I get blood drawn often. That is one of the side effects of having a thyroid condition. They have to test at least once per year to make sure that dosages are correct. Testing is done more often than that if I experience symptoms. I had my annual test 4 months ago, but lately I’ve had symptoms that suggest that I my dosage may be too high. So today I trotted myself off to get my blood drawn.
Most of the time getting my blood drawn is a non-event. I don’t stress in advance. I feel a moment’s nervousness when the needle is poised, but that is about it. Unfortunately some of my blood draws have been very memorable indeed. Once I got stuck a total of 5 times over a 2 hour period so they could get one little vial of blood. I frequently get stuck twice in the search for a good vein.
Today it was less than 15 minutes from the moment I walked into the door until I walked out with a bandaid on my arm. That time included registering. I think this is the first time that a blood draw didn’t hurt at all. It didn’t bruise either. Would that all phlebotomists were so competent.
During pre-op for my hernia surgery (about nine years ago), one of the nurses was using a new type of needle for the anaesthetic, and couldn’t get any kind of fluid flow. The other nurse told her that she had to insert it, then back it out slightly to open the end. This came after some serious mauling of the back of my left hand, and I asked, “Will I be able to play piano after this?”
She quickly replied, “Oh, of course you will!”
I said, “Oh good, I was afraid I’d have to take lessons.”
Amen to that! I’ve gone home with severe bruising before from some unfortunate IV incidents. There is nothing more wonderful than to go in and have someone do it right.
sorry about the anon comment . . . i forgot to log in 🙂
Heh, trust me, I know all about blood work these days. My veins have started to hide from the technicians, I swear on all that is good. :chuckle:
I’m glad you have it done right, my friend.
Hey Sandra.
Phlebotomy is part of my job (medical laboratory technician) and I have to say that experience on both sides of the chair is important and valid.
It’s easy to draw blood on most people. Others are tougher. They know this about themselves and offer their own input in the process. I accept that as “help”, as would most people behind the needle. I mean, they DO live in their body. They should know where their veins are.
Things that help getting blood out of people: Hydration (fasting doesn’t mean you should keep from drinking water) is vital. Another thing is making yourself as relaxed as possible (sounds like you do that already).
The lack of pain part requires two things: luck and skill on the phlebotomists part. No matter how good you are at getting blood, every draw will not be painless. Conversely, no matter how lucky an unskilled phlebotomist is, pain will always accompany their draws. I’ve trained enough of them to know (they get to practice on me). *yeouch*
I learned about hydration during the stuck-five-times-over-two-hours event. The long time span was because I went home to drink a bunch of water and warm up. When I came back it only took one stick. Now I always make sure that I hydrate thoroughly before going for a blood draw.
I have been a regular blood donor since I was old enough to be allowed to donate, so I have a certain amount of experience with needles.
I have what looks like a very good vein clearly visible, but this is a diversionary tactic on the part of my body. The needle goes in, the blood starts to flow and then it slows to a trickle, sometimes completely to a stop. My second impression of a phlebotomist is whether they listen when I tell them that they should rather use the small, hidden vein on the other side of my arm. (The first is whether they are nice to look at, which has no bearing on anything except my enjoyment of the whole process.)
Usually, they are happy to oblige. On two memorable (and not in a good way), the phlobotomists told me not to worry and that they knew what they were doing. The first time I ended up being stabeed a number of times and tying up the chair for ages. The second time I insisted on another phlobotomist who would listen to me.
Which reminds me — I need to give blood again. I missed the last one because I was sick and haven’t gotten around to doing it again.
Yeah. That’s pride getting in the way of a good job. Bad phlebotomist! Bad!
And donating blood is GREAT. I worked at a donor center in Okinawa Japan while in the navy, and a regular donor we had ended up saving his own life. Yes, he got his own blood. It was the only blood of that type (B Negative) that we had on the shelf.
Yeah. They love me, I’m O+.
As an aside, I’m shocked and dismayed that so many errors crept into my previous comment. I must be more tired than I thought.
this is roster007
5 sticks, Yep!
learned about hydration too late, Yep!
bruising, Yep!
I’ve only had two or three times with 1stick in the arm, and I THANKED THEM WHOLE HEARTEDLY!
After the 5 times stick I came back to pick up kids from a friends house and the kids looked at my arms and hands all bandaged with wide eyes and asked me, “What happened to you?!”
I hope I didn’t scare them about blood sample taking for life!
Blood
Artery blood draws are harder. When my 18 month old fell into a swimming pool and nearly drowned, he was hospitalized and they had to draw blood from an artery to measure oxygen content. (This, obviously, was back a ways when technology wasn’t as good as now.) The first nurse missed the artery. When the second nurse came for blood, I stopped her. “They’ve already missed once. I want the best nurse you have that knows how to get blood from a child,” I informed her. I am usually quite assertive but I was VERY assertive that day. “That’s me,” she replied and so I let her go ahead and she got it in the artery on the first time. I’m grateful for competent blood “getters” who know what they’re doing and listen to me. This same child had to have frequent blood tests over a period of 4 years and I know that I would rather go through one of my “five sticks in 4 hours” days for myself than to take a child in to have blood drawn!