I hate getting blood drawn ...

[scooperhsd]

No, it's not just that I don't like needles.

Most places have a hard time getting it out of me. My veins (in the back of my hands) are easy enough to see and try to stick. The problem is that I clot QUICK - as in - in the needle quick. I've been known to clot in a butterfly needle before they got all the blood drawn out that they needed. I rarely need a bandaid after they're done - I've stopped bleeding already.

The last time I gave blood was in 1990 (Gulf War I) - they had to stick me 3 times to get ONE unit out. After that, it's been thanks but no thanks. And I'm right next to being a universal donor (O+).

[csj]

When we go to give blood, we say 'Hey honey, I'm going to the Vampires.'

[Serk]

I just don't like needles.....

As in in lieu of college my parents were going to pay for me to go through flight school all the way to commercial pilot so I could make piloting my career...

I did the shake out flight, (Loved it!), the initial paperwork, book work, etc then was told (Which I now hear might be incorrect) I would need to have a blood draw for the FAA medical.

I dropped my dream of being a pilot right then and there over that blood draw.

[Tx Bohemian]

No, it's not just that I don't like needles.

Most places have a hard time getting it out of me. My veins (in the back of my hands) are easy enough to see and try to stick. The problem is that I clot QUICK - as in - in the needle quick. I've been known to clot in a butterfly needle before they got all the blood drawn out that they needed. I rarely need a bandaid after they're done - I've stopped bleeding already.

The last time I gave blood was in 1990 (Gulf War I) - they had to stick me 3 times to get ONE unit out. After that, it's been thanks but no thanks. And I'm right next to being a universal donor (O+).

Me too. Once, a few years ago, they had to "milk" the line to clear the blood so more would flow to get the required amount, but it was clotting in the needle itself. Eventually they got enough after quite a long time and a few different techs working on it.

I was told to drink water and take an aspirin before giving, it thins the blood. So far that has worked (with A- blood I'm called/asked to give every 10 weeks).

However that doesn't help if the "sticker" can't get the needle in the proper place in the vein, and has to maneuver it around, or stick it multiple times...

[scooperhsd]

I take a low dose asprin EVERY NIGHT (without fail) to lessen the chances of a stroke happening... so far, so good..

[Jess from VA]

I had my blood drawn many times for physicals and tests, and I donated a pint a number of times, and a good phlebotomist (needle poker) almost always got a vein easy, right away first stick.  

I've had a lot of shots too, including once on a mobility team deployment over to the middle east after I just got back from two tours over there, so all of them were expired and I had to get all of them again, and all at one time, and I passed out on my ass and slobbered on myself.  One of those was a gun which tore my arm.  But I didn't pass out from the needles, it was the yellow fever (both halves), tetanus, malaria, DPT and others hitting my heart at the same time.  And then they changed their mind, and I didn't have to deploy after all.    (and many more sticks after that)

I don't love needles, and I don't watch them stick me, but it had never been any big deal.  

However, the (very) last time I had my blood drawn for a routine physical (1992?), I got really really shocky and sick, right on the edge of passing out, turned pure white, big blood pressure drop, and it felt like I was dying.  I got a good first stick OK, it was just the needle in my arm and flowing blood.  It was real early in the morning, and NPO for 12 hours (except water), and I was still sleepy.  But holy sh!t it scared the hell out of me; it was the worst feeling I ever had in my whole life.  I'd been shocky before from cutting a finger off, but nothing like this.  They laid me down, and finished the blood draw, and I came back to not dying after about 2-3 minutes (but still very ill).  They accused me of needle aversion and I said no never before. I went back to work, but had to go home for the day.

So I have had no occasion to give blood since that last time, and I'm keeping it that way.  My confident self tells me I should be able to do this like 50 times before, but I don't ever want to feel like I'm dying like that again.  I will if I have to.  What a pussy.  

I'm also a universal donor O+.  (it says so on my dog tags)

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

I never had any problems getting blood drawn or a booster shot until I enlisted. At my physical, which happened at the MEPS center in Boston, the blood draw area was a bunch of school-type desks, to which they strapped your arms to; one to the desk and the other to the chair leg. Presumably so you don't take a swing at the person taking your blood. Obviously untrained in any capacity, I was stabbed in the arm somewhere between 10 and 20 times before they found blood. I've had a "problem" with needles since. It's pretty OK these days. I don't look, and we're good. Thankfully, my PCP's office has their own phlebotomist, and she rocks. Still don't care for it, but when you have to, you have to.

[scooperhsd]

Yeah, both the wife and me were at our Dr's office for diabetic blood work / cholesteral. Neither of us is particularly easy - her veins are hard to poke into, but me ... To be fair we warned the blood drawer that we were both hard sticks (especially me)

[John Schmidt]

I don't like it on the back of my hand or in the wrist area. Just a bit painful there, otherwise when they ask which arm I tell them I have two....your choice but you only get one chance. There's been times when they look at me and call someone else in, apparently knowing they're not that good. Generally I'm not bothered by it but wouldn't want to go through the line-up for shots again when in boot camp. For the next 3-4 days I was doing push-ups a half dozen times a day, myself and a couple others did it and were the only ones in the entire barracks with little to no side effects. It hurt, having rec'd. as many as 5 shots in each arm, but the exercise minimized it even though that also hurt the first couple days. The guys that never had a smallpox vaccination suffered the most. Mine didn't even turn red but some looked like they had a goose egg under the skin and a huge sore on the surface. The DI's showed no mercy. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

I've always been lucky. My veins evidently are big and flowing. My wife on the other hand is heartless, which results in tiny veins that are hard to access.  I realized at an early age that I didn't want to watch that stuff. At 14 I crashed my Suzuki 90 trying to jump a downed tree. They had to operate on my knee. The doctor told me I could watch if I wanted to. I'll never do that again ! Although I was numbed up and didn't feel a thing, watching them slice me open was not for me. I make it a point to look away when getting a shot or giving blood. I also don't watch that stuff on TV. My wife loves it. (I told you she is heartless) 

[cookiedough]

I think we have a bunch of wussies on here giving blood,  myself included.  I look away every single time getting a blood draw which is like once every 3-5 years I go see a dr.  I avoid going all together to be honest until the wife nags me to go every few years or so.

As far as blood clotting, drink 4-5 (or more) glasses of water that morning and take baby aspirin daily for a long while (say 1 month or more) before having to give blood,  that might help a some.   What do I know though I do not go to drs. much....

[Rams]

Interesting responses.

Last time I checked, (IIRC) I was just short of having given 9 gallons over my life span.   Always to the Red Cross.   Was first in line at the Morgantown Inzane to give although, I'm not sure that was Red Cross.   Doesn't matter, it doesn't hurt that much and it's a good thing to do.   I may need someone else's donation someday.

Getting stuck isn't a big deal to me either.   I always watch and usually tell them which vein I prefer them to stick.   

Just saw a request on television say the Red Cross supply is way down and requesting donors come in.
Will look to see where, I'm new to this area.

Rams

[old2soon]

       At my V A clinic in West Plains Mo. Vampira as we call her has a danged good touch on the blood draw. Have NO idea how long she's been doing this but she are GOOD at her job. She also gives the shots. Again GOOD at her job.
       When I've had the different surgeries over the years and they've put the I V in on the hand even after It's been in awhile it do bother me. Guess I'm a wuss with the needle in my paw. 
        Feb 1964 AFES in Chicago. Cattle call for all the services pre induction physical. After going thru all the other indignities it's time to draw the gallon of blood. Got those long cafeteria style tables and each table has 5 or 6 blocks with the raised back side towards you and the downhill slope towards the guy drawing blood. He reaches into a stainless steel pan full of glass syringes with long needles and a spoon shaped pointy end on it. Wraps that rubber hose around my bicep and tells me to pump my fist couple times. Two finger tap on the vein in the crook of my elbow. Pokes the needle in-I felt it go in-starts the blood draw and when done goes to extract the needle. The needle is NOT coming out. He tries 2 or 3 more times then hollers-who didn't sterilize these needles? A Doctor comes over-a Real Doctor-and gets the bandage ready puts a little nick in the skin close to the needle and removes needle and wraps bandage around my arm quickly. This was Before disposable needles.  Fun and games at AFES.
        Fast forward couple weeks to Boot. More shots and the air gun. Guy in front of me a man of color and looked like a body builder. I clearly hear the corpsman tell this guy to relax-he tells everybody to relax-corpsman puts the gun to the guys right bicep as he pulls the trigger the guy tenses or flexes and jerks and i see his bicep get torn. Another corpsman wraps a bandage around the guys bicep stretcher bearers take the guy away-surgery I found out later-corpsman changes guns swabs me down picks up the gun tells me to relax and I became almost boneless. BUT my bicep did leak a bit but it weren't torn open. And after my RAG outfit in San Diego more shots needed for going overseas.  And when i was stationed overseas boosters were of course needed or mandated or both. O K-done fer now.  RIDE SAFE.

[0leman]

I am one of the lucky one's, have veins like fire hoses.  Easy to find and stick.   I do have to have blood drawn every year as my thyroid quit working some 25 years ago and need doc to renew my prescription.   Watch the vampire draw stick me an draw out the blood.  No problems.

My wife on the other hand, has small veins and it does take a bit for her to get blood drawn.

[DirtyDan]

Just an FYI FWIW.......

Imagine two first year medical students doing their first spinal tap ever.......

On YOU !!!

I had to throw them out of the room

Dan

[Willow]

I hate having blood extracted unexpectedly.

A quote from the law officer first on scene - "He kept trying to turn over but I was afraid he would drown in the blood."

Sticking a needle into my arm or hand draws no fear from me.

[Serk]

In my defense, i think I know where my phobia of needles comes from. Ya' know the military gun for small pox inoculations, that once it touches skin it shoots out multiple needles at once to do the deed?

Most people my age or younger don't have smallpox scars, I was around 18 months old when I got one, as we were deploying overseas for the military.

As a wiggling 18(ish) month old child, getting the shot by a military trained technician who was used to wiggling 18 year olds, I ended up getting it done 7 times. To this day I've got those 7 scars on my arm.

Thinking that might have something to do with my paranoia about needles.....

(Although I have kinda gotten over it, I volunteered to work in Africa a little over a decade ago, knowing that would require a bevy of injections to do...)