What's a little poke between friends?
Well, I went for my Day 3 bloodwork yesterday. When my number was called, I went up to the nice lady behind the desk and said, "I'm here for my Day 3 blood draw."She took my form, started typing like a madwoman, asked me stuff like phone number, and health number - all of which were printed on the form - and said, "is today Day 3?"
Uhhh. Was I supposed to come on Day 3 for my Day 3 blood draw? Well, how the frack was I supposed to know that. Of COURSE it's Day 3, you ninny, why else would I be here??
*sigh*
After waiting a not very long time, I get called in to the tech. Guess what he asked me?
G'wan, guess.
"Is today Day 3?"
argh.
Fine. I guess they're just confirming in case someone honestly doesn't realize what "Day 3" means. I'll stop being so critical.
Of course, as usual, my veins saw the latex tourniquet thingy and ran screaming for the hills. I have bad veins at the best of times, but this time was just a doozy. Dude tied me up in 4 different places (and not in that good way), thought he saw a little something, stabbed and lost. Tried again somewhere else, and stabbed and lost again. Finally, in the back of my hand, we struck oil. Actually, it was like oil, because slow, thick sludge oozed into the vial. Thankfully, he only needed two vials this time (as opposed to the 10 from last time), otherwise, I'd be posting this blog from the lab where we'd still be waiting for the vials to fill.
The best part was afterwards, when Hubby took me for ice cream. It's not on the diet, but it's prescribed for speedy blood draw recovery.
Labels: crankiness, infertility, isitacycle
posted by projgen @ 20:08
6 Comments:
Getting blood out of rolling, collapsing veins.
1. Take baby aspirin for at least 3 days before the draw if you are allowed to use it.
2. Drink at least 4 large glasses of water before the blood draw.
3. When you get to the office or lab, run hot water over the site where they usually get the blood until it is warmish to the touch (not hot - you don't want them to think there is an infection).
4. Tell the person doing the draw: "It is sometimes difficult to get blood from me. Usually people have the best luck if they use a butterfly clip and take the blood from XXXX (whatever has worked in the past - the back of my hand, as it happens).
5. Try to relax, count breaths, say OMMMM, etc.
Thanks to all my med tech co-workers at Citation Computer Systems who coached me on all of this, I haven't been stuck more than 3 times for 1 draw in the last 10 years.
Woohoo, you've started!
I hope the results are good!
Thanks jeanette, *now* you tell me ;)
2, 4 & 5 I have down. I told the tech right away which vein to try. I've had enough blood drawn from me in my life than to feed more than a few vampires, so I've got a pretty good routine.
I just have wee dinky, deep veins. At least they don't roll. I didn't think about the baby aspirin, because usually - once they finally get a working vein - I gush. I'll try the hot water trick if (ugh) have to go through this again!
Lut - you and me both! ;)
my developmental bio prof read an article that full fat dairy has been linked to better egg/sperm compatibility!!!! go for that ice cream.....
Well *I've* always had *my* day three blood draws on day six. So it's a perfectly valid question.
Um. Right.
I second the "icecream helps your fertility go eat lots" tips.
Bea
Yeesh. I think at my doc's, it's just that the plebotomists aren't that great. I still have bruises from both blood draws two weeks ago.
The last one was so bad I actually took the needle and did it myself. Kind of freaked out the tech, but boy did it work.
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