Bad Veins

disneyfan2008
disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
I have always had terrible veins to get IV started or blood work. NOW down to one arm since Lymph nodes removed. ONCE they get blood flowing it's very very slow and then stops often.

Just curious who else has this issue? (I inhertite my mom veins)

Denise

I would donate if easy to get and fast to get...but I"D be there for days for ONE doantion.

Comments

  • tufi000
    tufi000 Member Posts: 745 Member
    #2
    here too
    I have always had this problem but docs always found a way to solve it. I didn't even have a port for chemo and when I had the 14 hour surgery followed by 3 days of IV antibiotics followed by 6 weeks of self injections on a 24/7 schedule, they put in some thing with a hyphenated name, not a port. I , too am down to one vein in my hand. It has been almost 10 years and have not had any bad experiences. The best to you. Just be adamant with anesthesiologists when having surgeries not to try to move the site after you are out, it won't work and I woke up once.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
    I'm SLOW!
    Yeah - I'm slow to give up my blood - usually takes me twice as long to give a unit. Long story short - many years ago when I was being a bit slower than usual for me even, the Nun doing it looked at me and said "It's good to take a long time! If you ever get in a bad wreck or hurt bad you'll bleed to death slowly so there's time for rescue to get to you before you do." Maybe it looses something in the tellling after all the years but I thought it was funny at the time.

    I have been told often that when donating it's better to be slow than fast. Your body has more time to adjust to the change in volumn.. Don't really know but I know I never have 'problems' but I have seen men who were started after I was and done long before me get up and hit the floor.

    What does seem to help me a bit when donating is to continue squeezing the ball they give you throughout the donation, not just until the needle is put in.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan

    (Perhaps I misunderstood the OP - I thought the OP was about donating blood , not blood draws. Sorry.
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #4
    Rague said:

    I'm SLOW!
    Yeah - I'm slow to give up my blood - usually takes me twice as long to give a unit. Long story short - many years ago when I was being a bit slower than usual for me even, the Nun doing it looked at me and said "It's good to take a long time! If you ever get in a bad wreck or hurt bad you'll bleed to death slowly so there's time for rescue to get to you before you do." Maybe it looses something in the tellling after all the years but I thought it was funny at the time.

    I have been told often that when donating it's better to be slow than fast. Your body has more time to adjust to the change in volumn.. Don't really know but I know I never have 'problems' but I have seen men who were started after I was and done long before me get up and hit the floor.

    What does seem to help me a bit when donating is to continue squeezing the ball they give you throughout the donation, not just until the needle is put in.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan

    (Perhaps I misunderstood the OP - I thought the OP was about donating blood , not blood draws. Sorry.

    90% of the time THEY USE
    90% of the time THEY USE back on my boney hand for blood and IVs...

    years ago I used to get so whooozy because they would go back and fourth and back and fouth between two arms...

    Denise
  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    #5
    Topic
    http://csn.cancer.org/node/241848

    The post was MissRenee with a subject heading "Had the PET scan yesterday, now I look like a Heroin addict!"

    The topic about hard to find veins was written about quite a lot. Basically, is drink lots of water prior to going. That is what I do now for blood, or for IV contrast. I drink at least 24 oz.

    Doris
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #6
    My veins are a mess. And I
    My veins are a mess. And I can only use the one arm.

    Hydration is essential. It has saved me many times.

    Lifting light weights can really help too. I did this when I was getting my monthly infusions and I suddenly had a few more large veins pop up. And believe me, I'm not talking major weights...lol. I'm a wimp--just started to lift 10-20 lbs at the gym. My infusion nurses agreed that it was really helpful.
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #7
    CypressCynthia said:

    My veins are a mess. And I
    My veins are a mess. And I can only use the one arm.

    Hydration is essential. It has saved me many times.

    Lifting light weights can really help too. I did this when I was getting my monthly infusions and I suddenly had a few more large veins pop up. And believe me, I'm not talking major weights...lol. I'm a wimp--just started to lift 10-20 lbs at the gym. My infusion nurses agreed that it was really helpful.

    hard part if for precedures
    hard part if for precedures can't drink for hours prior...

    Denise
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #8
    disneyfan2008 said:

    hard part if for precedures
    hard part if for precedures can't drink for hours prior...

    Denise

    If you can't drink for hours
    If you can't drink for hours prior, make sure you are well hydrated the day before. Drink at least a liter the day before. What you don't want to be is dehydrated, because veins collapse and are so very difficult to access.

    When we have a baby come in with dehydration, he/she is an impossible stick. We go for whatever is most likely to work. After a few hours of IV fluids, any vein will work. It makes a huge difference!
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #9
    CypressCynthia said:

    If you can't drink for hours
    If you can't drink for hours prior, make sure you are well hydrated the day before. Drink at least a liter the day before. What you don't want to be is dehydrated, because veins collapse and are so very difficult to access.

    When we have a baby come in with dehydration, he/she is an impossible stick. We go for whatever is most likely to work. After a few hours of IV fluids, any vein will work. It makes a huge difference!

    I go for annual colonscopy
    I go for annual colonscopy and I get so sick and dehydrated from prep...once I get IV started with in half hour back to normal. This year I prepped and not cleaned out all the way..I begged them to do test next am since part way there they said no...so scheduled it week later...prep was so bad...SO VERY VERY sick I though the towel in middle of night and ate something..first time in 20 yrs I have not had it...they keep sending me letters to make appt..i wish they could do IV prep (in my dreams)

    Thanks for the info Cynthia

    Denise
  • DebbyM
    DebbyM Member Posts: 3,289 Member
    #10
    disneyfan2008 said:

    90% of the time THEY USE
    90% of the time THEY USE back on my boney hand for blood and IVs...

    years ago I used to get so whooozy because they would go back and fourth and back and fouth between two arms...

    Denise

    I have one good vein on my
    I have one good vein on my good arm and if they blow that, they have to use my hand, which I hate. Never let them use the arm that you had lymph nodes taken from.

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