WTH was that??....First time in 25 years that

[Stanley Steamer]

that had ever happened to me......Gave blood this evening and it didn't end like I thought it would

Things you never want to hear the Red Cross worker say as she's taking your blood....."I've never seen/felt that before"....as the needle in your arm vibrates very fast and painfully....she only got one test tube filled when the needle started vibrating....

She had the needle in too deep when she first stuck me.....and had to get another worker to come get the blood flowing properly....was a little slow at first, but it finished up ok.....the problem was when she went to fill the 4-5 test tubes for testing at the end.....the first one filled up fine.....when she stuck the 2nd one in, I felt a pretty hard vibration in the line....through the needle, all the way up into my vein.... ...ouch, that didn't feel good at all.....she looked surprised and told me she'd felt it on her end....that she'd never encountered that before..... ??? ???........she tried to fill the other test tubes but it happened again...... ........I think it spooked her and she took the needle out without asking anyone else why it did that....I hope they can use that pint of blood even if all of the test tubes weren't filled......


One the positive side, she was a real cutey and was flirting with me as we started the process....asked me what I'd do if I won a million bucks?.....travel was my answer....

[Serk]

Were you donating blood or plasma? Did a little googling and I found some references to that happening on the return needle from plasma donation...

Still pretty creepy... I donated blood once, passed out before they put the needle in. Sorry, I wish I could, but just can't do it again... I hate needles... I mean... I HATE needles.

[Stanley Steamer]

Were you donating blood or plasma? Did a little googling and I found some references to that happening on the return needle from plasma donation...

Still pretty creepy... I donated blood once, passed out before they put the needle in. Sorry, I wish I could, but just can't do it again... I hate needles... I mean... I HATE needles.

Just whole blood.....all these years later and it's the first time that ever happened.....most times things go fine....occasionally they have problems.....I am not scared of needles, but not fond of them either...

[old2soon]

You just reminded me of something similar that happened to me at A F E S Chicago Il. For those of you that have NOT been there and done that-A F E S-Armed Forces Examining Station. Everything was going fine until i put my arm on the block of wood inclined about 45 degrees away from me!! This was in 1964 and they were at that time reusing needles AFTER they had been "sterilized". This needle was spoon shaped and hooked to a large glass vial. The corpsman that was drawing the blood got what he needed for the tests they had to run at that time. The issue happened when he TRIED to remove the needle in my vein!! In a very loud voice his question was-who sterilized these needles?? They had to bring over a Doctor to make a small incision to get the frappin needle out. I was already sworn in so leaving was NOT an option. Welcome to the U. S. Navy. RIDE SAFE.

[Hoser]

I have no fear of needles and hardly feel them when I go to the doctor, guess all those years of heroin addiction had an up side!             Hoser 

[Jess from VA]

It sounds to me like you got a crappy nurse.  And that she buried the needle in muscle, which when stimulated, vibrated, and wouldn't give blood.  A good nurse gets it right every time.  Unless you are....exogenously obese and the vein is difficult or impossible to find.  When choosing a nurse for bloodletting, you want the gal that's been at it for decades, not the cupcake.

I've given blood many times, only got shocky once when she went spelunking for the vein with multiple stabs.  After that, if they miss the first time, I'm done.


If you are pissed off during blood donating, smack your forehead and ask,  "Wait, is it OK to give blood if I have AIDS and hepatitis C?

OR

"Do not worry about venereal disease, of this I have been cured  many times."

[thumper]

I got chemo today.  I've had the same infusion nurse for the past 7 years.  Janine hits dead nut almost every time.  In and out today like clockwork.

[fudgie]

Sounds like the vib you felt was a 'sucking/ vac' sound coming from the vacutainer used to fill the vials. If she missed the vein, you wont get any blood. Blood draws are totally different then having a IV. They are usually easier.
I once stick a 90 yr old lady once. Didnt know I was in her artery till I pulled the needle out to draw blood. Shot 2' towards the truck doors.  

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Got poked with a needle myself today I had to get recertified specifically relating to atomic and nuclear related materials that I haul sometime plus they would'nt let me in the gate without it...It sucks but if I want to keep eating and riding my bikes then I gotta work.

[Stanley Steamer]

Sounds like the vib you felt was a 'sucking/ vac' sound coming from the vacutainer used to fill the vials. If she missed the vein, you wont get any blood. Blood draws are totally different then having a IV. They are usually easier.
I once stick a 90 yr old lady once. Didnt know I was in her artery till I pulled the needle out to draw blood. Shot 2' towards the truck doors.  

That sounds reasonable to me.....the pint was already in the bag....the second vial is when it vibrated very hard...it barely spit in blood into the vial though......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacutainer

[ptgb]

Used to give blood pretty regularly in my 20's and early 30's; then unfortunately I had to fight a Hepatitis C positive, crackhead who had kicked out my cruiser windows and was bleeding up a storm ().

Had to take a year or two off from donating till it was sure that I was not exposed. Thank goodness, I wasn't.

My experience with the voluntary blood-letting was sometimes you got good needle sticks, sometimes you got bad ones. The bad ones pretty much sucked, but heck, you get a cookie and orange drink afterwards, so it's all good  

[Jess from VA]

then unfortunately I had to fight a Hepatitis C positive, crackhead who had kicked out my cruiser windows and was bleeding up a storm (police).

Thank goodness for tasers.... today.  That guy is the poster-child for them.  LOL 

[ptgb]

then unfortunately I had to fight a Hepatitis C positive, crackhead who had kicked out my cruiser windows and was bleeding up a storm (police).

Thank goodness for tasers.... today.  That guy is the poster-child for them.  LOL 

Yeah, pretty much a no-brainer that he would've rode the lightening had it been available then.

[Rocketman]

I got chemo today.  I've had the same infusion nurse for the past 7 years.  Janine hits dead nut almost every time.  In and out today like clockwork.

I'm not a medical professional, but I think if she hits your nuts with the needle, she's doing it wrong.

[RainMaker]

I got chemo today.  I've had the same infusion nurse for the past 7 years.  Janine hits dead nut almost every time.  In and out today like clockwork.

I'm not a medical professional, but I think if she hits your nuts with the needle, she's doing it wrong.

He said it was a "dead nut" so it probably doesn't hurt.

[czuch]

I was giving Plasma in the 80's. A bunch of us would fund the weekend that way. It was a hoot. I was in the stab lab and the tube popped outta the machine. The little aid put a clamp on the hose but it kept coming. Then she put another clamp on it and called for help. She aimed the end-o-the hose into the trash can and waited for the nurse. Still flowing as good as ever.
I still got the cookies and apple juice, and my $15.
I hate needles and dont even wanna see the product of my donation.
 I give every time. Its not about me.
AB+.

[bigguy]

AB+.

+1.  I'm on the NO NO list til about October. (Got to be cancer free for a year.)
Then I'll get back in a platelet donation routine.