I usually act very polite so others don’t consider me b****, but this tech poked around once or twice before this time. It wasn’t the first time. When I greeted her with hello, she ignored me with a nasty look. To pinpoint what it was is low emotional intelligence. Instead of acting professionally, she acted with attitude. She gets too offended if you request another tech raising her voice and pulling the curtain across the room. Because she makes a scene each time I end up requesting another tech, the techs assume I’m a b****. In the past, I didn’t comment about her to the techs or really make any comments to her (like I never heard of blood not coming out of a vein). But, she gave me the worst customer service before she even drew my blood. I don’t know if it’s because she remembered me from months ago or what. She didn’t act professional and didn’t know how to effectively draw blood so I don’t think she should be doing this job. I didn’t say that to her or the techs, but I did complain behind her back for the first time. It was kind of like complaining about bad customer service.
Have you ever requested another tech? Or do you think the tech has a mental problem for getting so mad when I requested another tech?
Reviving this zombie thread because I was going to post a new one, and Hey Presto, this thread showed up as a similar topic on the right. So once in a blue moon that function may actually be useful.
I have very bad veins in my elbows, and passable ones in my hands. With blood draws, I always tell them that, and that I don’t mind if they use my hands because it seems to work, as long as they can use the smaller (butterfly?) needle. Many of them will say “Well, I’m pretty good, let’s take a look” which just sends chills up and down, because they never are. Should I be more assertive and say “please use the veins in the hands if they look like they will work” or something like that? They are “medical experts” if low paid ones, and are supposed to know their business.
One of the reasons my elbows are so difficult, aside from small veins that like to roll around, is that I have a lot of scar tissue there from childhood eczema. Does scar tissue like that ever get less thick and difficult?
Much worse is when I have to have an intravenous insertion, because those needles are bigger (aren’t they? They sure seemed enormous). I had to have one last night in the ER and after 4 very painful attempts (three in arms, one in hand, with large needle) they agreed they could use a smaller intravenous needle in the hand which went pretty smoothly. Why don’t they believe what I tell them? It always seems to be the older cranky ones, maybe they are insecure in their jobs. I have a colonoscopy coming up, which will require another intravenous poke. Save me.
Final question: does any kind of exercise, say for an hour before hand, improve the plumpness of veins in the elbow? If so, what kind? Those hand squeezing exercisers? Biceps curls? Please, this is all making me needle-phobic, who had allergy shots twice a week starting at age 7 and never minded very much.
I have a port … absolutely adore it. I wish it came with me out of the womb, would have saved me tons of bad sticks, I also have bad vessels [they roll or just plain vanish]
As I am right-handed, normally they try to take from the left elbow. I had one person tell me to tell the next person to not even bother, just go for the right.
I’ve been doing that for years and everybody’s been happy. But I only get stuck once every 1-2 years, so it doesn’t come up that often.
If I had my dad’s veins, I would get all the newbies. His are really easy to find, so they often ask him if he minds. He doesn’t.
You’re not going to get a port - nor do you want one - unless you have a chronic condition that requires frequent venous access. A port is a quarter-sized reservoir that is implanted under the skin. It is attached to a catheter that ends up in a main blood vessel or the heart itself.
It is an invasive (surgical) procedure that is not without risks and not inserted casually.
Start by getting a medical condition that leads to incredibly frequent bloodwork and drug infusions =)
They take you into an operating room, slap some versed and a sedative in to make you forget them jamming large needles of pain killers in so they can make 2 slices in, one to form a pocket to hold the port under the skin, and one to stitch it into a blood vessel. Pretty much you are mostly awake but loopy and numbed so it is pretty much nothing. It is sore for a few days, I had a mammogram 2 days after and it didn’t really hurt when they compressed the breast mass on that side. When they go to jam the needle in to do bloodwork or to infuse something, I have a tube of EMLA cream, which is 2.5% prilocaine and 2.5% lidocaine, an hour ahead of time I blop on about 1 cc and tape a gatorade cap over it to keep the goop in place and I feel nothing other than a thump when they jam the needle into the port. One step closer to being in a Matrix bod-pod … port installed.
There’s a bit of Zen involved in being a really top-flight phlebotomist. First, you have to be able to spell it…
Seriously, I just gave 2 Units of Red Blood last week. I’m A-, rH factor, etc- rare tasty type. I’ve not given since last winter because of COVID-19, and NYC, etc. Finally went in using a portal HEPA filter air supplier that gets spliced into my face mask.
The tech was okay. He didn’t love either arm’s offerings around the crook of the arm. Opted for Right, even though that’d been tough 8 months ago.
The 2-tube needles are nice and fairly new. Back in the day, donating Platelets ( Aphoresis ) involved both arms being tied down and 2 hours of your time. Someone had to scratch your nose for you.
Anywhoo, the stick was mediocre. Slow flow at first, but he did the right thing- and imperceptibly shifted the needle inside of the vein.
All of a sudden, a gusher. Smart tech, knew his stuff.
38 minutes later I’d give up my 2 Units.
Some people just have very difficult veins. I detest any medical technician who adheres to the whole “MD-iety” gag. You’re a medical expert. I’m a living being who has done this before with his own body. Try listening, it’s ever so useful.
You’ve got bad veins? Don’t donate. And if you must have medical work done, try to remember the best spike site ( unless is once a week or more, in which case you can have vein collapse, scarring, etc. ) I know this will sound goofy, but RELAX. If you can make yourself not tense up as they are trying to insert the needle, it always makes for a better vein pop and easier insertion.
My two cents.
And, aruqvan, you’re a freakin’ demon for having to do a mammography 2 days post-port. Holy moley.
The vampires seem to appreciate me telling them I tend to go vagal when I see them eyeing the base of my thumb for an IV location.
Actually, that’s backwards. If vampires suck blood, that covers the lab people, but we’ll need a new term for the ones that put in needles with the intent of adding something to your blood. Mosquitoes, perhaps?
The silly thing is whenever I good-naturedly say they need a VeinViewer thing like a lot of chemo units have, half the time they’ll say they have one “somewhere” so why don’t they use it?
