I thought that the Prince Albert was back in fashion these days?
(Wiki link provided, but not broken - NSFW: http: // Prince Albert (genital piercing) - Wikipedia)
Nah, just cause it to pulsate and tremble.
I do this to my boyfriend all the time too. Then he pretends to sulk and says I only love him for his veins. 
That Phlebotomist was not good and out of line. Next time just refuse your consent- it gives them a get out clause and you know they’ll have luck.
Me, I’m green butterfly if they look easy, blue butterfly if they look hard person.
Personally, I have decent veins, no needle phobia and don’t find cannulas/blood draws to be that painful, so I let the medical students practice on me first before I set them on the patients. Puts the fear of Og into them, but makes it more likely they’ll get it first time so it’s a confidence booster.
My blood taking patter is usually,
“Pick an arm, any arm”
Patient proffers arm
“Where’s good for taking blood?”
That’s where I’ll go if I can find a vein- if I can’t see one there I’ll ask if they mind if I go wherever it is that I CAN see a vein.
As a doctor I get to stick needles wherever I the patients will let me- elbows, wrists, hands, backs of arms, necks and feet are all fair game for me, the nurses and phlebotomists can only go elbow or hand.
I get first time about 90% of the time now-it’s a combination of practice, being the person they call when the nurses and phlebotomists can’t get blood and knowing that if I can’t get it, the next step is to get an anesthetist, a step to be avoided at all costs.
I tried googling but no luck. What’s that saying mean?
OMG, best noun ever!
“Butterfly needles” are attached to tubing and have little “wings” alongside the needle for the phlebotomist to hang onto. Different colors generally mean different thicknesses of needle.
Wait, they’re vampires?
Why don’t you just ask them to use your neck?
I had a feeling my previous post was subject to being interpreted in dirrrty ways. Oh well.
I don’t know about the rest of you phlebotomists, but I never liked being called a vampire. It’s a toss-up which I liked less, though - vampire or lab nurse.
I haven’t worked as a phleb in a while, but still… whenever I see anyone with a really huge vein, I want to touch it. :o
Oh, and **The Tao’s Revenge **- as **Antigen **said, different colors = different needle thickness/size. A blue one is a smaller size than a green (for us, anyway).
Weirdo.
I was at the lab once to have some non-blood work done, and the tech saw my arm and said “Ooh! Nice veins!” and seemed dismayed that they weren’t going to be able to stick me.
And what’s with the roto-rooting? Is it a sadistic way to sidestep the “Call for assistance if you have two failed attempts” rule since they’re not actually withdrawing the needle?
I’m guessing that’s because your blood draw would have been effortless, and they were anticipating the little old lady diabetic who is next up who needs 10 tubes drawn.
I always tell the tech that I have a nice fat vein deep in my left elbow, but that s/he’ll have to pull that tourniquet kinda tight on me to get it to pop up. They always smile and nod at me, but they do pull the tourniquet pretty tight. I also always thank the tech if the stick went well, and I didn’t feel it, or hardly felt it. I figure that they get more complaints than compliments, and maybe they’ll remember that I was polite. Since I always have to have at least half a dozen tubes drawn, they probably will remember me anyway.
Butterfly needles are to having blood drawn what anaesthetic is to surgery. Go you!
Are you me?
Well, it was over 3 years ago, when I was pregnant. I can have blood drawn practically from anywhere. Take a blind stab and you’ll hit a vein with me. But somehow this bitch managed to a) miss the vein, b) root around, and c) ignore my complaints. Another phlebotomist had to come rescue me, and I left the lab with a pain that lasted days and a giant purplish-black hematoma.
I am not a needlephobic, I can’t be, I have been poked and prodded all my life, but if I ever see that bitch crossing the street I will run over her.*
I make a point of complimenting good phlebs on their techniques if I don’t feel like a dart board when I leave.
*Not really, but I fantasized about it for a while.
Thanks, oh Admin Goddess. I will sacrifice some chocolate in your honor today.
Some one upthread mentioned that the butterfly needles (the ones they use on hands) are more expensive. This may explain ‘the rule’.
This lab I go to is in a HIP center (although I do not have HIP insurance, the lab does accept outside insurance). HIP is notorious for their cost cutting ways.
Still - if they have The Rule, and you know damn well it doesn’t work for you, refuse to let them even attempt. Find a supervisor if you have to.
The phlebotomist was trying to follow the rule, but they also need to learn to listen to their patients.
This is speaking as a person who also has tough veins. I have one - exactly one - good vein, that everyone can find easily. With two exceptions - a lab tech (and I made a note of his name, as he had trouble on two separate occasions) at GWU medical center, and a lab tech at the hospital where my daughter was born. That fool tried two separate spots, failed (and hurt me badly) at both of them, and for the first time in my life I screamed profanities at a medical person and ordered him out of my room. As I was dealing with postpartum emotional roller-coastering, he’s lucky that was all I did.
I’m a nurse, and as a personal preference I like to try the inner elbow first on adults and older children because that seems to be the easiest place to get blood. I’ll stick hands too, but those I’ve found that those veins tend to blow much more easily.
That being said, I would never ignore a patient’s request or idea on the best place to get blood. There’s just no excuse, and if someone did that to me as a patient I would raise hell.
I try not to dig around with the needle either, especially after some bitch did that to me with a massive 16g needle when I was donating blood a couple years ago. Holy Mother of God, that was painful. And I have good veins!
Wow, what a hideous experience. Stories like this give me the heebie jeebies.
My veins aren’t great, but I am a huge needlephobe and I don’t make any bones about it when I have to be stuck. Personally, I think this contributes to my getting better experiences, because after I’ve whined and cringed and cried about my horror of needles, they usually make the most experienced person do it, or else they are really careful. Stoicism doesn’t pay when people are coming at you with pointy objects.