Blood Tests

[den]

This morning I arrived early at the Pathology lab to have blood taken for my annual Rabies and Diabetes tests. The Sister did the usual tornquet/clench your fist/poke-poke-poke things into my right arm, found a vein eventually and jabbed the needle in. It stung a bit, as you would expect.

"You rotten thing" she muttered, and began playing Hunt The Vein With The Needle. "The vein has rolled away," she explained as she fished around inside my arm. After five minutes she asked if it hurt, and I nodded. "Right then! We'll try the other arm."

I rolled up my left sleeve and we did the tornequet thing again. Sister pushed in the needle, and began fishing around. "The darn thing was right there! The needle was right on top and it rolled away!" After another five minutes my arm was aching, so she stopped. "Let's try the back of your hand," she said.

A few minutes later, after the tornequet and clenching, the Sister pushed a very fine needle into the back of my hand. I watched in amazement as the very visible vein slid to one side as the needle came down from the top. "Bugger" said the Sister. She tried propping the vein from one side and poked at it with the needle. The bloody thing repeatedly moved over, under, and away from the needle. No blood flowed at all. Finally the sister sighed "Lets have a go at your right arm again."

Ten minutes she poked and prodded the spot near the first hole. 10 minutes! Finally she said "Okay! I have one!" Tornequet, clenching, needle in... No blood. She went poke, poke, fish fish with the needle in my arm until I groaned. It bloody ACHED. Finally she shook her head. "You'll have to come back." We arranged an appointment for 7am Monday.

Hopefully the vampire will be in residence then.

Comments

[kayshapero]

Sounds like a blunt needle to me....

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

4 different needles, all new.

owie.

[zibblsnrt.livejournal.com]

Am I actually the only person in the developed world to have not run into this during blood tests? Eesh.

[dafydd.livejournal.com]

My cephalic veins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalic_vein), on both sides, are metaphoric fire hoses. I was so easy to poke, that I'd frequently be recruited to encourage other blood donors while I had a needle in my arm...

[tropism.livejournal.com]

Only one time have I had a person have a problem with putting a needle into my veins. I thus suspect from the evidence that, in my case, it was ineptitude on their part.

[http://users.livejournal.com/crossfire_/]

Okay, ow. That hurt all the over here on the other side of the earth.

[frith]

Welcome to hell on earth! That was horrid! *shudder* Could you not, just, keep a stoppered vial handy that you could fill up next nose bleed or scrape?

[oceansedge.livejournal.com]

OUCH!! I know how horrible it is - I had the same thing happen to me when they tried to give me an IV in the hospital when David was born - a nightmare a real nightmare, I was ready to run screaming out of the room.

Part of the problem was low blood pressure, and they wouldn't let me sit up on the gurney to try and make it better.

I feel for ya.

[(Anonymous)]

Yuck. Do *NOT* put up with that kind of bad technique. Ask for someone
else if they cant get it in a stab or two.

My GF is a phlebotomist and has told me all sorts of stories about how
to do things right and what can happen if things are done wrong. And
why some of the most common short cuts are really bad ideas.

[tropism.livejournal.com]

Damned straight. No one goes 'hunting around' in my flesh,thank you.

Stuck pig/from Lady Ursus

[ladyursus.livejournal.com]

Now the best part was when she asked you to come back tomorrow!! Scream, cry, or just shake your head, did ya? When I had brain surgery they put an IV in my foot. I couldn't figure out how come that thing between my toes hurt so bad!! Oh god, makes me nauseas to remember it. What they'll do for a little drip of the red stuff. Now I get blood draws every month because of a medication I take. It's always in the hand and I pray, pray, pray (and I am buddist so I don't actually pray) for the same guy each time. Sometimes I look like I beat the absolute crap out of someone when they are done. I just tell the smart allecs who notice the bruises on my knuckles that the other guy looks a whole lot worse than I do, and I am the Lady, remember. Ha, ha.

Hi.

[brujah.livejournal.com]

*shy wave*

If the vein is properly anchored it won't roll.

I would be glad to fly over and beat her ass for sticking you inaccurately, if you'd like, then gain a properly drawn sample.

[jim-lane.livejournal.com]

Den, DO NOT let that twit near you with a needle ever again.

She is a absolute INCOMPETENT, and should be banished from the business.

A SKILLED "vampire" (heh!) can find and "hit" a vein almost without fail THE FIRST TIME (unless you're 99% dead already---been there, done that...) and what you went through is TOTALLY unacceptable!

Good luck on your next visit, and remember: If the moron is there, walk out the door---!

[canisrufus-uk.livejournal.com]

Batty, I'm not in any way claiming great knowlege but I am a blood doner so I have experiance with being on the recieving end of vampire needles. There's no way your vein should have "rolled away" if she was doing it properly.

Some people have deep veins that are hard to find but once it's been found there should be no problem getting the needle in. Ask for someone else.

[lostwanderfound.livejournal.com]

You need to find yourself an ex-junkie medico. Standard doctors & nurses are completely useless with needles.

I've quite often been tempted during blood tests to demand that they let me do it myself...

[tropism.livejournal.com]

Heh! My mom is an ex-junkie, and I've -seen- her go "goddammit, gimme that" when they're having problems sticking her for a blood draw...

[lostwanderfound.livejournal.com]

They should make "shoot yourself up with distilled water three times a day for six months" a standard part of medical training.

[mortonfox.livejournal.com]

It's terrible being treated like a pincushion.

[weyrdbird.livejournal.com]

OW:(!

And my wrist veins only stand out! I've only had that difficulty once, and then the nurse drew blood somehow from my upper arm. I agree with others, sounds like you need a different nurse.

[nivasi.livejournal.com]

must've been some really really tough hemp like veins.. aka ROPY

[beki.livejournal.com]

Oy, I have horrid veins when it comes to giving up the red stuff. I tell them they get two pokes, after that I poke them. Never ever let them stab at you that many times. If the person taking your blood has to stick you more than twice, they arent going to get you at all.

That being said, when you do go to get stuck. wear a long sleeved shirt that you can remove so your arm is warm. It makes the vein pop out easier. Also, eat something and be well hydrated unless the test you are taking needs you to be on a fast.

Sorry you had to go through all of that :(

[kurtbatz.livejournal.com]

Ouch. The pains you go through for your love of bats.

I so appreciate all the good work you do though. I'm your greatest fan ^_^ You're a hero to me with all that shibby bat rehab you do.

Dewhitton for the win. Shame you have no veins though O.O

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

yeah, bugger about the veins.

[mrudat.livejournal.com]

Ow. I'm reasonably certain that this is something that happans to batty every time, though. I like the suggestion of practising vein finding technique...