Advice for blood work?

Hey. I was just wondering if anyone knew what I should do before getting blood work done.
Some people say to fast for about 8-12 hours beforehand and some say that you shouldn't go on an empty stomach. I'm not sure what I should do.
Maybe I should fast for the 8-12 hours and bring something to eat and drink just in case?
I'm already freaking out about it. I hate needles. I'm having my best friend take me so that no one else has to see me be a big baby about it. :\ It's really embarrassing. I hope I'm not the only one who goes through this sort of anxiety before getting blood drawn. But at the same time, I don't want anyone feeling this anxious. It's quite awful.
So if you could give me advice, I'd appreciate it loads. (:
August 24th, 2009 at 09:59am