I have a bit of a specific question. Today one of my coworkers mentioned that I have to undergo a health check which includes a blood panel. I’m cool with having the health check but not with the blood panel. I have a big anxiety issue when it comes to blood tests stemming from childhood trauma to the point of me almost passing out from the idea alone. So my question is, how, if possible can I ditch this panel. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
For context, I work at a small-ish start-up and i did not sign any contract, though they did provide me an employment form when I asked for my contract. for now, my term of employment is a year with possible extension.
14 comments
I’m kinda with you there. It does scare me and my heart races when I am waiting for my turn. Before I always had to look away but last time I decided to watch the needle pierce my flesh. The needle was sharp but surprisingly fat too like 0.5mm in diameter. It was gut wrenching, but maybe because I am a wuss.
I think it is possible to refuse that portion if you ask.
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I totally get where you’re coming from but these tests can possibly prevent you from having to deal with a medical issue in the future. If I remember correctly you can get out of it but I personally wouldn’t recommend.
Scare me too, but necessary to get insurance coverage.
I would speak to the hospital staff when you get the health check and be totally upfront about the needle phobia. It’s a medical condition effectively making it difficult to take the tests. If you decline the tests on the day then your company will receive the test results with that section incomplete and it will be up to them whether they ignore it, insist that you do the tests, or just suggest that you do it next year. In my experience this is basically a box-checking exercise for HR and they are not too bothered about the results but YMMV.
If ‘this source’* is reliable, the blood workup can be omitted for employees under 40 (except those that are 35) if deemed unnecessary by the doctor. So, you can try and discuss it with the doctor overseeing the medical exams, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll agree with you. I kind of doubt they will, but that’s not based on any evidence.
* I can’t link the source because of the ridiculous Automod filters of this subreddit, but Google “健康診断の法定項目とは？種類別の一覧と企業側の疑問まとめ”, which is the title of the page.
wow, are you me??? i have a similar phobia that’s specific like this from being young, in hospital, and having a mishap with an IV. i will fight or flight mode when getting blood drawn, weep, lose my shit. still – it is important to get things checked. my last check up i found out i was severely anemic! i find that if you seriously warn a nurse ahead of time and use words like 恐怖症 they will take you seriously and treat you gently.
of course – you can probably just refuse this part of the test tbh, it’s your check up and no one can force you. but it’s really worth it if you can get through! good luck!
I think its one of the legally required tests, I even have to do them twice a year since I work night shift. But would depend on your company/ the actual law regarding health checks.
Tell that to the receptionist or nurse taking blood. They are used to that and will arrange that you are comfortable (take blood while laying down or in a separate more private room).
My experience with the health checks (at a national university) is that you can skip any section of them, for any reason.
A couple of years I was in a hurry so just told the staff there I was not going to do certain things (the chest x-ray and the thing with the suction cups) as there were long lines.
No one seemed to mind and it never came up later either.
A blood test can find potential health problems that need treatment. It’s never a good idea to skip them. If the health check is required by your employer and you refuse to take the blood test they may suspect that you are hiding something and that could put your employment in jeopardy.
I totally understand you. I have trauma with needles but finally had to do a blood test and so thankful I did because I found I had a rare blood disease. Talk to your doctor about your anxieties and they might be able to provide you some medication to make the process easier on you. But seriously cannot stress enough on how important it is to get blood work done
Personally, I love watching the needle go in and seeing how much blood is taken out. Sometimes one vial, sometimes three.
Perhaps you should seek professional help in getting over your phobia as blood tests will become increasingly important the older you get.
I can get light-headed and pass out if I get a blood test done on an empty stomach so I’m super scared when it comes to blood tests as well. The nurse will probably ask you if you feel uncomfortable or if you’ve felt unwell during a blood test and if you let them know they’ll guide you to a separate area where you can lay down while they take the blood. They’ll let you stay like that for a couple of minutes too until you’re ready to go.