What the h-double-hockey-sticks...

[gramps]

I have been a nurse for 52 years, you were not unreasonable. I would stop at two sticks, I then went and got an LPN who used to be our ER nurse, and she would get it on first stick. OTOH if she couldn’t get one, she called me, and I would get it on my first stick. Patients have rights! Exercise them my friends.
gramps

 

[tenx100s]

is wrong with the medical establishment these days? Or is it just me?

I went in to get my annual blood draw today. Signed up online and checked the box that said "hard stick". For those unfamiliar with that term, it means it's difficult to get a needle into my veins. The last three times anyone tried, they ended up putting two holes in each arm, leaving me with painful sub-dermal hematomas for a week. Ended up going in the back of my hand (easily) and that is the way I've had draws ever since (about a dozen years now), including an 11 vial and 8 vial draw.

Got to the place, and a young lady who looks about 16 takes my info and starts getting ready to poke me. I remind her there's no way she'll have any luck with my arm and she needs to hit me in the back of a hand. She acts surprised (obviously nobody bothered to note the "hard stick" on my sheet), and says she can't do that and she'll send in a more experienced phlebotomist.

So in comes Ms. tatted-up metal face who looks all of 18. Gets the band on my arm and starts trying to get a vein up on my arm. I explain once again that I do not want to endure minutes of needles being wiggled around under my skin and end up with huge blood blisters under my skin. She insists she has found a "good vein" near the crook of my arm. I explain again that it may be "good" to look at or palpate, but it's tough as old shoe leather and will just squirm around while she lacerates it repeatedly with the tip of the needle. She de facto refuses to go in the back of my hand.

I pulled off the tourniquet and told her I wasn't playing this game and didn't feel like being a pin cushion.

So was I unreasonable?

NO there is nothing unreasonable wanting something done a specific way.

Years ago, I was in the ER with a broken back after a fall. I was brought in by ambulance after laying in the cold (December in Minnesota) for four hours. I was hypothermic and dehydrated so the veins were completely uncooperative. Three different people had to poke and fish for a vein on both hands for an IV. When they finally got one in on one hand, they went back to the other hand trying to get a second one in. I asked them what they were doing and why. The Dr wanted to have two lines in case I was bleeding internally. I reminded them that I fell nearly 6 hours before and that if I had any significant internal bleeding, I probably would already be dead. They had been monitoring my blood pressure for a drop and I figured that would have been a significant indication proving my point. One nurse looked at another and then looked at me, the voice of reason coming from the gurney and said, "That makes sense."

 

[bookemdano]

is wrong with the medical establishment these days? Or is it just me?

I went in to get my annual blood draw today. Signed up online and checked the box that said "hard stick". For those unfamiliar with that term, it means it's difficult to get a needle into my veins. The last three times anyone tried, they ended up putting two holes in each arm, leaving me with painful sub-dermal hematomas for a week. Ended up going in the back of my hand (easily) and that is the way I've had draws ever since (about a dozen years now), including an 11 vial and 8 vial draw.

Got to the place, and a young lady who looks about 16 takes my info and starts getting ready to poke me. I remind her there's no way she'll have any luck with my arm and she needs to hit me in the back of a hand. She acts surprised (obviously nobody bothered to note the "hard stick" on my sheet), and says she can't do that and she'll send in a more experienced phlebotomist.

So in comes Ms. tatted-up metal face who looks all of 18. Gets the band on my arm and starts trying to get a vein up on my arm. I explain once again that I do not want to endure minutes of needles being wiggled around under my skin and end up with huge blood blisters under my skin. She insists she has found a "good vein" near the crook of my arm. I explain again that it may be "good" to look at or palpate, but it's tough as old shoe leather and will just squirm around while she lacerates it repeatedly with the tip of the needle. She de facto refuses to go in the back of my hand.

I pulled off the tourniquet and told her I wasn't playing this game and didn't feel like being a pin cushion.

So was I unreasonable?

Not one bit. I have shy veins to and have found the best place to hit on me is the bicep.
If they try to go anywhere else, I tell them NO. It's the bicep or nothing. My days of being
used as a pic cushion are over.
Dano

 

[arky65]

Never heard the term Hard Stick, it describes me to a T. Last time I went in for colonoscopy the blood sucker had three bands on my arm down to my wrist. She is trying in my mind the last stick near my wrist bone. I'm sweating bullets by this time and damn near levitating, she inserts the needle, and it must have hit a nerve. I let her know with a few choice words she is done, and I am done, this ain't happening. As I dressed, heard one of the other nurses on the phone with my wife, he is a little upset, come get me. I walked out of clinic and met the wife at the corner. That is my last attempt at colonoscopy. Misery is optional at the point of life.

Had to have an MRI with contrast for a hernia a couple of weeks ago. I knew the stick was not good, but hey he got it with little pain the first go, so I let it ride. When they had me put my arms above my head, all heJJ broke loose. Vein blew and iodine is pumping into my arm. Felt like someone was shooting fire into my arm. A few choice words and they came out and removed the IV. My arm swelled up and burns like fire.
I ain't looking forward to the hernia surgery. I guess no one does.

 

[Jeepnik]

Some years back I went in for blood work. The trained technician made a mess of it, and I’m easy. After a couple of tries I said let me do it. A couple of seconds later the needle was in a flowing nicely.

My two cents. Find an old paramedic. It you can start an IV in the neck of an unconscious person while you are upside down, in a car down in a wash with gasoline leaking from the tank a clean, bright room is a no brainer.

 

[wv.citybilly]

Met my share of inept sons a bitches that you can only wish would get a job where they can't hurt anybody.

 

[Shamus2022]

Double hell no. I am a double hard stick and acquired a port 1 1/2 years for chemo. When I go in for ANYTHING that requires labsor a procedure one of my "girls" comes over to the OR or wherever and accesses the port OR I go to Oncology and they draw blood there. I just flat out refuse anything else... don't even give them a try at an arm or hand or even let anyone else try to access the port.

 

[bobsyouruncle]

Had a similar experience, I think they are supposed to stop at three tries, I got six unsuccessful tries. At that point I told her to stop, the old guy sitting across the hall getting his blood drawn was having no issues and he gave me a look of disgust and mouthed" what a p**y" Finally another older nurse came in, bingo first try.