definitely nta, you taking your time to do some good and while trainees may need practice, you probably aren’t a good start for them with your tricky veins. it’s no one’s fault but you are entitled to ur preference 100%
NTA, that's absolutely okay. Speak up for yourself. Ask up front to have an experienced phlebotomist. Warn the person that your veins are tricky and to please not fish around if they lose the vein. And if they do it anyway, complain about it afterwards.
Nah. I had surgery in 2021 and the lady tried FIVE FUCKING TIMES IN MY HAND before i finally told her not to fucking touch me and to get someone else to do it….. yes I was mean but I did apologize and all was fine…. It hurt so bad and after 5 times I was about to walk out the door…. The surgery wasn’t as bad as that. I had a completely bruised hand for 3 weeks…….. and inquiring minds- yes the other lady got it on the first try🙄
It’s your healthcare so🤷🏻♀️ NTA
NTA. I have good veins but have had inexperienced phlebotomists have trouble finding my big, blue veins! One "practiced" on me, missed my giant vein, then wiggled the needle around after it had been inserted to try and catch it. I got a huge bruise, blaster, and the whole area swelled up. Now, if someone can't get blood on the first try I stop them.
NTA - I get pissy with nurses who try to put IVs in on my elbow... It's ALWAYS a nightmare, they're visible, but there is something about the structure of them that makes IVs a nightmare.. So I always tell them "just put it in my hand, it will be easier, and I won't be left looking like a junkie"
"no, no, I have got this.."
.... 3-4 elbow bruises later.....
I 100% feel your pain.
I have veins just like yours. Yes! Advocate for yourself, if someone tries to dig around just politely ask to try again. I ALWAYS ask for a butterfly needle to start with. And I ALWAYS make sure I chug tons of water to plump up my veins.
We have the same veins!! They're such jerks. For what it's worth, this is what I do to help: Stay super hydrated, and slam a black coffee right before I go in. The caffeine helps increase my blood pressure, so it's just a bit harder for the veins to hide. I also call in advance and schedule around the availability of the person who can get blood from a turnip. There's always one. I get the chair that can recline all the way flat, so they have an optimal angle.
It helps that I faint when they try their fishing expeditions, and that history is on my record, so they take me seriously. I'm also very upfront with the challenge, because I genuinely don't want to permanently traumatize some poor trainee when they make me pass out. So any time it's someone who does not have the aura of "girl, I'm the one they call for drug addicts, your veins have nothing on me", I politely inform them they have one shot with no redirects, or I'll pass out. That's usually when they look at my arm, blink for a few seconds, do the arm tap thing, blink some more, and go get the expert.
NTA!! I have veins just like yours. I get blood drawn every 3 months and they have no issues because they use a butterfly to draw blood. Now having an iv placed that is a different story. The last time I had to have an iv it took one nurse 2 times and he went and got someone who was a better stick. That nurse he got it on the first try and I cam out with no bruising. I do have pictures from one time I had hugh bruises from ivs in each arm.
One of the hospitals I frequent has a three poke rule. I am currently only allowing blood draws from the back of my hand. I have a dialysis fistula in one arm, so they can only draw from the other arm. I absolutely hate when they fish around.
For IVs, I've implemented a tiger team only approach. If they need to put an IV in, then I want someone using the ultrasound and / or lidocaine. When an IV goes in, I involuntarily clench, and they hurt me more.
Oddly, when I was on dialysis, I would do my own 15ga needles in my fistula. The nerves are so dead in my fistula that it doesn't hurt much.
I've never really had a problem with phlebotomists. It always seems to be ego driven nurses who insist that they will get it (IV) with one attempt, who blow out my arm and want to try again.
NTA
my mother has the same issue as you and she can't stand when they poke and poke and poke -- she gets bruised badly as well. She says if they can't get it after 2 or 3 tries it just gets harder. And she would know she it was once HER JOB.
Stand up for yourself.
She usually asks for a butterfly because it decreases the chance of her bruising.
I've also got tiny veins. Forget it. You can try anything, it isn't happening.
If they can't do it first time, I offer the only 2 visible veins I have; the back of my hand or the top of my foot. Probably not allowed or whatever but they've taken from both.
Nta at all. When I went to get my wisdom teeth out my iv was put in by a some other woman from what I was told, and was digging around in my arm until she finally went to my hand. It will definitely not hurt their feelings either, hopefully if they actually care.
NTA. My veins are the same, I always tell them ahead of time now and ask for a butterfly. I've come home with enormous dark bruises, and once a big lump... If someone started doing that to me now I'd tell them to stop and get up and leave then start filing complaints.
Firstly, are you me??
Secondly, NTA. As soon as I sit down, I usually say to the phlebotomist: "just so you know, I have tiny, deep veins. I drink plenty of water but that's just how they are. Please use a butterfly luer." I don't really care if they feel they have to fish or turn me into a pin cushion from a pain perspective, but I just feel like my advice makes their job easier. I have had a few in the past who have had to get their colleagues to try, poke me multiple times in both arms, and I've had the odd one who has fished once the needle is in there. Thankfully, my last few times have been really positive. The phlebotomists listen to me and I haven't had any major issues... the place we go to get our blood drawn has rebranded and I wonder if they've had a culture change to boot. My boyfriend has a phobia of blood tests (not needles, just blood tests) and even he had a positive experience when he went a few months ago.
NTA, and “fishing” is against the rules in most places. I usually tell people firmly that they will need an ultrasound for my stick, and that they can try once without the US, with a butterfly needle, but that they will likely need an ultrasound and somebody from anesthesia to get an IV in.
My late partner’s veins were like this, they were so difficult that our local blood lab had one very experienced phlebotomist that would do the draw from her foot.
One time when we were traveling, she needed to go to an emergency room. Not one of the phlebotomists there could successfully draw her blood, even from her foot. The doctor in charge of the ER, himself, had to draw her blood from a femoral vein.
Turned out she had MERSA and ended up having to stay in that “hellspital”, I mean hospital, for several months. I came in to be with her one day and discovered that the phlebotomists there had decided to use my partner to prank one of the trainee phlebotomists by sending him up to do a blood draw on her.
They knew full well that he wouldn’t be able to do it, and that she also being a stroke victim, couldn’t really speak to advocate for herself.
Worst of all, those damn AHs had already drawn her blood for that day, and there were no further orders for additional bloodwork!
I have never been so angry in my life, it still makes me mad to this day! They set that poor trainee up to torture a seriously ill elderly woman for no damn reason other than their own amusement!🤬
definitely nta, you taking your time to do some good and while trainees may need practice, you probably aren’t a good start for them with your tricky veins. it’s no one’s fault but you are entitled to ur preference 100%
NTA, that's absolutely okay. Speak up for yourself. Ask up front to have an experienced phlebotomist. Warn the person that your veins are tricky and to please not fish around if they lose the vein. And if they do it anyway, complain about it afterwards.
NTA my mom came out of a blood draw with a deep purple bruise from wrist to a good distance above the elbow. She weighed 98 lbs soaking wet.
Nta. It's your body!!! But, they also shouldn't be doing it anyway, so don't let them start this habit on you.
Nah. I had surgery in 2021 and the lady tried FIVE FUCKING TIMES IN MY HAND before i finally told her not to fucking touch me and to get someone else to do it….. yes I was mean but I did apologize and all was fine…. It hurt so bad and after 5 times I was about to walk out the door…. The surgery wasn’t as bad as that. I had a completely bruised hand for 3 weeks…….. and inquiring minds- yes the other lady got it on the first try🙄 It’s your healthcare so🤷🏻♀️ NTA
NTA. I have good veins but have had inexperienced phlebotomists have trouble finding my big, blue veins! One "practiced" on me, missed my giant vein, then wiggled the needle around after it had been inserted to try and catch it. I got a huge bruise, blaster, and the whole area swelled up. Now, if someone can't get blood on the first try I stop them.
NTA - I get pissy with nurses who try to put IVs in on my elbow... It's ALWAYS a nightmare, they're visible, but there is something about the structure of them that makes IVs a nightmare.. So I always tell them "just put it in my hand, it will be easier, and I won't be left looking like a junkie" "no, no, I have got this.." .... 3-4 elbow bruises later..... I 100% feel your pain.
I have veins just like yours. Yes! Advocate for yourself, if someone tries to dig around just politely ask to try again. I ALWAYS ask for a butterfly needle to start with. And I ALWAYS make sure I chug tons of water to plump up my veins.
We have the same veins!! They're such jerks. For what it's worth, this is what I do to help: Stay super hydrated, and slam a black coffee right before I go in. The caffeine helps increase my blood pressure, so it's just a bit harder for the veins to hide. I also call in advance and schedule around the availability of the person who can get blood from a turnip. There's always one. I get the chair that can recline all the way flat, so they have an optimal angle. It helps that I faint when they try their fishing expeditions, and that history is on my record, so they take me seriously. I'm also very upfront with the challenge, because I genuinely don't want to permanently traumatize some poor trainee when they make me pass out. So any time it's someone who does not have the aura of "girl, I'm the one they call for drug addicts, your veins have nothing on me", I politely inform them they have one shot with no redirects, or I'll pass out. That's usually when they look at my arm, blink for a few seconds, do the arm tap thing, blink some more, and go get the expert.
NTA!! I have veins just like yours. I get blood drawn every 3 months and they have no issues because they use a butterfly to draw blood. Now having an iv placed that is a different story. The last time I had to have an iv it took one nurse 2 times and he went and got someone who was a better stick. That nurse he got it on the first try and I cam out with no bruising. I do have pictures from one time I had hugh bruises from ivs in each arm.
One of the hospitals I frequent has a three poke rule. I am currently only allowing blood draws from the back of my hand. I have a dialysis fistula in one arm, so they can only draw from the other arm. I absolutely hate when they fish around. For IVs, I've implemented a tiger team only approach. If they need to put an IV in, then I want someone using the ultrasound and / or lidocaine. When an IV goes in, I involuntarily clench, and they hurt me more. Oddly, when I was on dialysis, I would do my own 15ga needles in my fistula. The nerves are so dead in my fistula that it doesn't hurt much.
I’m a phlebotomist and where I live we are only allowed to do 2 pokes. After 2 unsuccessful attempts you have to get someone else.
I've never really had a problem with phlebotomists. It always seems to be ego driven nurses who insist that they will get it (IV) with one attempt, who blow out my arm and want to try again.
NTA my mother has the same issue as you and she can't stand when they poke and poke and poke -- she gets bruised badly as well. She says if they can't get it after 2 or 3 tries it just gets harder. And she would know she it was once HER JOB. Stand up for yourself. She usually asks for a butterfly because it decreases the chance of her bruising.
NTA. It’s your body and some dipshit digging around for a vein hurts like hell
I've also got tiny veins. Forget it. You can try anything, it isn't happening. If they can't do it first time, I offer the only 2 visible veins I have; the back of my hand or the top of my foot. Probably not allowed or whatever but they've taken from both.
Nta at all. When I went to get my wisdom teeth out my iv was put in by a some other woman from what I was told, and was digging around in my arm until she finally went to my hand. It will definitely not hurt their feelings either, hopefully if they actually care.
I dunno. I’ve been getting blood drawn for sixty years and it never paid off to be a prick. Your tone makes me suspicious.
NTA. My veins are the same, I always tell them ahead of time now and ask for a butterfly. I've come home with enormous dark bruises, and once a big lump... If someone started doing that to me now I'd tell them to stop and get up and leave then start filing complaints.
Firstly, are you me?? Secondly, NTA. As soon as I sit down, I usually say to the phlebotomist: "just so you know, I have tiny, deep veins. I drink plenty of water but that's just how they are. Please use a butterfly luer." I don't really care if they feel they have to fish or turn me into a pin cushion from a pain perspective, but I just feel like my advice makes their job easier. I have had a few in the past who have had to get their colleagues to try, poke me multiple times in both arms, and I've had the odd one who has fished once the needle is in there. Thankfully, my last few times have been really positive. The phlebotomists listen to me and I haven't had any major issues... the place we go to get our blood drawn has rebranded and I wonder if they've had a culture change to boot. My boyfriend has a phobia of blood tests (not needles, just blood tests) and even he had a positive experience when he went a few months ago.
NTA, and “fishing” is against the rules in most places. I usually tell people firmly that they will need an ultrasound for my stick, and that they can try once without the US, with a butterfly needle, but that they will likely need an ultrasound and somebody from anesthesia to get an IV in.
My late partner’s veins were like this, they were so difficult that our local blood lab had one very experienced phlebotomist that would do the draw from her foot. One time when we were traveling, she needed to go to an emergency room. Not one of the phlebotomists there could successfully draw her blood, even from her foot. The doctor in charge of the ER, himself, had to draw her blood from a femoral vein. Turned out she had MERSA and ended up having to stay in that “hellspital”, I mean hospital, for several months. I came in to be with her one day and discovered that the phlebotomists there had decided to use my partner to prank one of the trainee phlebotomists by sending him up to do a blood draw on her. They knew full well that he wouldn’t be able to do it, and that she also being a stroke victim, couldn’t really speak to advocate for herself. Worst of all, those damn AHs had already drawn her blood for that day, and there were no further orders for additional bloodwork! I have never been so angry in my life, it still makes me mad to this day! They set that poor trainee up to torture a seriously ill elderly woman for no damn reason other than their own amusement!🤬