The Dreaded Blood Draw
It’s time for the dreaded blood test. It’s just a routine thing. Forget breakfast and take a drive down to the lab. That would be quite a normal thing for a normal person, but I am not normal. My body only has one vein and it is located in the back of my left hand.
Today was no different than any other blood draw that I have had in the past. The attempt is first made to search for a vein in the arm. It’s still not there. I am not a wimp. I recently received a shot in the knee with a three foot needle and didn’t feel any pain whatsoever. The level of pain in a blood draw on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most severe, mine would be in the 100000000000000000. It’s not that they don’t know what they are doing. They do it all day and get much practice so I know it’s not their fault that my vein won’t cooperate. At least it seems that way. I'm not absolutely sure.
10 comments:
OUCHIE!!!!
Awwhh yes I hear the Nurses talking all the time about the hard draws. It also has something to do with the fasting. If you are slightly dehydrated your veins go Bye bye.. I had that happen for surgery..I was po'd by the time they got it.
E,
Dehydrated, you say? Could be. I have been having to hop out of bed several times a night with leg cramps. I just read that dehydration can be the cause of that also.
Oooooo. That does not sound like something to look forward to. If I could, I'd lend you one of my veins - they're the type that make the needle people get really excited.
My veins tend to hide but I have never had to get it from the back of the hand. Ouch! One time I only need to fill a very small vial so they were going to take it from my finger, they poked all ten fingers before they finally decided on the arm. Apparently I bleed like a turnip, who knew.
Make sure you drink plenty of water and eat a banana, the potassium is good for leg cramps.
Oh Lorrene! So sorry! I had blood drawn last week & I have the same problem. They can never find veins and always end up having to use a baby needle! But a nurse friend of mine told me to be REALLY hydrated next time & it will help. She said drink, drink, drink as much water as I can. I'll try that next time! So sory you were in such pain...
My sympathy to you. What I don't understand is why they never listen when I tell them that 1) you can only get blood from my right arm 2) my veins roll, if you miss pull the needle out and start over. They know I donate blood on a regular blood basis, they know their jobs, yet they never listen. So I wind up black and blue from my wrist to my shoulder on both arms and they finally wind up doing what I suggested in the first place. Use a blood pressure cuff and my arm. Presto - there it comes out into the little plastic container just fine.
And drinking a lot of water does help - but not much if you have rolling veins and they miss.
My mom has the same problem, both with the vein in the hand being the only one to get blood out of AND blood draw people who JUST DON'T LISTEN.
Funny how the blood draw people don't believe you. I tell them, "Left arm, ONLY the left arm," Of COURSE they want to look, and when they go back to the left, I say, "Told ya so." But only AFTER they draw.
Eveyone is right. Drink plenty of water (which is good advice any day) before getting your blood drawn. Technicians who do it all day ought to be good at it, but I suffer from the same uncooperative veins as you do and sometimes you get someone not as good as others. Drinking plenty of water helps blood pressure and headaches, too.
Aunt Lorrene, too bad I leave so far away. I am a certified phlebotomist...but you probably already knew that. I am very good at it and know how to make those veins pop right up. And being dehydrated can definitely keep them in hiding. The best thing to do is drink plenty of water the morning of the draw. Probably at least 2 hours before and continue till you get there. I have never heard of a test (even if it is fasting) where you can't drink water, (except for a few tests that only men get) so you should be ok. But you should probably ask your doc because sometimes they have other theories, but I know all about all the tests and some docs are just a little over precautious. Anyways, that's my two cents. Love you and miss you :)
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