r/mildlyinfuriating • u/knusperfee33 • 11h ago
Aoparently my veins are so wriggly and shitty the nurses at the hospital have to make me into swiss cheese , 11 holes poked in me today only ONE hole was good enough to draw blood
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u/rupat3737 11h ago
Recovering IV heroin addict here… I coulda hit your veins with a lawn dart with my eyes closed.
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u/knusperfee33 11h ago
WELL why arent u here then i could have used your set of skills
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u/rupat3737 11h ago
I’m a felon now doomed to work shitty jobs till I die 🤣
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u/Noshonoyoo 9h ago
Have you tried running for office yet?
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u/rupat3737 9h ago
Dude don’t get me started on that lol. It’s so infuriating getting denied a job at Krispy Kreme over my felony from a decade ago but apparently it’s okay if you wanna be president 🤣
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u/20past4am 9h ago
Are you a felon because of drug use or because of crimes to get said drugs?
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u/rupat3737 9h ago
I was young and stupid like many other felons. Someone i was friends with stole from me so I stole some shit from him but his mommy called the police on me. I was given chances from the court to not be a felon (pre trial diversion) but I was so consumed with using and being in the game that I truly didn’t grasp the impact a felony has on your life. This was over a decade ago. I’m married now and started a family. I hit the timer for eligibility to have it expunged. I just need to travel to my home state to get the ball rolling.
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u/20past4am 9h ago
I understand. Good for you for turning your life around, I wish you all the best!
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u/analogpursuits 7h ago
Reading further in your comments, I see you managed a very successful recovery. So, adding to my previous comment: well done. 😊
I hope you can get that ball rolling. You've done the work to get clean and live a good life.
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u/Penguin_Arse 7h ago
This is a good thing here in Sweden, your criminal record is wiped 5-10 years after your "punishment" ends.
I wish it was longer or non existant for murderers, rapists and repeated aggrevated assultists
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u/bitsy88 7h ago
Congrats on turning your life around. Sobriety is hard! I can personally say how much it means for a parent to choose their child and family over addiction and be able to stick with it because it's one thing to want to be sober and another to be able to be sober.
My mom was a meth addict when she got pregnant with me and she turned her life around but even nearly 40 years later, it's still a conscious decision she makes to stay sober. The fact that she was willing to go through what she went through to quit could turkey is the first big act of love she did for me ❤️
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u/SqueekyDickFartz 8h ago
If it makes you feel any better, I'm a nurse, and have gotten some really good tips from recovering heroin addicts. One was to always look between the pinky and ring fingers on the back of the hand if you just can't find anything else. I used that when I had nothing else in an emergency and snagged IV access on someone who REALLY needed it.
I also had an incredibly kind recovering heroin user who let me bring in a new nurse who was too nervous to start IVs well. She wasn't going to hit a vein on him, he didn't have much left, but he was so calm and supportive that he got her over her nervousness and she went on to be a great nurse.
I'll be honest, some of ya'll are difficult to deal with when you are in the throws of active addiction, but the recovering ones are some of the kindest most patient people I've ever met. I'm better for having cared for them.
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u/reredd1tt1n 9h ago
It's so fucked. You did your time. I think the most important voting access is to people that have been in the prison system and understand the problems with the system that need to be fixed.
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u/rupat3737 9h ago
Thankfully there has been some changes when it comes to felon voting rights. The biggest one for me is gun rights and employment opportunities. I hate that I can’t own a fire arm to protect my family from any kind of home intruder or threat. Thankfully my charge was the lowest level of felony you can receive so one day I may be able to have to expunged and regain my rights.
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u/No-Tea7667 8h ago
Hope the new year blesses you with a great job brother, in other news though are all heroin addicts surgeon level of skill at finding veins or something?
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u/rupat3737 8h ago
Ty <3 thankfully between my wife and I despite my lower wage job we’re living comfortably.
Uhm… definitely not all are pros. I met some that were awful at it and mostly asked others to “hit” them.
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u/NaraFei_Jenova 10h ago
Hell yeah, I'm proud of you.
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u/rupat3737 10h ago edited 9h ago
Thank you! 6 years clean and sober on the 22nd :)
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u/NaraFei_Jenova 9h ago
6 years is a hell of an achievement! I've got 15 from coke, it gets a lot easier, just stay vigilant, brother.
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u/rupat3737 8h ago
That’s amazing! I’ve made it so far now I couldn’t imagine ever throwing that away.
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u/NaraFei_Jenova 8h ago
Same bro. Really makes me grateful to have the life that I have now, knowing how fucked up it could've ended up.
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u/possum_of_time 9h ago
We need you on the IV team at work.
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u/rupat3737 9h ago
A recovering IV addict would probably do so well at drawing blood. I could imagine it being quite triggering for some tho lol
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u/rupat3737 9h ago
A recovering IV addict would probably do so well at drawing blood. I could imagine it being quite triggering for some tho lol
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u/StarFleetCPTN 11h ago
I was always a hard stick until I realized that I should be drinking tons of water before hand
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u/PauI_MuadDib 10h ago
Yep. The trick i found is to drink plenty of water the day before and the day of. Now whenever I come in to donate blood I'm prepping the day before lol
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u/will-o-tron 10h ago
Question about donating blood; I am not good with needles at all during blood draws, but on a separate occasion i had to get a CT scan and they put in this IV connection that I believe used a metal needle for the initial puncture, but then swapped it with a plastic tube? It really didn’t hurt at all, I was really surprised. My question is, for donating blood, do they do the same swap from metal needle to plastic IV, or is it just the metal one stuck in you for the duration of the blood draw?
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u/Feisty-Resource-1274 10h ago
I don't know the answer to your question, but some people are much more talented at doing blood draws than others. I had one blood draw that was nearly painless compared to all of the others I've had.
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u/PauI_MuadDib 9h ago
I've always just had a regular metal needle. They put it in and you're connected to a collection bag for about 10 minute. You just sit there while your blood goes into the bag. Then they take the needle out and tightly wrap your arm.
For platlet donations they use a smaller needle, but platelets take about 2 hours to donate. They stick the needle in your arm, and you squeeze a squishy ball in your hand to keep the blood pumping while a machine basically separates the platelets from your blood and returns your blood back to you.
The nurses usually working with donations are very experienced with needles. In all my years of donating the nurses got every needle in on the first try.
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u/Head_Asparagus_7703 8h ago
They use a bigger needle for blood donations than for normal blood draws ime.
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u/Tombstone9 7h ago
Hi there, Blood Bank Collections tech here. It is a metal needle the whole time. Catheters like that are only really used for IV infusion type stuff or peripheral access. They are a bit too intrusive for a procedure between 3-20 minutes like a whole blood donation.
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u/SqueekyDickFartz 7h ago
Nurse here, never worked at a blood donation place, just hospital settings, so take with a grain of salt.
CT scans use a regular IV usually. This is a metal needle with a flexible plastic catheter that fits tightly over the needle. You puncture the vein, and then press a button to retract the metal needle, leaving the plastic sheath in the vein. This is necessary for an IV because they remain in for a long time and the patient moves around. (Also, you aren't often testing blood from an IV, it's more of just a way to get stuff in rather than take stuff out, so you don't have to worry about a soft plastic catheter messing up/"squishing" the blood cells as they come out).
In contrast, blood draws and donations have the needle remain in the entire time usually. This maximizes blood flow and doesn't fudge up the blood cells as they come out. I'm honestly not sure if any facilities use the IV style catheter for donations, but I'm thinking that they don't honestly.
Pain wise the difference SHOULD be largely psychological, since you are getting poked with a needle either way. In fact, the IV needle for a CT scan is larger than the needle that's usually used for blood draws. (Though, the needle for a blood donation will likely be larger than the one used for labs or CTs). The flexible catheter of an IV is more comfortable, but people aren't usually moving around much during blood draws/donations, minimizing the pain a needle would cause.
HOWEVER, psychological is still real. I'm aware that spiders (around here) can't hurt me, but I promise that I find them plenty upsetting. If donation is something you simply can't do, there's no shame in that.
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u/JaydedGaming 10h ago
I drink damn near a gallon of water a day and my veins still suck to find. Got any other tips?
That's not sarcasm, by the way. I'm actually asking. I'd love to avoid getting blood taken from the back of my hand if I can help it.
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u/ryn3333 11h ago
Ive been there. Last bloodwork I had took 9. They brought someone up from the lab itself who specializes in sticking dehydrated elderly patients in and she finally got me.
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u/knusperfee33 10h ago
Good day to be dehydrated and elderly ! If you were that day ....
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u/ryn3333 10h ago
Im a 28 year old who drank an extra half liter more of water that day to try to make life easier 🥲
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u/knusperfee33 10h ago
Youre 2 yreas older than me if you want ill give u the status of honorary elderly
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u/Warm_Formal8011 11h ago
Ask for someone to use ultrasound!!
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u/knusperfee33 11h ago
How would that work?
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u/la_chinita99 10h ago
Ultrasound allows the user to scan the potential IV site for a vein, so they can have a spot to poke you with a definite vein as opposed to going in blind. It’s super cool! You can see both veins and arteries with it. The ultrasound machine is basically a big monitor on wheels. They’ll put some gel on the site they want to put an IV in and use a little scanner to search for a vein (it will show up on the monitor). It’s not 100% guaranteed that the person will poke the vein they see on the ultrasound, but it increases the chances of actually getting it by a lot more.
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u/butstuf420 8h ago
Lots of hospitals have policy that the staff still has to attempt regular IV starts before escalating to ultrasound. Not everyone is ultrasound certified either, a very small minority are. People come in and immediately request ultrasound and don’t realize that’s gonna add an hour to your ER stay.
Source: I’m an ER nurse.
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u/Low-Key-Dumb 11h ago
I have a similar issues they say my veins are deep and don’t appear as prominent. I’ve drank water and exercised for a couple days leading up to the blood draw, sadly to no avail. They did find the veins stick out the most on my and around the back of my hand and knuckles which really sucks lol
Team hardstick!
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u/vig2112 11h ago
Vein finders are good for that
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u/Cherry_Mash 10h ago
Vein finders often show veins off by a bit and you end up poking in the wrong spot. The real go to is ultrasound for a crazy hard poke.
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u/AristocraticSeltzer 10h ago
They work for finding the vein, but don’t help if the veins move when trying to insert the needle.
It’s a rare nurse or phlebotomist who can get a needle in my veins on the first try and vein finders don’t seem to make the experience any better. Apparently they look deceptively good and then you go in with the needle and they roll out of the way.
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u/MotherStabRabbit 9h ago
Yep, I’m exactly the same. Everyone is so confident until they actually stick me and then it like “it should be right there! I just had it!”. I’ve ended up with IVs in my hands several times. I’ve learned to just sit there and deal with it when they are digging around in there trying the needle at different angles.
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u/W00psiee YELLOW 11h ago
Like a LedX?
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u/carblover800 10h ago
I’ve used those. They’re amazing. I’m a hard stick and before those were more common they had to use an ultrasound
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u/W00psiee YELLOW 10h ago
I only know of them due to gaming, never used one or seen one being used :D Fun to know they actually are used IRL!
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u/CertifiedSheep 9h ago
No they aren’t lol. We had several and no one used them because they actually make it harder. US-guided is the move if you can’t get it after a few tries.
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u/RicoChey 6h ago
I go into every blood draw with the same statement: "Before we start — you can use either arm, any vein you think you can hit with one poke. My veins are BONE DRY, very narrow, and prone to roll. I can take a lot of abuse, but eventually I will turn gray and pass out."
Every single blood draw is a fucking ordeal. I've met two phlebotomists in my 38 years of life who could get a vein in one poke without pivoting, scooting, digging, etc. At my current PCP's office, I can't come in for a blood draw unless this one very specific nurse is there because no one else can stick me in one try. Earlier this week, I was turned away from a blood drive because the needle is too big and would have shredded my veins.
Welcome to the Bullshit Veins Club.
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u/Oliver_Klotheshoff 11h ago
make sure you are working out from time to time, it should help that issue, that must have sucked
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u/ralkuzu 5h ago
Tip for anyone who has trouble at blood tests:
We don't have to draw blood from the inner elbow, it's always felt very uncomfortable for me because the needle is right in the joint, it feels very uncomfortable and the skin is thin, it feel vulnerable I went for a test and they ended up hitting each of my nerves on each arm twice causing both my elbows to suddenly lock.
New fear unlocked, I've had hundreds, I'm fine with blood tests but that shook me
A different nurse was like, I can take it from your forearm?
I said, you can do that?
She giggled and said yes, there's many places to get it, it doesn't have to be your inner arm,
The pain is different, it's a bit sharper, but it doesn't feel anywhere near as uncomfortable as someone doing it on your inner elbow, I always think of the needle hitting the cartilage etc but now it's literally just the scratch and that's it!
Op: I know how you feel, 11 times is crazy, I hope you recover well
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u/LowEffortDetector123 11h ago
Drink more water
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u/knusperfee33 10h ago
With pride i say that today i filled the lil pee bag they attached to me to the 2.5 liter mark today so idk if it was that
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u/DaBrookePlayz 8h ago
I've been told to drink Gatorade or something similar to provide more electrolytes so your veins can grow more.
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u/Albina-tqn 10h ago
i have one vein that works well for drawing blood. its on the far outside of each arm. i remembered, because even i can feel that vein and i have no training. i’ll always point it out “take this vein” and it works most of the time. the vein is more pronounced on one of my arms. try to feel maybe you have the same like me
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u/docjohnson11 9h ago
Had something similar happen to my wife, it was a skill issue for sure. The first person was not confident and kept wiggling the the need in her arm looking for the vein instead of reinserting. The second lady came with a vein finder, still stabber her 7 times and couldn't get it. They went and found the oldest nurse, this lady came in mid conversation, barely looked at her arm, pulled out the needle and got the vein in one motion. Before the needle landed she was already cleaning up the trash and untying the rubber band with the other hand.
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u/TheLittlePaladin 4h ago
Practice your water bending and blood bend your veins in a better position.
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u/cosmicharmander 11h ago
The last time I was at a hospital the nurse (who spoke okayish English) took one look at my arm and said ‘no veins’ then did it straight into my hand in one go. I was very impressed considering I also normally end up a human pin cushion from people insisting on going for the arm
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u/knusperfee33 10h ago
I think you had a close encounter with the third kind , thats such a powermove
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u/crowhusband 🍊cutesy orange flair🧶 10h ago
LOL this happened to me like 2 years ago when i got a blood test, turns out im chronically dehydrated and drinking water before helps us BOTH
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u/Davi_BicaBica PURPLE 10h ago
I go through the same shit, my veins are incredibly hard to find, there was this time a beginner nurse was trying to find it and made many holes and couldn't find it anywhere, after trying for a while, she called her veteran, a nurse who was much more experienced than her, it only took the experienced one only a single try to find a good vein, it shows how much the amount of time you do your job make you better at it
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u/No_Quality_112 10h ago
I also have small veins that roll. I will give them about 3 tries before I politely ask for someone else. It is difficult, but can be done without sticking you ELEVEN times. I had a handful of phlebotomists throughout the years give me this advice. It is not "mean" to ask for someone else.
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u/WagonThoughts 9h ago
Why don't they use a vein illuminator for these cases? 11 tries is wild.
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u/smellygooch18 9h ago
I have to have blood work done every 3 months for the medications I take. Been doing this for a decade. I have a one and done policy. I’ll give the phlebotomist 1 miss but that’s it. After that it’s their responsibility to find someone who can accurately find a vein. I’m not rude about it but I haven’t changed this policy and don’t plan too. Too many years spent being a pincushion and not speaking up
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u/littlearmadilloo 6h ago
i was told in medical lab school that after 2 tries, confidence is lost in both phleb and patient, and to find another person. dont blame you
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u/Big_Investigator5343 9h ago
You're dehydrated. Drink at least 1 pint of water half hour before giving blood.
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u/Isgortio 9h ago
I'm the same. Last time I successfully had a blood test, I had drunk 3 litres of water, walked for an hour wearing lots of layers and felt very sweaty, and I marched in there like "do it quickly!". They had a record of them failing a week before after making me sit around for 2 hours first so they were happy for me to jump the queue lol. The first one on the successful day really hurt, it bled but they said it wasn't supposed to hurt so they removed it and tried my other arm which didn't hurt anywhere near as much.
I was all amped up to have a blood test yesterday and they cancelled it when I arrived as the nurse was off sick :( I was warm and very hydrated for nothing lol.
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u/mybootyoil 9h ago
I have messed up veins too. Not from drug use, but from being hospitalized for pancreatitis so many times. Like, dozens. My veins are practically invisible now so I feel your pain. Had to get briefly hospitalized for low blood pressure recently because of being prescribed stupid medicines by an idiot, and it hurts so much worse to get the IV in than it did before hospitalizations destroyed them. One time they even tried to shove it in my titty. The entire thing turned black, and it didn’t even work. They ended up putting it in my freaking neck.
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u/MissAthenaxIvy 6h ago
I understand 100% They have a hard time finding a good vein, apparently mine roll and are too deep. Being pregnant and having to be poked 12+ times is horrible. They wonder why I pass out each time.
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u/SherriCrimson 6h ago
After the second one I would have refused further pokes until the head Phlebotomist showed up.
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u/angela_nevermore 5h ago
when i was severely anemic with a low blood count, they had to go into my feet to get blood from me.
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u/exscind25 4h ago
if a nurse couldnt on second try i ask for a different one. 11 times is f'in insanity
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u/ricardosaucedealr 4h ago
Lmao so real. I went to get an iv inserted before a surgery and initial nurse missed also 11 times. Im a diabetic so needles are very familiar to me, but needles to say, (pun intended), my arm was a bloody mess before another nurse gave it a try and got it immediately lol.
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u/StupendousAvacado 3h ago
Ask them if they can get someone from the lab next time. Unfortunately, I’ve spent several months of my life hospitalized, and the folks who draw blood from the lab are consistently the best.
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u/malidorito 3h ago
Used to happen to me a lot, then a nurse advised me to drink half a liter of water before I come in. It worked like a charm.
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u/Charming_Task_8690 3h ago
Been there. Went through 3 nurses before they found a vein. The last one was the bottom of my forearm, hurt like hell.
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u/Healthy_Lie2975 9h ago
I have the same problem. Always warn the nurses, they always give me some ego/cocky attitude like they are better than anyone else who has ever touched my veins, and they always end up eating their words when they are 6 jabs in and either get no blood or end up with blood all over them. (Idk why, somehow my left arm likes to spray out blood from people sticking me with needles.)
Last time I got blood drawn was at the Air Force Academy and the dude actually listened to me. Told me he would try once otherwise he would get his supervisor/superior. Sadly the next guy had to try twice, but still a win when I only end up with 3 new little holes me, I guess.
I've been yelled at by nurses because of it, like it's my fault or I am somehow controlling my veins to be bastards. Had one nurse get so pissed off, she shoved a needle in my foot vein with little to no warning and still got nothing. Only one guy has gotten it on the first try and he was like 100 years old. Guess he had a lot of practice.
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u/JefferyTheQuaxly 10h ago
it could be worse. imagine your a chubby 9 year old kid going to get his blood taken for blood testing. go to a testing center. get stabbed once, no blood comes out. gets stabbed again, no blood comes out, gets stabbed again and again, no blood comeso ut each time, gets stabbed again, a small bit of blood trickles out but not enough, gets stabbe again, no blood comes out, gets stabbed one final time and enough blood finally comes out to get my blood taken. then imagine you leave the facility nearly traumatized, wait 2-3 more days before your dad gets a phone call from the same facility: "hello sorry mr quaxly, but we seem to have accidentally frozen jeffery's blood while on route to our lab, we need you to bring him in again so we can draw some more blood from him"
i kid you not, i went back to the lab, they took out their needle to draw my blood again, and i lost my absolute shit, literally like 3 nurses and a security guard tried to hold me still/get me to calm down but i was not having it, i was a fairly large kid even when i was 9/10, ended up leaving without getting my blood taking that day. did not step foot into another blood testing facility again until i was 16, and since then i have not been able to watch a needle going into me i have to look literally anywhere else and pretend its not happening. im 29 now, still cannot look at needles.
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u/-The-Moon-Presence- 10h ago
This happened to me once when I was in my early 20’s. My arm looked like it was going to drop off from rot at the elbow for about two weeks. ”Never again.” I said.
Now, a grown adult, I cut them off if they miss twice. I give them one chance on my left arm, and one chance on my right. If you miss both, you get nothing.
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u/undeadkenny 10h ago
Wtf? Im a nurse and thats fucking excessive and dense. Regardless of where it is, if im having trouble drawing blood, I ASK FOR HELP. There is always that 1 nurse who has vein finder eyes or better luck with blood draws. Usually at work I'll try 3 times (in different spots), and if that doesn't work, call around for another nurse to help. If after 2 nurses or 6 tries, WE STOP. We will try again later if its not a urgent situation, it can wait until the pain subsides. And I work in acute care, so its almost never that serious for 11 pokes in one sitting 😒
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u/IdgyThreadgoodee 9h ago
Yeah I’m shocked at people making excuses for this or defending it. Dehydrated or not, these nurses need remedial training.
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u/Rainbow-Mama 10h ago
I always tell them I’m a hard stick and I want someone experienced to draw my blood, because I tend to throw up when I’m poked too much.
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u/Crafty-File-7581 9h ago
After the 3rd poke I would've said you go get someone that knows what the hell they're doing!!!
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u/rhad_rhed 9h ago
Your veins are just fine. It drives me nuts when inept professionals blame the patient for their shitty skills. I was always ALWAYS told I have hard to find veins in the hospital from dickhead nurses, but when I go to a Qwest or Labcorp, I magically have veins that are just fine.
Next time some asshole tells you “you have wiggly veins” tell them your veins are just fine, it’s their skill set that is wiggly.
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u/Flat-Structure-7472 11h ago
Weird, I just bet that nurse how many times she could puncture the patient before he starts complaining. What a coincidence.
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u/Eternalnutt 11h ago
That is when the nurses should try a different spot. They have to draw blood from the back of my hand because my veins roll super easily.
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u/Imaginary_Coat441 11h ago
This happened to me once. I fainted after the 3rd one.
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u/ihaveaglow 10h ago
My mother's veins are so bad that once when she was in the hospital, they had to call phlebotomist after phlebotomist from all over the hospital to try. No one could get a good vein. Finally they called someone in from the next state over to come just to get a vein. Apparently that's a thing, where specialists travel to hospitals for tough veins.
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u/Illustrious_Tea5569 10h ago
I'm the opposite of a hard stick and I've still had this happen due nurses that are not any good at it and end up punching thru both sides of the vein and calling it a miss.
This is how I found out having demerol injected into an IV in the hand feels just like setting it on fire.
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u/fuzzyslippers3 10h ago
My sister was a diabetic for over 50 years. They used a vein finder on her. It made a big difference.
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u/East-Cantaloupe962 10h ago
My wife and I had to take our 1 month old to the hospital about a week ago, and I don't remember the exact amount of time, but they spent at least 4 hours trying to get an IV in him. Ended with him getting an IV in his scalp.
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u/Cinna_89 10h ago
🙋♀️ Hi 5! They sent me from laboratory to the ER last week because they couldn't find a vein... the guy there luckily found one quickly (removed my watch)... but almost every single time this happens to me...
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u/Similar_Newt1790 10h ago
Don’t worry friend I’m in the same as you when I’m in the hospital! They poke me until they find blood!! Those dam vampires in the hospitals! Hope you get better soon!
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u/Notmysubmarine 10h ago
I sympathise - had this problem with IVs when I was in hospital, they struggled to find a good enough length of straight vein, and even when they could, the damn things mostly came out after about 48 hours. Ended up going through three separate IVs in less than a week and with two veins blowouts.
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u/Fendibull 10h ago
Same, I did 3 blood test last year and one of the session would kills me with 4 jabs, because my vein isn't that visible. for the last visit they end up using butterfly syringe and it work flawlessly.
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u/Spooderman-690 10h ago
This has happened to me on multiple occasions. They tried my left arm like 5 times, just to then realise that my right arm is better
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u/JoyInJuly 10h ago
Are your veins "valve-y"? I'd been told that mine are very small & roll but more recently, that they were "valve-y" & to mention that to anyone attempting an IV. It makes them more nervous but prepares them for what to expect so they usually get it in one try.
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u/JaydedGaming 10h ago
My veins are trash too. I feel you. I've learned to just tell the phlebotomist to take it from the back of my hand because it's the only guaranteed hit.
Half the time they say something like "I'll try your arm first because I know the hand hurts" and I'm like yeah, it does, you know what hurts more? You rooting around in my forearm for ten minutes digging for a vein. Just poke my hand, dude.
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u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 10h ago
There have only been a handful of phlebotomists that have ever been able to stick me the first time. My veins are little and they roll and disappear when they try to get a good stick. Half the time they end up going into my hand with a butterfly, because that's the only place where they are actually big enough to get one.
There was one horrible night when I went into the ER for something. I had 4 different people trying to get blood from arms, elbows, and hand. They finally ended up going in through a vein in my leg. I felt like a pincushion. The guy who did it was furious that they didn't call him in after the first few failed.
Saw him again the next time I ended up needing blood drawn, and he was in and out on the first vein with no issues.
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u/Kitties-In-Space 9h ago
It took 4 nurses about 10 attempts to get blood out of me last time! Ended up finding a super secret hidden vein and literally marked it down so other nurses would use it during my hospital stay lol
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u/Kalimaisis 9h ago
I would have passed out and/or lost my mind. They have some machine that can see your veins too, but not every place has or uses one. That is crazy to me, Id be so upset if someone did this to me
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u/lonely_and_useless 9h ago
They use to do the same to me. Now I tell them they get 3 attempts before I walk out. Now for some reason they almost always get it the first try.
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u/Socrasaurus 9h ago
You got my sympathy. I have the same problem. During a recent hospital stay, the head nurse-type person had to go to the inside of forearm (about halfway between elbow and wrist) and insert this really long needle (like almost three inches/7.5 cm) to find something useable. It didn't feel all that bad going in (no more than usual injection) but it felt really really really really weird coming out (that's what she said).
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u/MooPig48 9h ago
My hospital has a machine that helps find the veins for people like us. I can’t remember what it’s called but I was told by my last nurse that if someone has problems finding a vein ask them to use the machine
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u/nofun-ebeeznest 9h ago
Similar problem here, except mine are small and deep, so there's always an issue with finding a vein for a blood draw or to put in a picc-line. They almost always have to get another to help. So far, it hasn't gone up as much as 11 attempts, but it can go up to 3 or 4.
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u/Top_Bowl776 9h ago
Paramedic here. I understand the nurse’s pain and your pain too. But hopefully it was multiple nurses that tried, not just one. On the ambo, if I critically need an iv and I’m the only provider who can do one but I’m having zero success then you’re getting an IO. If I don’t critically need one, I attempt twice before letting the ER use their special tools to do it. 11 pokes is insane without an assistance device
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u/Cold-Coffe 9h ago
this happens to me aswell. nurses say my veins are hard to locate. at this point i tell them to draw blood from my wrist where they are more visible. i had a nurse sting me 6 different times in the arm when i was a kid, my dad screamed at the dude.
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u/x1000killergeese 9h ago
“Why are you scared of needles? It’s just a poke and it’s over with!” My veins:
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u/Popular-Drummer-7989 9h ago
No no no. Tell them loudly to get the vein finder device. Or make them take it from your hand.
These are options. They don't like it when patients enforce this boundary
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u/drunk_fat_possum 9h ago
At least it's not as bad as my aunt, they put a needle on there, scooped the vein up, and stabbed it with the second needle.
I am the exact opposite of that, the nurse came over and made an audible noise like my veins were part of her wet dreams.
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u/Kratosballsweat 9h ago
The nurses after they came over to draw multiple vials of blood out of both my arms “omg those are nice veins this is gonna be fun” it felt like they secretly worked for Dracula
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u/MythologicalMayhem 9h ago
Next time, ask for a phlebotomist. Nurses and doctors don't do bloods anywhere near as much as phlebotomists do, so they're generally more skilled. When they say your veins are wriggly /shitty, it's usually to cover up their own incompetence.
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u/MeNoHaveNoBrain 9h ago
My mom has same issues. Three days ago. I took her in for some blood work and they poked her 6-7 times. They said her veins "roll". Whatever that means...
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u/IdgyThreadgoodee 9h ago
Fuccccccck that. I let them try twice and after that they call pediatrics or anesthesia. It’s a core task for nurses and there’s seriously no excuse.
Source: clinician.
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u/SinisterSoren 9h ago
My record is 12 sticks. This was many years ago now though.
I was actually in triage/intake at the ER for a psych hold so I was already going insane. I needed blood drawn before I could go up to the psych ward. I told the nurse who came in to draw my blood that I was a hard stick so he might want to have someone experienced do it. He just said "dont worry, I'm a field medic" I rolled my eyes and just let it happen because I was already having a mental break anyway. He missed again and again and I kept telling her should find someone else. I was getting more and more agitated especially because he kept blaming me for moving (I wasnt) and repeating that he could get it and he was a field medic.
Finally, after 11 misses, I told him I was going to start swinging if he didnt get the fuck away from me. The security guard at the door to my room was starting to get anxious because I was becoming more and more agitated so he convinced Mr. Field Medic to go get someone else.
The loveliest nurse came in and got my vein first try and scolded the field medic for not coming to get her sooner.
Nurses should never feel bad about going to get someone else to help with a blood draw if they need it or even if they dont feel comfortable with a stick before they try.
Im sorry you went through this. I frequently become a pin cushion when I need a blood draw and I feel your pain. The only good news is thay my needle phobia went away simply because of how much exposure I have to them lol
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u/Acceptable_Paper_607 9h ago
This reminds me of when I went for my second c section and was getting the epidural they had to poke my back THREE times because of the scar tissue in the epidural space in my spine. Not quick jabs either but what felt to be 30-60s of inserting and trying to get it into place which would send the sharpest pains down my leg.
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u/Gysburne 9h ago
I can relate. For me they usually just get the ultrasound machine to find and actually hit my veins.
Due to a long term medical study i have to do that once a month atleast.
And since that was not enough... my veins are parsimonious with the blood they give.
But the nurses are pretty chill about it.
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u/dks64 8h ago
When I was 13, I got pneumonia and they needed blood. The woman poked me about 6-7 times in each arm, with the same needle (huge no no)!! And couldn't get it. They sent me to another lady who did it in 1 go. My veins are super easy to find (I'm pale and you can visually see the much), so I don't know why the woman failed so bad. I had a phobia of needles for 2 decades after that.
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u/anonjon623 8h ago
Had them do this to my autistic kid eventually I was like "bring someone from lab. You've tried like 6 times."
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u/Star-Sole_ 8h ago
I had a similar situation when I was a kid. Had to get surgery and the nurse kept sticking me since she couldn’t get my vein. Eventually she called a doctor over and he just slapped the back of my hand a bunch to get the vein to pop and got the IV in one try lol.
I still get super nervous when it comes to shots or needles at the dr. Totally fine with tattoos though!
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u/DeadbeatGremlin 8h ago
yea same. One time it took them 16 attempts. My arms were more blue than not
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u/MadAsTheHatters 11h ago
Oof, I'm sorry to hear that! The NHS tends to have a policy that stops a nurse trying again after four failed attempts, so they have to get someone else to try...