Hard to find viens with Aortic Stenosis?

[vhmoriarty]

I did IT! I went today for my labwork. I drunk a full pitcher of water before I went. I did the whole count to 10, closed my eyes and wiggled my toes, and they got me in ONE stick!

Horray!

Thanks guys!

 

[pamela]

One very professional lab tech recommended that I ask the technician/nurse to tie the tourniquet very tightly then slowly rotate my wrist over onto the ulnar aspect (outwards) while the vamp kept their finger on the vein. Eventually, the optimal degree of rotation's reached with the vein riding to the surface on your bones and then a quick stick and it's over.

I've always been a tough one to draw from, but thankfully, I'm patient too. I invited one student nurse to continue to try to set an IV until he gave it up for fear of puking all over me. Yes, he was that bad and just couldn't accept that I was ok with the discomfort. I figure it's best for students to learn from patients with high pain thresholds and mine is about as high as they get without being dead... (joking!)

Take heart,
Pamela.

 

[Marguerite53]

I did IT! I went today for my labwork. I drunk a full pitcher of water before I went. I did the whole count to 10, closed my eyes and wiggled my toes, and they got me in ONE stick!

Horray!

Thanks guys!

Fantastic! I'm going in in a week and I'm going to try Duff Man's count to 10 and wiggle my toes also. This tech is a good one and I probably don't even need to worry. I'm going to ask him about the butterfly in the hand -- I've never done that one.

Glad yours went well, Valerie! Yay!!!

Marguerite

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Fantastic! I'm going in in a week and I'm going to try Duff Man's count to 10 and wiggle my toes also. This tech is a good one and I probably don't even need to worry. I'm going to ask him about the butterfly in the hand -- I've never done that one.

Glad yours went well, Valerie! Yay!!!

Marguerite

Don't forget to drink a glass of water an hour or more beforehand...

 

[kpearse]

I'm a hard stick also. Now I just show them where to hit me on my arm, I'm always right. You should see some of the looks I get. lol

 

[Cozycat]

Yep, my vote goes for lots of water beforehand and doing something with your toes. I have never tried wiggling them but I do clench mine as tight as possible before getting stuck and it seems to work. Rarely takes more than one stick. And the butterfly needles make it lots easier also.

Midge

 

[Kathy McCain]

You know I never had a problem until RIGHT AFTER MY SURGERY. In the hospital, they stuck me sooooo many times, they finally brought the "expert" sticker in the room! (ha) Honestly, the nurses were considering taking blood, from a vein in my leg! By the time I was discharged, both my arms and the back of my hands, where one giant bruise. I healed very quickly though, surprisingly. I agree, believe me they will find a way to get blood out of you. Don't worry about that!

I don't know if it's the meds I take, but they still have a harder time drawing blood from me now. You get used to it.

 

[vhmoriarty]

The morning before I went I drunk about 24oz of water...probally about 6 hours before my labs. Then when the lady was getting everything ready I took a couple deep breaths. Closed my eyes started counting in my head and wiggling my toes...Then she said honey are you okay, and I said yeah Im just kinda scared of needles and Im a hard stick, and she said well Im done....lol.

That was 5 tubes of blood and I had no idea I had been stuck!