Originally published June, 2009
My husband and I had a date this morning and you know you’ve reached a point in the marriage when the date is to have your blood drawn together. We had orders from our respective doctors for the lab tests. John’s was ordered about six months ago but he never took the time to get it done. I have a follow-up with my own doctor soon and needed to have the results in before my appointment. After the requisite wait, we both had our procedures and were on our way.
“How many vials did they take from you,” I asked?
“Two,” John responded.
“Two? They took six from me!” Due to a thyroid condition and my age, I guess more needs to be taken from me to conduct all the tests.
I got to thinking about how women really do go through so much more than men, physically-speaking. My need to have that much more drawn is to assess my levels of TSH, Progesterone, Estrogen, Vitamin D, Lipids, etc. It seems excessive but necessary. Guys probably only need to have their Cholesterol checked, so they hardly give up any at all. Unlike men, once a month we women surrender even more of our blood.
We have a lot of things done to us: mammograms, pap tests, breast exams and more, and that’s just to be healthy; the things we women do to be beautiful is another story. We go through nine months of pregnancy, along with all its associated physical challenges and then give birth! We nurse our children. We catch their contagious illnesses. Our bodies give so much. If men had to experience a fraction of what we do, I wonder what their reaction would be. Maybe they’d be a little more understanding about our moods.
Perhaps giving up so much this morning before coffee and food made me feel a bit self-sacrificing, hence the whine-fest. To his credit, John did take me for breakfast after; I do get cranky without it. No longer depleted, I can now think clearly and acknowledge all the things men go through: taking out the garbage, working long hours, having to listen to their women, and… hey!, none of that seems too bad. Try opening up a vein now and then, buddy!. Here I go again – I better go get something more to eat.
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