a lifetime of good health is worth it

[mamabear272]

Oh I know that. There was no way the test was happening though the way he was flailing around. My brother works on medical and is bringing me some of the emla cream and we're going to get the test tomorrow.

[stanleymonkey]

Oh I know that. There was no way the test was happening though the way he was flailing around. My brother works on medical and is bringing me some of the emla cream and we're going to get the test tomorrow.

good luck, i've got my fingers and toes crossed hoping it is a breeze for your son (and poor mommy too)

[mamabear272]

Didn't make it today cause I had so much to do. Tomorrow for sure.

[Darn210]

Ask for EMLA cream. If you put it on his arm with a bandage on it for 30 min before the blood draw he shouldn't feel anything (its a numbing agent). I usually put it on both arms so the phlebotomist can make the decision which to use. If you tell him the cream will make it not hurt hopefully he'll be more willing. Then just cross your fingers that it works.

Your pediatrician can prescribe this ahead of time so you can start the process at home and not have to wait in the lab waiting room. Also, I don't think the lab has it on hand (needs to be prescribed by a doctor). . . at least this is how it was in my son's case. Now, my son still did not do that well . . . try to get them to look at something other than the needle. Also, ask for a butterfly needle (they may be using one anyway) because it's a pretty small needle.

My son is now 12 and still does not do that well with blood draws or shots but the last time we went, we used an ice pack on his arm instead of the EMLA cream and he thought it was actually better than the cream.

Good Luck.

[Mummyto3]

Our dr prescribed EMLA cream for my boys. I put it on them this morning for their blood test today. They didn't even flinch when blood was drawn. They did really well, so I would highly recommend it.

[mamabear272]

My brother-in-law brought me some and we put it on both arms so he could choose when he got there. It was still an ordeal (I don't even want to go into detail, just know it involved me and 2 techs) but it got done and after the one tech told him the needle was already in he calmed down. He ended up being fine and all the testing got done. He's cool now cause he realized it didn't hurt. Hopefully, we get results soon and that he doesn't have it. I'm not as much worried about him having it as my 18 year old. He's more symptomatic in the GI dept and he also has headaches, depression, anxiety and Asperger's.

[mamabear272]

Good news! Neither of my sons tested positive! Praise the Lord! I know what a time I had adjusting. I'm glad they don't have to, too.