I feel pretty, and witty, and gay

I feel very Victorian and feminine, even though I'm not wearing a corset. I've seen websites that say men can wear corsets, but I much prefer them on women. I fainted, which is why I feel very Victorian and feminine. I was getting a blood test yesterday, so of course, blood has to be drawn. I laid out my left arm to be poked. I got poked, but the nurse couldn't find the vein. She started probing with the needle, like sweeping your hand underneath couch cushions to find loose change. She told me to tell her when it got painful. I told her.

Then I was dreaming. I don't remember the dreams, but I remember that I did dream. Then I heard two voices trying to rouse me. The nurse and a nurse practitioner were trying to wake me up. I was still seated, but no needle in me. I had passed out. They told me I had fainted and told me to lie down. I had experienced a vasovagal reaction. My heart had slowed down and my heart vessels dilated. Blood pressure dropped, which meant blood couldn't fight gravity to reach my brain. No blood, no oxygen, and the brain reacts to conserve oxygen by causing a syncope. In layman's term, syncope is fainting.

I found this pretty strange. I've given blood at least a half-dozen times, and probably been poked for blood tests a few times more. I've never fainted, though I do get light-hearted after giving blood, but that's after ten minutes of having your blood drained, not being poked for a few seconds. The nurse told me that anytime I give blood in the future, I need to warn that I've fainted. If you've fainted once, you're susceptible to fainting again. She asked me if I had eaten or drunken much that day, and I had to admit I hadn't. I should have thought about that beforehand.

So I lay down, and my right arm got poked with a needle. It filled up immediately, and I stayed laid down for another five minutes to make sure I wasn't dizzy or lightheaded and therefore ambulatory.

I can't believe I fainted.