Any bad vein tric

always · October 2009

Any bad vein tricks?

My veins blow the minute they start to pull out blood, or flush to inject any contrast materials. Seriously, I look worse than any street junkie. They try and try one test after another. Then they do the test without contrast and it isn't what the oncologist needs. I have to get some contrast in my veins on Thursday. The only plan that has been given me was 2 1/2 gallons of water to drink today and tomorrow. That is because I complained that they can't tell someone to fast and not drink and expect to get a hydrated vein. My veins are teeny tiny!

Any advise?

tgf · October 2009

port
I may have missed some of your other posts ...but has your oncologist suggested a port? In my opinion the person who invented the port was a genius. I know I couldn't have handled chemo or blood draws without my port. I just can't take the poking and prodding looking for a good vein. I'm a big chicken and I know I would have spent the entire time either hysterical of passed out.

I LOVE MY PORT!

hugs.
teena

MyTurnNow · October 2009

I had my chemo treatments
I had my chemo treatments through my veins versus a port. They did tell me to drink plenty of water and no caffine prior to the infusions. They said the caffine constricts the veins. Not sure if this will help but thought I'd share it. Best of luck to you!

always · October 2009

tgf said:
port
I may have missed some of your other posts ...but has your oncologist suggested a port? In my opinion the person who invented the port was a genius. I know I couldn't have handled chemo or blood draws without my port. I just can't take the poking and prodding looking for a good vein. I'm a big chicken and I know I would have spent the entire time either hysterical of passed out.

I LOVE MY PORT!

hugs.
teena

I have a port
I had a port put in one week ago. It is still very painful....but that is another story. The won't use the port for any of these tests. They just say they can't. My oncologists office just says they can't. I see the surgeon for post op follow up on Wednesday so I will be asking about the pain and the use. And the test that they have to get this done at is one floor away from the oncologist so I will not leave on Thursday until someone gets this done right. I just want to do whatever I can to speed this up. Other tests and a possible liver biopsy are pending on this and I just want to get through diagnosis and to treatments. This is torture.

tgf · October 2009

MyTurnNow said:
I had my chemo treatments
I had my chemo treatments through my veins versus a port. They did tell me to drink plenty of water and no caffine prior to the infusions. They said the caffine constricts the veins. Not sure if this will help but thought I'd share it. Best of luck to you!

Always
While I was having one of my first few chemo treatments I asked the nurse "hooking me up" if the port could be used for "just about anything" ... like any kind of an emergency that would send me to the hospital and she said it COULD BE ... but the only problem is that some nurses are not that familiar or comfortable using the port for blood draws because they don't do it that often ... or something like that. Unlike the chemo infusions nurses who use those "port needels" all of the time ... maybe the nurses on that other floor just aren't comfortable drawing blood using the port. Maybe you could have the chemo nurse do the blood draw.

Glad you're going to check it out ... because if you've got a port ... I can't imagine why they can't be using it for your blood draws. That's part of the reason the port is there ... for infusions ... AND ... blood draws.

good luck.

hugs.
teens

always · October 2009

tgf said:
Always
While I was having one of my first few chemo treatments I asked the nurse "hooking me up" if the port could be used for "just about anything" ... like any kind of an emergency that would send me to the hospital and she said it COULD BE ... but the only problem is that some nurses are not that familiar or comfortable using the port for blood draws because they don't do it that often ... or something like that. Unlike the chemo infusions nurses who use those "port needels" all of the time ... maybe the nurses on that other floor just aren't comfortable drawing blood using the port. Maybe you could have the chemo nurse do the blood draw.

Glad you're going to check it out ... because if you've got a port ... I can't imagine why they can't be using it for your blood draws. That's part of the reason the port is there ... for infusions ... AND ... blood draws.

good luck.

hugs.
teens

thanks teens
Teens,

I think you are right that they are unfamiliar. I think it might have to do with the types of contrast they are wanting to put in my body. Maybe the dyes and radioactive materials can't go near the port or in the port. I will be asking.

thanks again.

VickiSam · October 2009

always said:
thanks teens
Teens,

I think you are right that they are unfamiliar. I think it might have to do with the types of contrast they are wanting to put in my body. Maybe the dyes and radioactive materials can't go near the port or in the port. I will be asking.

thanks again.

always .. I too am one of the few that has trouble
with my port .. 2 infections since 9/8. My veins are blowned due to IVF procedues several years before .. breast cancer.

However, I have had 7 chemo treatments using my bum port - located inside my upper arm, not chest area and while it is painful - there is no unnecceary poking and sticking of any needles. Ports are wonderful when inserted correctly.

I can't imagine any onc group that is not familiar with Ports .. Perhaps your group is new
never the less - Get onc doctor and senior staff involved .. This sounds a little strange to me, and beleive me when I say .. I know strange and ugly -- I've had several reactions, eposides that my onc group has never had to deal with before - and they have been in business for over 25 years.

Catscan and bone scan tech's used veins and not my port for radioactive materials testing.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Prayers and strength to you.

VickiSam

tommaseena · October 2009

VickiSam said:
always .. I too am one of the few that has trouble
with my port .. 2 infections since 9/8. My veins are blowned due to IVF procedues several years before .. breast cancer.

However, I have had 7 chemo treatments using my bum port - located inside my upper arm, not chest area and while it is painful - there is no unnecceary poking and sticking of any needles. Ports are wonderful when inserted correctly.

I can't imagine any onc group that is not familiar with Ports .. Perhaps your group is new
never the less - Get onc doctor and senior staff involved .. This sounds a little strange to me, and beleive me when I say .. I know strange and ugly -- I've had several reactions, eposides that my onc group has never had to deal with before - and they have been in business for over 25 years.

Catscan and bone scan tech's used veins and not my port for radioactive materials testing.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Prayers and strength to you.

VickiSam

My port
My port is used for blood draws and treatment but when they do my echocardiogram and I have blood draw the same day they have used my port for that since I have been poked already. I don't know about other tests like ct-scan with contrast.

Hugs,
Margo

always · October 2009

tommaseena said:
My port
My port is used for blood draws and treatment but when they do my echocardiogram and I have blood draw the same day they have used my port for that since I have been poked already. I don't know about other tests like ct-scan with contrast.

Hugs,
Margo

Update
Ok so they are going to use the port tomorrow for inserting contrast for CT because the last 4 tests that the Onc wanted contrast did not get done with contrast because the techs could not get the contrast in without blowing my veins. This only happened after I insisted someone tell be why they couldn't use the port.

tgf · October 2009

always said:
Update
Ok so they are going to use the port tomorrow for inserting contrast for CT because the last 4 tests that the Onc wanted contrast did not get done with contrast because the techs could not get the contrast in without blowing my veins. This only happened after I insisted someone tell be why they couldn't use the port.

update
Thanks for the update. Let us know how things go at your appointment.

hugs.
teena

chenheart · October 2009

always said:
thanks teens
Teens,

I think you are right that they are unfamiliar. I think it might have to do with the types of contrast they are wanting to put in my body. Maybe the dyes and radioactive materials can't go near the port or in the port. I will be asking.

thanks again.

I also had a port and it was
I also had a port and it was a life /time saver! I had all of my chemo and any blood draws done through the port as well. I am not sure about the contrast mediums; I don't recall having that done during the time I had the port. I don't know how close you are to your lab/cancer center ( mine was in the same building, just separated by 2 floors) but if you are close, I would ask if labs etc could be drawn by the chemo RNs who are most familiar with ports and taken to the lab from the cancer center...just a thought!

Hugs,
Chen♥

CypressCynthia · October 2009

veins
Ask if they can use a smaller gauge catheter or even a butterfly. That might help.

tasha_111 · October 2009

CypressCynthia said:
veins
Ask if they can use a smaller gauge catheter or even a butterfly. That might help.

Didn't have a Port
I had a Picc, My veins collapse at the thought of a needle. The Picc failed regularly, I had to have s shot of 'Draino' to unbung it. It failed completely on the last chemo and I had to have an IV............The first time I cried. Hugs Jxxxxxxxxx

Any bad vein tric

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