standard blood test

The doctor or phlebotomist (that's just the blood technician) will place a tight rubber strap around your arm in order to make the vein easier to see. Then he or she will stick a needle in your arm and draw blood. The whole process will take maybe 15 minutes at the absolute most and more likely it will be closer to 5 minutes.

I advise not watching while they do it, personally I don't enjoy seeing such things but some people don't mind. It's your preference. Once they're done, they'll ask you to hold your arm up and they will put a bandage and then a band-aid on your arm. You can put your arm down in about a minute.

In about an hour or so, you can remove the bandage. You might have a bruise in the area. Results come back in a few days or even up to a week later if the lab is busy. All of the blood tests are done at the same time, on the same sample, so you won't have to go back unless there is some sort of question about any of the test results. I've never had this happen to me - I just go once per year and the blood is taken and that's that.

They test for cholesterol levels and, if you took a fasting blood test (e. g. no food or drink other than water for 6 hrs before the test), they will also test for blood sugar levels. That's a preliminary test for diabetes. I recommend you get a fasting blood test simply because untreated diabetes is extremely serious. Better for you to know and take care of yourself, than to not know. A fasting blood test takes the exact same amount of time as a nonfasting one and does not hurt any more. The only difference is that you'll want to eat afterwards, of course. :-D

The doctor may also test for other things (this depends on your medical plan), like HIV or hepatitis infection. I have had a test to see if I was carrying Tay-Sachs in my genetic makeup (I'm not). Anyway, it was the exact same test. It's a very all-purpose type of procedure.

You'll be fine.

I have to go in every 3 months to have blood drawn. There's a little sting when they insert the needle (but no more than squeezing a pimple) and that's really all there is to it. If the nurse/phlebotomist is good, you won't even have a bruise. I just had blood drawn on Tuesday, and I can't even find the spot.

Getting all worked up doesn't help...it just causes muscle tension all over and that feels worse than the needle. RELAX! Don't make a big deal of it, and it'll be over in a couple of minutes.

Is this just a regular physical, or are they testing you for something specific?

EDIT

standard blood test
its for a regular physical blood test and thank you both very much for the information.....

i would assume that the lab techs are as nice professional as doctors meanign that if there is anxiousness in the aire, they care about that and not just stick a needle in and tell the patient to relax?

And to continue my questions.....

just how thick/long are the needles?

It's about two inches long, but only the tip goes into the vein, I think. When I have it done, they just insert the needle and use removable test tubes that attach to it. They usually fill about two or three tubes very quickly...it only takes a minute or so.

It's MUCH less painful than a finger stick. I HATE those! I'd rather they take a gallon from my arm than stick my finger with one of those lancets!

(Oh, and I'm with jes...I don't watch, either. I just look the other way.)

I think you'll notice the pressure from the tourniquet (the rubber strap they bind to your arm) a lot more than the needle stick. You have a lot fewer nerves in your arm than in the tip of your finger. Don't watch if it bothers you - I just make conversation with the phlebotomist and it passes by in what seems like no time at all.

For what it's worth, the finger stick is best done off to the side. Most of the nerves are directly under the pad (finger tip.)

I used to be a lab techologist. And when I knew I might be one in the future, I made myself look at the situation when a tech took my blood. I have to say, no big deal, even looking at it.

At this point, after training people to do the sticks on my own veins, many times, I can sympathize with those who have to deal with the very worst of the techs.

But generally, it is no big deal.

Literally millions of people deal with this. Relax -- you might even enjoy the experience and learn a litlle bit of science if you ask questions.