[ SECRET POST #4164 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4164 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 21 secrets from Secret Submission Post #596.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: Do you donate blood?

[kaijinscendre]

I donated blood today. I do it every two months because they come to my work and I can do it on the clock. That were going to a double donation but someone else was using the machine. Maybe next time! But it has been almost eight hours and I am still exhausted. I am O+.

Also, I have wiggly veins and the people never seem to believe me until I get the needle in me and they go, "Oh, you weren't kidding about those veins!" WHY WOULD I JOKE ABOUT THAT?

Re: Do you donate blood?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm a nurse who does a lot of blood draws. The answer to that question is: literally 95% of people that come in for draws say that they have wiggly veins and/or needle phobia that's going to make the process more difficult. And about 90% of those are massively over-exaggerating it (their veins are perfectly easy to find and just looking away or being provided the most minor of distractions gets them over the twitchy reaction). So it actually does tend to be a surprise when someone's veins are exceptionally difficult or if they have a genuine anxiety response.

Re: Do you donate blood?

[kaijinscendre]

Is there anything I can say so they know I am being serious?

Re: Do you donate blood?

[(Anonymous)]

Sometimes it helps if someone sort of acknowledges it, like saying, "I know you must hear this a hundred times a day, but--"

Now, the other issue that could very well be at play here-- because it's actually fairly unusual for people that aren't either geriatric or obese to have a real issue with rolling/"disappearing" veins-- is that you're simply getting someone who isn't very experienced with needles yet. That's very likely the case with blood drives, and only slightly less so at blood banks. I know that isn't very comforting to hear, but it's more probable that the issue is on their end than yours.

Re: Do you donate blood?

[kaijinscendre]

Yeah, the first time I did it with these people she had to get her supervisor because she kept digging around.

Re: Do you donate blood?

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, ex-phlebotomist here, and most people think they have hard veins. Even if they don't, sometimes you really have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to make small talk and keep the atmosphere chatty and relaxed before the patient freaks out, especially if you have to do needle adjustments.

Anyway, if someone DOES have wiggly veins after warning me, I'm probably going to say something like that more as a "pardon me as I fish around in here" than to express genuine shock about the situation.

Re: Do you donate blood?

[analise]

I've found when I've had to get blood drawn and it's difficult one of the things they ask is "have you had any water today?". I guess not being hydrated enough makes the veins smaller or something?

Anyway, on the days when I remember to drink more water, it's usually done on the first try, no poking around necessary.

Re: Do you donate blood?

[(Anonymous)]

I get that, but it's still frustrating. I'm one of the extreme cases and I have regular blood draws. I try to warn people that I will likely bleed and bruise a lot and that inserting and withdrawing should be done very slowly to limit tearing. I have my treatment card out that specifies this if they feel the need to check that I'm not full of shit. Nope. They still yank and I end up with gigantic bruises. I know I look 20 but my veins are 90. I won't even let some of them touch me now. The ones who listen are a fucking godsend. I have a bruise this week about the size of a bottle cap and that is a good week for me. My IM injection site has a bruise the size of my fist, and the needle was tiny.

Funnily enough I have no phobia of needles. It's really annoying when I try to give people information and they brush it off as anxiety. I used to have a script that meant I had daily injections at home and I never had a problem doing them. I don't need anyone to tell me to look away, I just need people to acknowledge that they understand what I am saying.