When you go for a blood test...

[~*Belle 2003*~]

...I have a couple of questions...

do you look when the needle goes in or avert your eyes?

does the nurse/doctor find it hard to locate a vein in the first place?

 

[Dan Murphy]

I usually (not always), don't look. Makes it easier, IMO, as your mind says it is not pleasnat (for most people) to have needles stuck in you. If you are not looking, the needles are so sharp nowadays, you don't feel a think (well, almost). And most of the time, they find a vein okay.

 

[monkeyboy]

no and no

 

[onecoolmama]

They generally look for the best vein first. Then they clean the area they are about to stick and then you look away!

 

[helenabear]

I refuse to look at a needle, ever, that will go in me. That goes for shots, blood being drawn, peircing... any of that, and I tell them too so they dont' go accidentally showing me what they are going to stick me with

As for blood being taken, they haven't had too much trouble finding a vein, on me, as long as they use my left arm.

 

[CEDmom]

No I don't look and yes they do have a hard time finding a vein and tell me all about it which makes me white as a sheet. I've required smelling salts .

 

[luvmydogs]

Oooooo, I love to watch the needle go in! I have a really prominent vein in my left arm that the nurses always use to draw blood, so I've never had a problem. Give me anything with blood, pus or scabs and I'm there!

 

[Kitty 34]

That's funny you asked because my 17 yr old DS just had blood drawn (for the first time) today and we discussed the same thing. He didn't look. I never do!!

The nurse had no problem finding my DS's vein......they sometimes have problems with mine.

 

[PrincessaC]

I have never given blood before. I almost did on Thursday at work. We had a blood drive and the blood mascot came to my desk and talked me into it. She convinced me it would not hurt so I decided to go. When I got downstairs they told me I would have to come back in an hour because they were all full but I got stuck on a call with some customers and never got to make it back down.

Anyways, I have given tubes of blood before for tests and when I was pregnant. I always looked because I want to know when the pinch is coming. The very first time they could not find a vein and poked me a million times! They had to use a butterfly needle. But recently it's been easy for them to find the vein.

 

[PattnFmly]

I'm a wimp. Definitely do not look, even when they are preparing. Have to lie down, and they have to use a butterfly needle. Have passed out twice in those "lock you in chairs" and will never do it again! If they are not equipped to let me lie down, I just leave. How chicken is that?!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I have it done often... I always watch. If they are just taking blood, they can usually do it fairly easily, though my veins do have history of rolling.

When I have my infusions, we really struggle. It takes a bigger vein, with an IV straw, and I have a hard time supporting them. I always watch that, too

 

[ginna74]

I do not look at all!

Well I go to a VA clinic in WI. and there are a lot of "older" women who work in the lab. I say this because it seems that when a couple of them are there they do have a hard time finding my veins or even getting in there without them breaking. I have had MANY huge bruises because of this. I have always been told I have huge veins and normally it doesn't even hurt (show ya how much I get blood work lol).

 

[CamColt]

I dont look because I pass out at the thought of a vein...nevermind seeing a needle go in one, but I do watch when I get shots.

They never have trouble finding my veins. In fact I was once told its too bad that I get queasy and pass out, because I have "great veins".

 

[N.Bailey]

I never look. I think it would hurt more if I did. LOL I have good veins too, so usually it's not a problem finding one. This one time I went however, this nurse (she had to be new) said she couldn't get any blood from me. She yelled at me up one side and down the other telling me how I dehydrated myself and it was MY fault she could not get any blood. I just sat in shock because no one in the medical field had ever spoken to me like she was. Anyway, a bit later another nurse walked into the room, and told me the head nurse was going to try to get my blood. I could sense these two other nurses (not the one who yelled at me) were rolling their eyes at the 1st. I mean, it was intense and I was shocked to be in the middle of it all. Anyway, it took the head nurse about 10 seconds to get the needle in and be finished. They then apologized to me for the other nurse's actions. I never saw her in their office after that visit.

 

[workinggal]

I never look. I'm terrified of it. I can handle shots, but not drawing blood. I have small deep veins. When I had DD, the nurse failed, the doctor failed, and even the anesthesiologist failed getting in my IV. They finally had to call one of the Life Flight guys to do it since they're used to working with collapsed veins. It took 3 1/2 hours! Never again! I won't even donate blood.

 

[pw2pp]

I prefer to draw my own blood myself, it doesn't hurt that way.
I used to be able to do this at work for my mandatory testing (for Health Care workers), but now they make us go to the lab to have it done. Oh, and to answer the question, I look when I draw my own and I don't look when someone else draws it.

 

[preshi]

I can look now because I've had so many. I have good veins and I've never had a problem.

 

[RachelEllen]

I can't look when someone else draws mine or I get really woozy. But I have no trouble drawing someone elses. I don't even have trouble drawing my own, but you get some strange looks at my job if you do that.

Rae

 

[Annette_VA]

Oh, I have to look! I'd much rather watch the needle go in than be surprised.

I am a hard stick, for sure!

When I was in labor w/ my 2nd ds, they had one heck of a time. I had to have hourly blood draws & I was swollen. They were looking everywhere for veins - arms, hands, feet... At one point, they had to get an anesthesiologist to do a draw because no one else could.


Thanks for posting this...it reminded me I need to go donate blood!

 

[mrsstats]

Yes, I look and they only the good ones can find my veins. I have tried every trick in the book to make it easier but never does