Blood draws (vent)

I had to vent somewhere, so I chose here. I get my blood draw monthly, and most of the time I get good people to take my blood except for today. I go into the lab, and the gal pokes me, and can't find my vein. Uh duh! Your in the wrong spot. She poked me right in the middle of my arm where my veins are weak. My strong veins are on the sides of my arms. She told me that it doesn't hurt when she does it in the middle. Well, she ended up getting my blood after moving the needle a bit. But, almost an hour later, my arm still hurts. That gal seemed like a know it all and I'm paying for her mistake. When she was finding the vein, she told me to relax, it's not a problem. I told her that I've been getting my blood drawn for over a year, and my good vein is on the side. It just bugs me.

sometimes the vein can collapse from using a needle that's too big. I had one lady move it around and I wasn't nice when I said..."remove it already!!! ".
I had nice big bruise. It made me nauseated seeing her move it around in my vein like that..ugh!

I tell them when I go in you get 2 tries after that you find another nurse. There is no reason for them to have to dig around in there when another nurse can come right in and make one stick and get all the blood they need, if they dont know what they are doing then they shouldnt be there. I use to tollerate it also with them digging around in my arm. because I thought I had bad vains that is what they told me. Till I had a good nurse who knew what she was doing and said there wasnt anything wrong with my vains its just that some people isnt as good as others at finding them.

Ask your doctor for a rx for Emla cream (a cream you put on an hour before to numb the area). My 9 year old had quite a bit of needle anxiety and the Emla cream has been a miracle for us. I don't know if it is just psychological or if it really is that good, but she is no longer fearful of her regular blood draws.

She did have one instance early on when her anxiety was quite high - she had her blood drawn and had been quite nervous about it, but it went okay. When we got home and settled in the lab called back and said they had messed the test up and we needed to come back in so they could take more blood. That was the one and only temper tantrum this child had EVER had (she was also on prednisone at the time so I'm sure that contributed). Thankfully the lab lady was really sweet to her and gave my daughter free movie passes as an "I'm sorry" gift.

There was one lady that worked at the lab that liked my daughter so much (and my daughter felt safe with her) that she gave my daughter her cell phone number and said she would come in any time we needed her to for blood draws, even if it was her day off!! Unfortunately she has moved to another state.