I suppose this could have been posted for yesterday’s The Monday Peeve from Paula Light because what I’m about to share with you happened yesterday afternoon. But I was in no mood to write this post yesterday afternoon because I was too pissed off. Look at this picture.
Yes, that’s my arm. The inside of my elbow, actually. And that’s what it looked like when I got home from having an MRI with contrast. Why was I getting an MRI? Well, when I had my annual physical exam — my first “annual” physical exam since 2019 thanks to all this COVID crap — my doctor said that my blood test showed that my PSA count was high. PSA is a protein made by the prostate gland. The amount of PSA may be higher in men who have prostate cancer.
During my physical, my doctor gave me a prostate exam. I won’t get into graphic details, but having a doctor stick his finger up your butt is not only mortifying, it’s very uncomfortable. After completing his finger in my butt exam, he said, “As I thought, your prostate is enlarged and I want you to get an MRI.”
I’m really not worried about having an elevated PSA, nor even about having an enlarged prostate. The prostate is gland about the size and shape of a walnut. It tends to grow larger with age. And I’m an old man. So no big deal. But, it’s also not uncommon for men to develop prostate cancer, which is why my doctor wanted me to get an MRI. You know — just in case.
Anyway, because my doctor wanted the MRI with contrast, they had to put an IV in my arm in order to inject the contrast medium into my bloodstream so that it would show up in the MRI. And having an IV didn’t concern me at all because I have excellent veins.
Whenever I’ve had to have blood drawn, or have donated blood to the Red Cross, or have had IVs before, there’s never been a problem because I have such good veins. Medical technicians have complimented me on my veins. One even told me my veins are “beautiful” and that she wished everyone had veins like mine.
But this guy who tried to find my vein yesterday in order to get the IV in my arm before the MRI was a fucking butcher. He stuck the needle in my arm and was having trouble finding my beautiful vein. So he started moving the needle around, pushing it in further, pulling it out a bit. Then he pulled it out of my arm completely and said he’d try again with a different needle.
Are you fucking kidding me? This can’t be happening. My veins are goddam beautiful. He tried again. And failed again. “Maybe you can see if someone else can properly insert the IV, you fucktard,” I said. (Okay, I didn’t actually say “you fucktard,” but I thought it very loudly).
But he said, “Third time’s a charm,” and went back in. This time he finally succeeded and the MRI proceeded without further incident.
When I got back home and looked at my bruised and bloodied arm, I decided then and there to write an angry post about my trauma. Trauma that should never have happened because I have excellent fucking veins.
This, That, and the Other 
I have rolling veins. I always tell them ahead of time. The good jabbers have no problem and are careful. Then there’s the bad ones. They poke and prod and poke again until another jabber comes in and gets it right the first time. I often have war wounds from my needle experiences. I hope it doesn’t hurt too much today.
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What are rolling veins? Do they move about and try to evade the jabber?
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Yep They start with the needle and the vein rolls away ever so slightly
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Jeez I’d roll away too if I saw a needle coming at me……
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True. Once I knew what was happening my fear of needles lowered. A good nurse knows how to handle it.
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The blood test clinics seem to hit it each time. Probably cos that’s what they’re trained to do and repetition makes perfect……..
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😂
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Soon they’ll be sending you an evaluation form: “how did we do! Let us know!” Well, let them know – send them a copy of this post and the picture and let them know that they did lousily.
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I might just do that, Lou.
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Some of the technicians seem to have a hard time finding the veins, while others have X-ray vision and know just where to stick
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In my experience, there are clinically trained people who know what they’re doing, and there are clinically trained people who truly believe they know what they’re doing and yet are utterly incapable of recognising that they don’t have a clue. What’s even worse is that for some bizarre reason the clinically trained superiors of the latter always just let it slide.
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Fandango you have lovely veins
(And also lovely hairs)
This trauma it was thrust on you..
By your lovely GP…..
I had the same thing happen in emergency. Nurse kept trying first one arm then the other. I suggested maybe a doctor? bingo, first time.
Maybe you had the cleaner?
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I could hardly believe all the uniformed people who came into my room like authorities when my first child was born in a hospital (and they didn’t clarify who they were). Yes, even cleaning ladies!
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You’re right. They don’t introduce themselves and their role in the process. One can only hazard a guess at what the cleaners were there for……
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He must be a newbie! What incompetence
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Ugh. That’s happened to me re the veins, though mine are wily and try to escape the needle. Hoping for good news on the MRI!
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Thanks. Me too!
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Oh that is awful. Only once did I have a fucktardess butcher an IV so bad I passed out. I was livid when I came to. I also have beautiful veins. As for the elevated PSA, I’ll keep you in my happy thoughts. My husband was very young when he had prostate cancer and has been cancer free for 10 years now and I still watch that PSA test like a hawk. I am sure yours is just an elevation and all will be good!
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Thanks. I hope it’s nothing. I’m pretty sure it’s nothing.
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It can go up and down. Your GP will be keeping a close watch on it……
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I had a similar experience and also excellent veins. After three tries the nurse sent in a sure fire guy who finally put in the inside of the lower arm on the side. I’ve never yelled out loud in a doc or hospital but did then.
Sent from my iPhone
>
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You have a much better reason to be pissed. And I was hoping you actually did say “fucktard” out loud. Here is a peeve I have (this is simply an example of the punctuation annoyance):
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/meghan-mccain-says-sen-lindsey-graham-is-not-and-hasnt-been-a-member-of-her-family-for-a-very-long-time/ar-AAQ1gjL
“Lindsey Graham may consider himself a member of my family, but he is not and hasn’t been for a very long time,” McCain tweeted Wednesday morning. “He certainly doesn’t speak for me or my life experiences. Full stop. The media should stop treating him like he is an expert on anything McCain related.”
There should be a hyphen after the last “McCain” in that paragraph (connecting to the word related). As is, it looks like she meant anything [maybe John] McCain conveyed or said.
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Good catch!
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👍🏻
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I hope that it doesn’t turn out to be prostate cancer.
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I’m confident that it won’t be.
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Everyone in the phlebotomy field isn’t “good”. You got one of the idiots, safe to say. I would write that angry letter or text that angry text to whoever is in charge of the unit where you were seen. You’re undoubtedly not the first to get “Mr. Fucktard” and sometimes it takes several people complaining about a tech to get the tech moved to a more suitable job (like working with frozen meat in a butcher shop or something). I’ve met several relatives of your fucktard, and now I’m grouchy if they don’t get it first time out. And I’ll stop them from probing and rooting around inside my flesh as if they’re a vampire on their first kill or something and tell them to go get their supervisor/boss. If that person can’t do the job properly either, then it’s doctor time. The anesthesiologist on my left hip surgery had to put in the IV because nobody could hit a vein, and mine aren’t ‘bad’, they just tend to roll and I bet I’m a lot fatter than you too, so sometimes the fat was a consideration too. After that surgery, aside from my leg being messed up, it looked like someone had beaten me severely top side because of all the hideous bruising I had.
Short version of this comment: My deep sympathies.
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Thanks, Melanie. I am going to give the facility feedback. If they can’t get it right, they shouldn’t be doing it.
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I’ve heard that about politicians……
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I like the “if they don’t get it the first time, make them stop” idea. It’s too painful otherwise. I’m glad you recovered without further incident though. That was just horrible!
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Fan…this is a quote from George, my hubby the RN…”If a nurse or phlebotomist fails to get in the vein on the FIRST stick, do NOT allow them another. Ask for another nurse immediately. THAT arm is a malpractice suit waiting to happen. It’s called un-necessary pain and against the nursing and phlebotomy code.” He also said “if it is cancer it is 100% curable with a day surgery” . Here’s hoping it is simply older age.
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This was literally the first and only time that anyone has had difficulty getting into a vein on the first attempt. And as to the prostate thing, I’m pretty sure my doc was just being cautious and it is simply older age.
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I’m sorry you had such difficulty Fandango, but I’m sure he was doing his best.
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If that was his best, he needs to find another job, don’t you think?
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Every One has bad days
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I have really thin veins so I almost always bruise after having blood taken. So sorry. Ice sometimes helps.
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My wife has thin veins and she hates having blood drawn.
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I love the ‘thinking loudly’ bit – My youngest daughter has a track record of saying the polite bit quietly and the bit that should be quiet out loud… 🙂
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My veins run for cover and are kevlar coated. The nurses always have a problem finding one.
Poor Hubby’s tummy looks like a tear along dotted line at the moment, but luckily the INR is just a thumb prick………. but even then his hands have to be warm!!
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Sheesh…where do you go to get them kevlar coated?
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haha! My body doesn’t give up anything without a fight.
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That is terrible. Would you believe that they did this to my grandbaby when she was 4 months old also. Her arm looked exactly like that, and it swelled so badly. They were supposed to pull the blood from her heel, and instead they hit her with an adult butterfly needle and then dug in her arm like you described. My daughter was furious, called and made a complaint…nothing happened. I’m sorry you went through this. I too have had them pop my vessel like that…it’s not a fun feeling.
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Though your post is about your veins my focus is on the elevated PSA level. Good luck with the results. Closer home it didn’t turn out too well..
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I’m hoping it’s much ado about nothing.
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I hope your vein’s recovering
From trauma put on it
A butcher in extreme was he
Stupid fucktard shit
I’m sharing your anger Fan…..
Little shit……
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That’s really bad. What an amateur. I hope it heals soon. And I wish you well for the result. 🙂
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Thanks, Terveen. The arm is healing and I’m confident in a good result.
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I feel your pain, only 85% of the time do I get a blood draw without some kind of bruise, even when the stick is perfect and painless (and no, I’m not on blood thinners). The IV sticks are the worse. That guy must be a novice.
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I feel your pain, but then I have thin rolling veins that give them troubles so I am no stranger to the “lets twist this needle to find something” method. Hope all else is good!
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wow! that is horrible! I have awful veins. Mine are very thin and they collapse easily. I hate getting iv’s and blood draws for this reason. Xo
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