Giving blood is a great thing to do. Donating your healthy
blood to blood banks is terrific. When I was in college I started donating
blood. I learned then that my veins are not very cooperative. They look good
but they roll away from the needle.
Fast forward a few decades and my veins were tested to their
limit with chemotherapy. I chose not to have a port inserted because that part
of the whole cancer treatment regime was what freaked me out. Subsequently my
chemo had to be administered into my veins in my arm. Because of my breast
cancer surgeries only one arm could be used. The chemo drugs are very toxic.
The nurses who administer wear heavy gloves, and yet this poison went into my
veins. My veins did not like it. They rolled, collapsed, burst and generally
made life difficult.
As a result of my treatments, the only place that I can get
blood out of my body for a blood test is from my hand. It hurts a bit and the
top of my hand is all scarred from my many blood tests as a cancer survivor. My
doctor went so far as to recommend I wear a medical alert bracelet! I just can’t bring myself to wear a bracelet
that says, “Veins Suck, Use Right Hand” or “Veins Shot, Administer in Right
Hand Only”.
Last week I went for my yearly visit to my oncologist. Before the visit blood is taken. A good
friend of mine had breast cancer a year after my diagnosis. We go to the same
oncologist and now we schedule our appointments following each other and then
go out to celebrate another year of cancer free living. She has her appointment
first because her veins are not shot and her time in the lab is brief.
I don’t think there is note on my chart about my veins but
let’s just say I never get the new oncology tech for the blood draw. I still
tell them what size needle to use, which hand, which I make certain is warm,
and I already drank about a gallon of water before the visit, all to have a
timely and successful blood draw.
Anyone else with uncooperative veins?
22 comments:
Awful My friend has a port, which avoids this, but the whole thing sounds just awful. Blessings, Haralee!
Thanks Carol, chemotherapy is awful. The late effects bring the expression getting blood from a stone a whole new meaning!
Oh my... Haralee. I'm so sorry about your veins. Celebrating being cancer-free with your friend is a beautiful thing to do, though!
Thanks Patty. I complain but i am lucky to be alive to complain!
Ouch! My thing has always been small veins. Everyone who has ever tried to find my veins has admonished me and stuck me several times for that. Sheesh! ;)
Ow, Haralee! I have rolly veins as well, and I can't imagine the trauma of having chemo drugs injected into them.
But I'm glad you're better now!
Yes Linda small veins get a lot of criticism. You just have dainty veins and a good blood person should be able to deal with it! Thanks.
Karen I found out veins that roll are hereditary. My sister has them and my Dad had them. Who knew!
My veins are terrible! I always tell the tech - "I'm not afraid of needles, but my veins are" and I always have to have not only the blood draws from the top of my hands, but IV sticks go there, too. I was in the ER in May this past year, it took them NINE tries to find a vein for both draws and IV before they ended up sticking me in the neck. And trust me on this one... The neck stick is extremely uncomfortable!
Thanks of understanding Mary. I have never had in the neck, ouch! Maybe the medical alert bracelets are so far fetched after all.
My year of cancer was 1985. Fortunately, my veins recovered. Which is good because my veins once made an experienced phlebotomist cry. She felt worse than I did that she couldn't get a good stick.
I miss giving blood. I'd given more than a gallon before I was 23. It's probably safe by now, but someone would actually have to do a research study on my type of cancer and make sure it can't be spread through blood transfusion. It was rare, so that's not going to happen.
Oh, Haralee, I'm sorry you have to go through that. I've been pretty lucky so far when it comes to getting blood drawn but so much depends on the technician who does it. I hope it miraculously gets easier for you!
When I went through infertility treatment, I learned the whole thing about veins that role. I am impressed that you have gone through what you have, and can have a sense of humor about it!
I know Joy I wonder about the toxins still mingling in my blood too. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Lois. It is all about the phlebotomist! I had a phlebotomist who was from eastern Europe and her accent sounded like Dracula, it was so fitting that she was an excellent technician.
Thanks Margaret. So much of going through cancer is managing it and advocating for your self. I do it with a sense of humor. Less people seem to take offense from my bossiness if it is cloaked in humor and I appreciate the fact that they are the ones with the ones with the needles.
I'm so sorry that you have to go through this every time you have blood drawn. Yay to another year cancer free!
Thanks Lana. My public service announcement about late effects from cancer and I am grateful it is not worse!
Oh so sorry to hear about that. My veins are wretched too. I also have issues especially with one arm. Glad you both got to celebrate...yippy!
Thanks Carolann. We are wretched vein sistrs!
I'm sorry that you have to continually go through this. I'm grateful though, that you're dealing with crappy veins as a cancer survivor.
Thanks Karen. It is a late effect but I could be complaining about so much more, I am lucky!
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