You want to know how I know that you did a shit job?

[xSweetTartx]

Because my arm isn't supposed to look like this! I've had blood taken many times during my pregnancy and this is the first time this has happened. I didn't pay much attention to it earlier because it was still bandaged. I took the bandage off to reveal a rather intense bruise and it's swollen!

I remember earlier that I felt the jab was very rough and the removal was rather crude as well but I figured I was just being paranoid because I hate needles.

Anyone else experience a mean vampire after having plenty of pleasant experiences with other techs? This may be a silly question, but should I be concerned?

It's darker in person by the way. Bad cell picture.

 

[ShakeItBaby1]

Holy smokes! I would definitely be irritated!

I hate people drawing my blood. I have rolling veins, and most people (even RN's!) literally DIG in my vein. When I tell them it hurts, they ignore me. I've even had one tell me, "I know what I'm doing, okay? It'll be done in a minute." Um - rude much?! Not to mention, when I was donating blood - the lady went THROUGH my vein and I literally had a bruise at least 6 inches on my arm! It was terrible. I'd keep an eye on it, but most likely it's just from them man handling your poor arm!

 

[xSweetTartx]

Holy smokes! I would definitely be irritated!

I hate people drawing my blood. I have rolling veins, and most people (even RN's!) literally DIG in my vein. When I tell them it hurts, they ignore me. I've even had one tell me, "I know what I'm doing, okay? It'll be done in a minute." Um - rude much?! Not to mention, when I was donating blood - the lady went THROUGH my vein and I literally had a bruise at least 6 inches on my arm! It was terrible. I'd keep an eye on it, but most likely it's just from them man handling your poor arm!

Holy moo, I think I'd have slapped them after if they had been so verbally rude! My goodness.

I've started to ice it but I'm not sure how much good it'll do after this long. I wish I had checked on it earlier.

 

[ShakeItBaby1]

Holy smokes! I would definitely be irritated!

I hate people drawing my blood. I have rolling veins, and most people (even RN's!) literally DIG in my vein. When I tell them it hurts, they ignore me. I've even had one tell me, "I know what I'm doing, okay? It'll be done in a minute." Um - rude much?! Not to mention, when I was donating blood - the lady went THROUGH my vein and I literally had a bruise at least 6 inches on my arm! It was terrible. I'd keep an eye on it, but most likely it's just from them man handling your poor arm!

Holy moo, I think I'd have slapped them after if they had been so verbally rude! My goodness.

I've started to ice it but I'm not sure how much good it'll do after this long. I wish I had checked on it earlier.

It'll help with the swelling, even if it's a few hours afterwards. There's not really too much you can do about the bruising. That'll probably take a few days to go away. I can agree with you, they did do a shit job!

 

[LaraSue]

Ouch!

These people draw blood all day every day. They're so used to people griping about it that they don't even hear it anymore. They just roll their eyes and move on. No excuse though, they do need to remember they're sticking a human, not an orange!!!!

 

[ShakeItBaby1]

Ouch!

These people draw blood all day every day. They're so used to people griping about it that they don't even hear it anymore. They just roll their eyes and move on. No excuse though, they do need to remember they're sticking a human, not an orange!!!!

Agreed! They have no consideration that there's a NEEDLE going into your VEIN, and if they mess up it hurts!

I've gotten to the point I TELL people: 1) It's extremely hard to draw my blood as they roll, and you can barely see them even with a tourniquet. 2) If they can't get me by the second stick, they need to find someone else who can do it. I'm not putting myself through trial & error!

 

[SloppyJoe]

Happens to me every time! But I have those "rolling veins" and they "blow out" too..I don't gripe about it but it does hurt And then theres a nice looking bruise that lasts for like two weeks and makes me look like I shoot up. Weee. Lol.

 

[JessPape]

I'm a hard person to get blood work done from, normally I tell them to do it from my hand. last time I forgot lol, and I had a bruise going half way up my forearm, midwife figured they may have collapse the vein in my arm, so she said not to allow any blood work from that arm for 3-6 months.

 

[krys]

Just apply pressure next time!
No one should be fishing in your veins, to the above poster. I'd definitely say something if they tried. I'm certified in phlebotomy and we were taught never to fish. If your veins roll, they should still be able to anchor it well enough to get it done. Especially if you warn them ahead of time!

 

[Beadle]

I had this issue a few months ago when I had my blood drawn for my sequential screen, I had a different tech than I had been with for previous draws and this one damaged the crap out of my vein. She couldn't find it right away and instead of taking the needle out and trying it again she wiggled it around in my arm until she nicked the side of the vein and then when the blood was flowing slowly she squeezed my vein to get it flowing faster, then practically ripped it out. I had a nasty bruise starting where she stuck me and stretching a good 3 inches down my arm, following my vein and took almost 2 weeks to heal. I actually have a scar now where she stuck me =/ I swear they really need to require more training before allowing their techs to handle such delicate areas.

 

[xSweetTartx]

It'll help with the swelling, even if it's a few hours afterwards. There's not really too much you can do about the bruising. That'll probably take a few days to go away. I can agree with you, they did do a shit job!

The swelling went down a little but the color today is nearly black. e.e It's extremely sensitive to touch as well. I honestly feel like being a baby today and just do errands rather than clean the house.

Husband was shaking his head before he left for work this morning. I was being overly dramatic of course, "I'm dyyyiiinnnggg! It's going to fall off!"

 

[xSweetTartx]

I had this issue a few months ago when I had my blood drawn for my sequential screen, I had a different tech than I had been with for previous draws and this one damaged the crap out of my vein. She couldn't find it right away and instead of taking the needle out and trying it again she wiggled it around in my arm until she nicked the side of the vein and then when the blood was flowing slowly she squeezed my vein to get it flowing faster, then practically ripped it out. I had a nasty bruise starting where she stuck me and stretching a good 3 inches down my arm, following my vein and took almost 2 weeks to heal. I actually have a scar now where she stuck me =/ I swear they really need to require more training before allowing their techs to handle such delicate areas.

She just wiggled it around?! I would have been furious! If you ever see her walking into the room again while you're waiting for blood work, I'd inform her that she is not going anywhere near your veins! Ever!

 

[DebbieF]

This happens to me only when a certain nurse takes my blood. I am going to request she not take it anymore. I seriously think she does it on purpose..

 

[Estesbaby]

That happened to me after my 2nd HCG draw. I have bad veins, but I have one that they can always get a good flow out of it, and it's easy for them to get to, but the lady that did my second draw didn't listen to me and I ended up with a huge bruise halfway up my arm and it was swollen. The bruise lasted well over a week and it was huge. I was so mad!

 

[randomrach]

My veins are notoriously 'difficult' all techs seem to have problems with them. Last year my midwife took the later bloods and had so much trouble I ended up stabbed in both arms, had some lovely bruises. Not looking forward to the midwives taking my blood again in a few weeks, don't think they're as experienced as the hospital. Wishing you a speedy recovery

 

[Srrme]

My arm looked worse than that when I had my blood taken during my first pregnancy. I didn't think the Nurse was that rough but my arm looked terrible afterward.

 

[Beadle]

I had this issue a few months ago when I had my blood drawn for my sequential screen, I had a different tech than I had been with for previous draws and this one damaged the crap out of my vein. She couldn't find it right away and instead of taking the needle out and trying it again she wiggled it around in my arm until she nicked the side of the vein and then when the blood was flowing slowly she squeezed my vein to get it flowing faster, then practically ripped it out. I had a nasty bruise starting where she stuck me and stretching a good 3 inches down my arm, following my vein and took almost 2 weeks to heal. I actually have a scar now where she stuck me =/ I swear they really need to require more training before allowing their techs to handle such delicate areas.

She just wiggled it around?! I would have been furious! If you ever see her walking into the room again while you're waiting for blood work, I'd inform her that she is not going anywhere near your veins! Ever!

Yeah she kept wiggling it back and forth saying she couldn't get a good flow. Luckily I didn't have to have any blood drawn again after that, other than GD but that was at a different building, so I never had to worry about it. I want to even know how she had an issue, I have amazing veins, every time I've gone in for blood work or a donation the nurses love me because it's so easy to find my veins, I've got a big ol' blue line running from my elbow and partially down my forearm before disappearing so it's not like she couldn't find it =/

 

[LilC]

I have a similar experience but when I was still back in Japan. They cannot draw blood from my left arm and I was in pain. I told the tech it was hurting and she can probably see that I was sweating and went pale lol. She called like the head tech and had to draw blood from my other arm. I always warn the tech when they draw blood. They took blood from the hand twice but last time this really cool guy said he probably can find and draw blood easy. He was right but I still get scared from time to time lol.

 

[xSweetTartx]

Yeah she kept wiggling it back and forth saying she couldn't get a good flow. Luckily I didn't have to have any blood drawn again after that, other than GD but that was at a different building, so I never had to worry about it. I want to even know how she had an issue, I have amazing veins, every time I've gone in for blood work or a donation the nurses love me because it's so easy to find my veins, I've got a big ol' blue line running from my elbow and partially down my forearm before disappearing so it's not like she couldn't find it =/

Wow. It's pretty impressive to fail so horribly at it when you have wonderful veins.

It's actually a little funny that the tech who messed up my arm said the same thing. I have extremely pale skin and bright blue veins and she made a comment on how nice they were. Not that it matters if she was just going to jam the needle in there.

 

[xSweetTartx]

I have a similar experience but when I was still back in Japan. They cannot draw blood from my left arm and I was in pain. I told the tech it was hurting and she can probably see that I was sweating and went pale lol. She called like the head tech and had to draw blood from my other arm. I always warn the tech when they draw blood. They took blood from the hand twice but last time this really cool guy said he probably can find and draw blood easy. He was right but I still get scared from time to time lol.

At least she went to get someone else!
I can't blame you for being scared, it must be a bit traumatizing.