Blood, blood, bl...

[slowfox]

Just back from the docs' for blood tests. I am, I'm informed, somewhat difficult to get blood out of, and I informed the nurse of this as I started to roll up my sleeve.

Nurse: Nonsense! Let's have a look.

*pause*

*nurse taps skin optimistically*

Nurse: Can we try the other arm?

*slowfox rolls up other sleeve*

*Nurse ponders. taps new arm. Ponders some more*

*Nurse swaps to original arm (left)*

*slowfox apologises*

*Nurse swaps again to go for the new(er) choice of right arm*

*stabbity stabbity stab*

They need three samples for the various tests. Two samples fine, but I'd all but dried up by the third tube. Test concluded with me buttoning up my cuffs whilst the nurse experimentally wiggled the test tube back and forth, expressing hope that there'd be enough blood there for the lab to work with: I'd guesstimate that, compared to the first two samples, the third tube's sample was about 15% of their volume.

Anyway, with this, no news is Good News. So silence is hoped for.

Comments

[yvi]

*hoping for silence* ;)

***

I've had blood drawn at least 20 times during the last year and there was only one doctor's office where they didn't manage at first or second try. So the conversation was something like this:

"Wow, your veins are hard to find. I guess you get that comment a lot, huh?"

"Actually, no, in 25 years no-one has ever said that."

"Oh, okay."

*silence*

"So, what arm is usually used for drawing blood?"

*shrugs* "Sometimes right, sometimes left."

"Oh, okay."

*pokes me three times without any success*

*meanwhile, I am getting pissed*

"I'll go get the doctor."

Incompetent nurses, I can haz them.

[slowfox]

Ouch! :-/

The best person ever at taking blood was a junior doctor at UCH, way back in the preamble to the Gorefest. He was nearing the end of a long shift, and looked the dictionary definition of 'haggard', but was easily the most efficient person I've ever had at taking blood from me. Dude.

[uninvitedcat]

I shall hope for silence for you then. :hopes:

[slowfox]

Ta :-)

[hildigunnur]

My veins are notoriously difficult to locate so I sympathize very much. Also a bitch when they manage to find a vein but it dries up. Last year when they had to fill 15 tubes (long story), I was so afraid they would end up poking me till the end of days but fortunately they found a good vein or the nurse actually knew what she was doing.

[slowfox]

Eeek! 15 tubes does not sound like a heap of fun :-/

[glittertine]

Am keeping fingers crossed! <3

[slowfox]

Excellent use of appropriate iconage!!! :D

[glittertine]

I know exactly what it's like, too. I hate the feeling when I warm them that I'm difficult, and they're all like, oh no you just had people who can't do it *stabs six times* come back next week, please?

Grr.

[slowfox]

Yep, indeed - she was all like 'rubbish! if you've got a pulse, I'll get the blood'. Although, to be fair, she was a lot less complacent after having looked at either arm, and she did concede that it wasn't worth trying to push it to get any more blood for the third tube.

[sophie8]

You don't have veins. This is the problem.

I sympathise as someone who has wonderfully accessiable veins which blow as soon as they are pricked. So many bruises, so much ouch.

[slowfox]

Ouch indeed *winces*

And I so do have veins! They're just shy, that's all...

[schnurble]

*much sympathy*

I get blood work done regularly, and I've had everything from a quick stab and the blood ran to poking around and around and around to no avail. I've found that using butterflies works better because they're smaller, so perhaps the next time, you could ask for them as well...

And hoping for no news aka good news!

[slowfox]

Ta! Over the last *thinks* 10 - 15 years, I think it's always been difficult for people to get blood out of me. Fortunately, I don't need to have the stuff taken that often, so it's not too much of an issue.

[linaelyn]

Oh, I'm so sorry you have that difficulty with the vein-finding. Hope the testing all turns out quite silently.

I've got easy, cooperative veins. So easy, in fact, that when I show up for a blood test, I've learned to ask the reception staff, "So, have you got a jittery trainee who could use a success about now? Because I've got the EASY sort of veins." Of course, I don't tell the fledgling phlebotomist any such thing -- that wold spoil his or her sense of triumph!

[slowfox]

Tests should be silent, 'tis all just routine checks.

Must say that's remarkably generous of you to offer yourself up as a test subject so willingly!