Re: NEED FEEDBACK ON FASTING BEFORE BLOOD DRAW

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

I'm surprised to hear that people schedule their blood draws. That's strange to me because no one here does that. You can't schedule. Whethet it's at the doctors or a hospital lab or a private lab; it's walk-in. I have my labs drawn at my group practice, I get their around 10 when it's not quite as busy. Last week I went in for labs on Saturday, I never did that before. I was in and out in 10 minutes, there was only one other patient.

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Seannie · ‎05-19-2010

Have been following this thread. Thanks to y'all for your input. I'm one who dreads blood draws because the turnover is so high at the lab and it is rare to get a tech with more than one month work experience.

Couple that with my tiny veins and I get stuck several times--ugh!

I drink water excessively for two days beforehand--maybe it helps.

Usually my dinner is finished by 6 pm and I usually get my blood drawn around 11 am next day.

Treat myself to a big breakfast with several cups of coffee afterward!

Seannie

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@Seannie wrote:
Have been following this thread. Thanks to y'all for your input. I'm one who dreads blood draws because the turnover is so high at the lab and it is rare to get a tech with more than one month work experience.
Couple that with my tiny veins and I get stuck several times--ugh!
I drink water excessively for two days beforehand--maybe it helps.
Usually my dinner is finished by 6 pm and I usually get my blood drawn around 11 am next day.
Treat myself to a big breakfast with several cups of coffee afterward!

Seannie

@Seannie

Had my appendix out as a teen and they had trouble drawing blood even then. I finally told whoever came in to get blood that they only had ONE CHANCE to put the needle in ... and I think that scared them into being super-careful, but it worked for me.

BTW .... one nurse told me that my veins are what's called a Junkie's Nightmare. Never heard that before ... or since. LOL

hckynutjohn · ‎06-15-2015

@Tinkrbl44

What happens when you need an IV put into your arm? I understand vein issues are a problem for many, and generally get worse with age. I have had a few burst in my hundreds of blood draws and IV's.

Generally speaking, from my extensive experiences with Blood Draws/Blood Transfusions/Iron Infusions/16 Colonoscopies/5 Double Balloon Enteroscopies, and weeks on Heparin! The best in the inserting business, are those in the ER.

Like many things in life I will go with the old saying: "Practice makes perfect(better)". Been in the ER often enough to agree with the above " ".

hckynut 🇺🇸

hckynut(john)

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

Like many things in life I will go with the old saying: "Practice makes perfect(better)".

@hckynutjohn

Trying to remember who said that practice doesn't make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect. LOL

hckynutjohn · ‎06-15-2015

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
Like many things in life I will go with the old saying: "Practice makes perfect(better)".

@hckynutjohn

Trying to remember who said that practice doesn't make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect. LOL

@Tinkrbl44

Guess I shoulda left that saying out. I was wondering if drawing blood is a big problem for you, what is it like when you get an IV put in your arm?

Had many more of both than the average john, and they are nowhere near the same. 1 is an in and out, the other is an IN ONLY.

Heck, I used to tell the Head Phlebotomist, to have his new students practice on me. I was getting blood drawn almost every day.

My rule to them! "If you don't get blood the 1st try, no digging around. Pull it out and hit me again, however many hits it takes".

Now an IV? Just like your blood draws. Get it in 2, or find another person more proficient at hitting the right spot.

hckynut 🇺🇸

hckynut(john)

Jo1313 · ‎02-02-2021

I'm a very hard stick for blood.. Yesterday it took over an hour and a half and 3 lab techs including the supervisior in the hospital lab to get 7 vials of blood.That was the longest.They see my name and I think they would all like to disappear.

As for when I had constant IV for 3 months the had to insert a PICC line..they did that more than once.

Toppers3 · ‎10-25-2016

@hckynutjohn wrote:
@Tinkrbl44

What happens when you need an IV put into your arm? I understand vein issues are a problem for many, and generally get worse with age. I have had a few burst in my hundreds of blood draws and IV's.

Generally speaking, from my extensive experiences with Blood Draws/Blood Transfusions/Iron Infusions/16 Colonoscopies/5 Double Balloon Enteroscopies, and weeks on Heparin! The best in the inserting business, are those in the ER.

Like many things in life I will go with the old saying: "Practice makes perfect(better)". Been in the ER often enough to agree with the above " ".

hckynut 🇺🇸

Hi John,

From my own experience of being in the ER, I think that there's someone on the staff there who is profiecient at blood draws.

In my case, they've had to bring that staff person from the ER to my room when I was an in-patient in order to move my IV line to another place in my arm since it would either start leaking or cause swelling where it was located, etc.

Sometimes in my case they've brought in a portable ultrasound machine in order to help locate a vein for an IV if they have too much trouble trying to find a vein without the ultrasound.

More often than not, they usually bring in the ultrasound when I need an IV line as an in-patient.

hckynutjohn · ‎06-15-2015

Hi back to you @Toppers3

My wife had that similar issue with the IV insertions. Over years prior to many of her 13 surgeries, I kept telling her "drink more water", over and over. After the first few surgeries, and needing that Ultrasound to do it. She finally decided to start drinking more, and it made a big difference in the later IV insertions.

Much of my days/weeks and month+ in the hospital, were the early 2000's up to 2016. Back then it was required to change the IV every 72 hours. Going good and flushing them wasn't enough. No leaks no nothing, every 3 days, put in a new IV.

Fortunately on my long stays, there was 1 nurse that was great at doing this on the Heart Floor, but! The nurses were working the 12 hour days, 3 days a week, so! Back then the rooms were not private, so even when she was working, she wasn't always my nurse.

Anyways I am familiar with the Ultrasound because of my wife's experiences, I have never needed it to have mine inserted. I did however have many that had a tough time, and my arms have the scars to show it.

Most of my in-patient time I was having blood drawn either every 6 or 8 hours. My longer stays were for my bleeding Colon, so they wanted my Hemoglobin checked often. If not my Colon it was for the PE, 2 long stays. Then they were checking my INR/ProTime, at least every 12 hours.

Believe me, over the years between an in-patient and an Out-patient, I knew about every Phlebotomist working at the hospital.

hckynut 🇺🇸

hckynut(john)

fairydogmother · ‎03-10-2010

My internist is part of a huge clinic with numerous medical specialties, lab, xray, nuclear medicine you name it. When my doc orders labs for me, to be done a week prior to every exam, the lab gives the option of walk-in or by appt. The issue is, everyone who's fasting wants the earliest possible appointment. Currently my lab is booked out three months for any appt earlier than 1130! Which doesn't work with what my doctor ordered. So my next bloodwork will be the first come first served plan

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