Bloodwork

I decided that today was a good day for fitting in the blood tests that the doctor had decreed were long overdue, cholesterol, iron etc.
The cholesterol test requires that I fast for ten hours. Piece of piss, I thought.

Wrong! Missing my two cups of fully leaded first thing meant that the whole day went pear-shaped.
By eleven I was feeling quite woozy, by midday, like crawling back into bed, I rallied a tad after stuffing my face, but I was never able to get that caffeine hit, because if I drink coffee too late, I compromise the night's sleep. I spent the rest of the day with a drilling headache and no energy.

I wonder how the people who take the blood do it. I mean, people do manage it, and I can see how they find the vein, but how do they hit it so that the needle doesn't go right through? Yet somehow even junkies manage it.
At least I assume they do.

I have another test that I have to hand in on Friday. Until then I'm not allowed to eat raw broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips or turnips.
What a test of stamina and willpower.