Such a thing as Karen-storm happening & turning into a Karen

[UTUSN]

Incredible "perfect storm" things.

* An appointment for Lab set six months ago for this morning. Routine, shower ya think.

* Last evening neighbors said their water was off. Mine, too. The whole neighborhood. Second time in a month. Last time it was for two hours. Fine. Later we found out it would be out for 4-6 hours. Fine. By midnnight it was still out. Fine. This morning still out. Used drinking water for a touch up wash. Fine.

* Neighbor informed water was back, about 10 minutes before my leaving time. Fine. Two delivery type trucks were in front of neighbor's. Fine, who cares. My driveway is in the alley. My dog was having a good time barking at the trucks. When I went outside to get the dog, the trucks were in the alley blocking me. I went out and told - O.K., sort of yelled - that I had an appt and needed to get out. They said they were delivering a play set to my good neighbors and would be gone soon. I said I had to leave in 5 minutes. Fine.

* The dog was having too good a time and wouldn't come inside. I had to catch and carry him inside. I warmed up the car and got going into the alley. *Incredibly* a utility truck turned into the alley in front of me, blocking me. I honked and waved/shrugged. The dudes got out of the truck and I yelled that I had an appt and HAD to get out. They said, "We're RESTORING WATER!" meaning that their station in life was beyond being questioned. I said I know but they need to let me get out. They half grumbled but pulled out the truck enough for me to get out into traffic.

* At the big time Lab place, the social distancing of chairs and such were appropriately cut by half, but the patient load was chaos and the under-staffing was worse. An hour after my appointment I got inside. These Lab people do the arm sticking all day every day and have never missed the vein, unlike some other non-specialized staff for me. So guess what, this one missed the vein and dug the needle around pinning the vein down. When they miss they blame the patient, saying "old" veins ROLL. This one asked whether I had drank enough water this morning. I said, not yelling, I haven't had running water since last night. She said that that's what happens, still my fault. She stabbed the other arm, using a "butterfly" needle. She made a special effort to inform me it was "butterfly." I don't care the butterfly. She finally got the blood.

*********** It's a fine line turning into a Karen. So finally back home I Messaged a friend who almost always has to have everything *really* spelled out. She answered, "I'm sorry you're having a bad day!" I said, " *I'm* having a bad day?! I didn't ask for it!" - She answered, 'Nobody asks for a bad day." - I said, "It's better now, but will be even better if you LET ME HAVE THE LAST WORD!"


*** O.K., what's it gonna be here?!1

[dweller]

1. Last word

✌🏻

[rsdsharp]

2. I apparently have had "old" veins for at least 42 years.

When I went in for the then legally required pre-marriage Wassermann test (medical professionals don’t even know what that is, now), I went to a hospital. They spent twenty minutes trying to draw blood from my arm. Finally, I told them I thought I was going to pass out. They looked me in the face and asked me — ASKED ME — if I had syphilis, and then certified that I did not have it.

Some years later, my doctor’s office tried drawing blood. Right arm, left arm, sitting up, reclining, lying down, standing. Nurse, doctor, multiple techs. All failures. They sent me to the hospital; same drill. Finally, the tech said, “I guess I COULD draw it out of your hand!”

Jesus Christ on a pogo stick! I’ve just wasted more than an hour, and been stuck more than 40 times, and you finally reveal there is an alternative you’re ashamed to use? That was the last time I ever allowed them to try to draw blood from my arm. They still sometimes take a couple of tries with my hand, but it beats the hell out of the alternative.

[zipplewrath]

3. After Chemo

Before chemo, I had what the techs called, "garden hoses". They'd call over the rookies and say "you can't miss these".
After/during chemo, my veins became more difficult. They would "valve" alot and the nurses had a hard time keeping the chemo flowing. Now, when I have to have blood draws, I warn them ahead of time and they spend a bit of time exploring my arm for a "good" vein. Generally they do well enough. One tech did explore my hand and decided that was the best place to try.

[UTUSN]

4. Hand? - *top*/back of the hand? - when they do the anasthetic there, hurts me more, all the boney

parts, even though my veins there could let a Roman cohort march through there.

As for using blood from other places. In doing diabetes testing I was told long ago that the sample can come from anywhere. I have been doing mine on the forearm for years, hurts much less than the finger sticking.

**** Over many years of happenstance (instead of "experience" ), many blood techs have missed veins, turning it into a marathon of sticking. Usually those are young/inexperienced, nervous. I can put up with quite a bit, get relaxed, even meditative, but sometimes the more I model "relaxation" the more nervous the tech gets. One youngun did the belabored multi-sticking, while at a desk on the floor a matured very-NURSE looking one sat. After the Young threw in the towel and went to the Nurse, the Nurse came over calmly and did it in one non-painful stick. I was going, "How come SHE's at the desk instead of doing it?!1" I get it that the Youngs have got to get experience.

**** The dudes are sometimes funnier. Walked in and it was a dude nurse I had never seen before. I said, "Are you the one who's not going to hurt me today?!1" -- He said, "No, that one's not here today. Today you got ME!1"

[rsdsharp]

5. Yes, back of the hand. One or two sticks beat the hell out of dozens.

A diabetes stick is not the same as trying to get a needle into a vein.

[UTUSN]

6. Yeah, but the blood can be taken from anywhere.

[rsdsharp]

7. Granted. But a diabetes stick requires only a drop of blood.

When I have blood tests, they require 1-3 vials of blood. To achieve that, they have to get a needle into a vein. The only place on my body they can reliably do that is on the back of my hand.

Even when they use an ultrasound to find a vein in my arm for IV drugs, the vein collapses. I have to have a PIC line for IVs.

[UTUSN]

8. Granted backacha - we're *both* granted on the 2 different topics!

Or rather, we're *each* granted!

[csziggy]

9. The last blood draw I had to get the nurse had trouble getting any blood out

She nailed the vein perfectly the first time but could not get my blood to flow enough to fill the sample tube. She sent in what little she could get, but a few days later I was called and told I had to go back for another try.

The lady that time I believe was phlebotomist and after I told her what had happened she went out of the room and came back with a slightly bigger needle. That time, no problem, good blood flow, nice sample.

From now on, I'm going to be certain to mention to use a big enough needle!

[UTUSN]

10. Yeah, today, after multiple *inside* jabs, finally got a tiny flow but then it *stopped*

to nothing. I'm thinking cardiac slowing. That's when she asked me whether I didn't take water.

Mine have never quit jabbing until they get enough in the vial. I didn't know they can send it in with a tiny amount.

What I mean by *inside* jabs, she never took the needle out, kept withdrawing it just enough to position it better. When she gave up, switched to the other arm.

[csziggy]

13. The first woman called in to see if there was enough for testing

Frankly, I think the needle was just too small, and that may be what happened with your test.

Second time, with the larger needle, there was no problem at all. That woman told me they like to use the smallest needles for less pain, but for some patients, it's too small. I know in the past there have been problems with my blood since I have excellent clotting factors. Perhaps the smaller needle allows that to happen?

[denbot]

11. I once had a doctor announce he put himself through med-school drawing blood.

After all but mangling both my arms ,wrists, and the back of both hands he snapped a the nurse to “hurry up with it”, and left the room with two dry vacuum vials on the tray..

If I tell you I’m a “hard stick”, I ain’t playing.

[UTUSN]

12. I'm the basic wuss