The Vampire Is In

[den]

I arrived at the Medical Centre this morning at 7am, feeling hungry and clutching a warm specimen bottle. The last two bits are coincidental and not related in any way; I was hungry from fasting for 12 hours, and the specimen bottle had just been filled.

The Sister who had pincusioned me on Friday wasn't on duty. I was to be poked by the head matron, then something happened and instead I was called to the chair by a young nurse. She tutted at the bruises left from Friday, poked at my arm a few times, said "Yep! Gotcha!" and pushed in the needle. Blood filled the tube immediately.

It was quick and totally painless. What a difference a little experience makes.

Comments

[hedgegoth.livejournal.com]

it's funny - i have huge veins, easy to find, etc. one time at the doc I went through that bit when the regular nurse didn't do the blood tests - i don't bruise yet had huge bruises from the first nurse on both arms for weeks....

[sheramil.livejournal.com]

indeed. the only people i have met who can consistently find a vein under any conditions (ie lighting, temperature, hail/sleet/snow) are heroin addicts.

[quen-elf.livejournal.com]

It really confused me why the lighting in public toilets is often a really unpleasant shade of blue. Eventually I realised it's to make it difficult to find your veins to discourage people from shooting up there...

UV lights

[lostwanderfound.livejournal.com]

They have other unfortunate side effects, too; I remember wandering into the loo around 3am at one of my crustier local pubs (the Townie in Newtown, on a punk night) to find that someone had thrown up in one of the UV-lit cubicles.

(interesting contradiction there; they've got UV lights to discourage IV users, but also have fit-bins 'cos they know that the UV doesn't really work)

I assume that they'd been drinking a lot of cream-based drinks; under the UV lighting, the vomit was an intensely alarming shade of luminescent purple. It looked like a Dr Who radioactive slime monster...

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

I have veins which either roll away or collapse when punctured because of the number of IVs I was given when I had meningitis (they're actually scarred). I can't stand people who won't admit they can't get the vein and who continue poking. The best bet for blood on me is either a hand vein or a tiny one which runs up the right index finger. The nurse before last who drew blood was actually sitting there sucking sinovial fluid insisting she had the vein.

Yup, experience makes the difference.

Here's to a rabies-free existence for you!

[weyrdbird.livejournal.com]

Fang goodness for small favors!:D

[annvole.livejournal.com]

Same goes for getting stuff into your veins...I had a x-ray done of certain tissues and needed a needle about 8 inches (20 cm) long and an inch and a half (3.5 cm) in diameter injected into me (thats bigger than any needles I've ever used on the cows on the farm)

The x-ray tech insisted on doing it and the doctor said OK. Beyond the cold arm, I never even felt it go in.

[kythrain.livejournal.com]

Just had blood drawn yesterday... luckily, my experience was much better than yours. Quick, painless, done.